In the wave of global automotive industry restructuring, “Made in Chongqing” cars are heading to the world at an unprecedented speed.
In 2024, Chongqing’s automobile exports reached 477,000 units, with a cargo value of 43.11 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 30%.
Behind this series of dazzling data is the comprehensive breakthrough of Chongqing’s automobile industry in strategic transformation, technological innovation and global layout. This article will present a panoramic picture of “Chongqing Cars Going Overseas” from the dimensions of the market status, core driving force, and challenges faced by Chongqing’s automobile exports.
01
Explosive export growth
The expansion of scale and structural upgrading are writing a new chapter in Chongqing’s automobile exports.
In 2024, Chongqing’s automobile exports reached 477,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 29.6%, and the value of goods reached 43.11 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 30%.
This achievement marks that the “Chongqing Cars Going Abroad” plan has achieved remarkable results in the first year, laying a solid foundation for achieving the strategic goal of “Chongqing’s automobile exports account for 10% of the country” in 2027.
Through diversified market layout, Chongqing automobile companies have sold their products to the vast markets of six continents (except Antarctica) around the world.
Changan Automobile releases the “Sea Embraces All Rivers” plan
As for Changan Automobile, in April 2023, it released the global “Sea of Inclusion” plan, actively laid out the international market, held brand conferences in Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, and established production bases and R&D centers in many countries and regions.
Changan Automobile plans to radiate Southeast Asia with its production base in Thailand, enter Central and South America with Mexico as the anchor, and gradually launch 10 models such as UNI-S and the new UNI-V 2.0T in the Middle East and Africa, and complete the layout of the three new energy brands of Deep Blue, Qiyuan and Avita in Europe.
At present, a global collaborative R&D layout of “six countries and ten places” has been established, and its products are exported to 77 countries and regions around the world. The first overseas base established in Thailand has been put into production (the first phase has a production capacity of 100,000 vehicles, which will be increased to 200,000 vehicles later). According to statistics, in 2024, Changan Automobile’s overseas sales exceeded 530,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 49.6%, and overseas sales in January 2025 maintained a 10% increase.
SERES Group
SERES Group has launched a “doubling plan” for overseas new energy vehicle sales. Its new energy vehicles cover 62 countries, with more than 300 dealers and cumulative exports exceeding 500,000 vehicles.
Its flagship model, the M9, spans the Eurasian continent and debuted at the Paris Motor Show with a luxury positioning, becoming SERES’ flagship product for expanding into Europe.
Qingling Motors
Qingling Motors has registered the Qingling trademark in 35 countries, stationed marketing personnel in 8 countries, and certified 187 products. By 2027, Qingling will have built 9 factories in 10 overseas countries and exported more than 30,000 units.
Ruilan 8 debuts in Indonesia
Ruilan Automobile uses Indonesia as its first overseas base and launches the high-end pure electric MPV “Ruilan 8”, planning 17 overseas markets including Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
Xinyuan Automobile
Xinyuan Group’s new energy power vehicles have gained a firm foothold in the South American market, with exports accounting for as much as 88% in 2023.
The 1,000,000th vehicle rolls off the assembly line at Great Wall Motors Chongqing Branch
Great Wall Motors Yongchuan Base, as the largest pickup truck production base in the country, produces star models such as Great Wall Cannon, Tank 300, Haval H9, etc., which are transported to Shanghai by rail, then shipped to the Middle East and Central Europe by sea, or to Southeast Asian and European markets via the New Land-Sea Corridor and the China-Europe Express. The construction of sea-going logistics channels supports the diversification of Chongqing’s export routes.
02
The core code of “Yu Cars Going Abroad”
The outstanding performance of Chongqing’s automobile companies in the global market is not accidental, but the result of the combined effect of multiple advantages. Behind it are four core codes: technological innovation, industrial chain advantages, policy empowerment and logistics innovation.
2.1 Technology R&D builds competitive barriers
Changan Automobile Global R&D Center
2.1.1 R&D investment: Changan Automobile adheres to the “red line principle” that the annual R&D investment accounts for no less than 5% of sales revenue, and Seres is also deeply engaged in R&D. Data shows that in 2024, Changan Automobile’s R&D investment reached 10.16 billion yuan, accounting for 6.4% of its sales revenue; Seres’ R&D investment reached 7.053 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 58.9%.
SERES Automotive Super Factory
2.1.2 Intelligent Manufacturing: The stamping workshop of Changan Liangjiang Factory is 100% automated, and the automation rate of the welding workshop is over 95%, with a new car rolling off the production line every 60 seconds. The Seres factory deploys more than 3,000 intelligent robots, with 100% automation of key processes to achieve full quality traceability.
Chongqing Qingshan DCT automatic transmission annual production and sales exceeded 1 million units and cumulative production and sales of 3.1 million units rolled off the production line ceremony
2.1.3 Core components: Chongqing Qingshan Industry has successfully transformed from a traditional transmission manufacturer to a supplier of electric drive systems for new energy vehicles. Its hydraulic modules will produce and sell 800,000 sets in 2023, with an output value exceeding 3 billion yuan. Its products are installed in brands such as BMW, Huawei, and Changan and exported overseas.
2.2 Industrial clusters empower cost advantages
Currently, Chongqing has thousands of large-scale auto parts companies, and has formed a supply chain of intelligent networked new energy auto parts covering the entire chain of power batteries, electric drive systems, and smart cockpits. The perfect supply system and industrial cluster development provide possibilities for auto companies to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
2.3 Policy system provides protection
In recent years, the Chongqing Municipal Government has established a multi-level policy support system to remove obstacles for auto companies to go overseas:
2.3.1 Top-level design: The Chongqing “Chongqing Cars Going Abroad” Action Plan, launched in December 2023, clearly defines systematic measures such as improving export channels and developing marketable products. The plan proposes coordinating the space of seaborne ro-ro ships and signing a “volume-price-capacity bundling agreement” to reduce corporate logistics costs.
SERES New Energy Vehicle Rail-Sea Combined Transport Train
2.3.2 Customs clearance convenience: Chongqing Customs has set up a “green channel” for the export of commercial vehicles, implemented “appointment inspection” and other business-friendly measures, and greatly shortened the customs clearance time. The Central Asia train only takes 3-5 days, and the Western Land-Sea Corridor can reach Europe in 18-20 days.
2.3.3 Bonded innovation: Xiyong Comprehensive Bonded Zone has built a “bonded export distribution center for complete vehicles and KD parts” to achieve “tax refund upon entry into the zone”. At the beginning of 2024, more than 5,000 complete vehicles and KD parts have completed entry declarations, involving a cargo value of about 800 million yuan. The zone also set up a special channel for super-long vehicles, increasing the traffic capacity of super-long vehicles by 10 times.
2.4 Innovation and breakthrough in logistics channels
As an inland city, Chongqing has built a coordinated linkage between the Western Land-Sea Corridor and the China-Europe Express and the Yangtze River Golden Waterway through a multimodal transport system, launched rail-sea combined transport along the river, increased channel combined transport volume, broke through geographical restrictions, and built a global logistics network.
03
The core challenges we face
3.1 International environment and trade barriers
Policy fluctuations have become the primary uncertainty factor faced by enterprises. A research report by the Municipal Government’s Port Logistics Office revealed that a European country had temporarily increased the scrapping tax in October 2023, forcing manufacturers to bear high transportation costs in order to catch up with the policy window. At the same time, differences in technical standards require automakers to deeply adapt to different markets. The hot climate in the Middle East places special requirements on the thermal management system of the whole vehicle; the plateau terrain along the Andes Mountains in South America requires vehicles to have strong plateau climbing capabilities; cold countries require standard configurations such as seat heating and steering wheel heating. Even more serious is the rise of trade protectionism. China and Europe continue to negotiate tariffs on electric vehicles, and many European and American countries have set up policy barriers to China’s new energy vehicles.
3.2 There is still room for improvement in brand building
Establishing an international brand image requires long-term investment and continuous accumulation. Compared with internationally renowned brands such as German and Japanese brands, Chongqing Auto’s influence in the international market has increased, but it is still insufficient. Especially in the high-end market, it needs to be further recognized by consumers. Fortunately, the International New Energy Vehicle Brand Center has settled in Chongqing Liangjiang New District. It will focus on building a testing and certification and import and export trading base, actively carry out new energy vehicle brand display, brand research and consulting, and brand exchange activities, and help “Made in Chongqing” cars shape an international brand image.
3.3 International logistics has uncertainty
The current turbulent international situation has led to frequent fluctuations in shipping prices, pushing up shipping costs, increasing geopolitical risks along the China-Europe Express, and the shortage of ro-ro shipping capacity restricting delivery timeliness, bringing uncertainty to international logistics. He Daoguo, president of the United Logistics Group, warned: “If the transportation service cannot keep up, resulting in the inability to deliver cars on time with quality and quantity, foreign customers will reduce their trust in Chongqing car companies.”
3.4 Shortcomings in localized operations
Compared with automobile export companies in Germany, Japan and other countries, Chongqing car companies are still insufficient in localizing and deepening their overseas markets. In the early days, some car companies lacked long-term business plans, and the construction of after-sales service systems lagged behind, affecting their brand image and market sustainability.
04
Some suggestions
4.1 Promote the overseas expansion of the industrial chain
Changan Automobile Rayong Plant in Thailand
Faced with an increasingly complex international trade environment, the simple export model of complete vehicles is no longer sufficient to support sustainable development. Chongqing automobile companies have transformed simple “automobile exports” into “industrial chain exports”, a model that effectively circumvents trade barriers through technology exports and localized production. Changan Automobile’s Rayong plant in Thailand is a vivid example of this strategy. After the project was put into production, it not only achieved localized production, but also drove the output of the entire industrial chain. As a “traction product”, new energy vehicles can link Chongqing’s advantageous industries such as electronic information (chips/integrated circuits), new materials (battery technology), and artificial intelligence (intelligent driving) to go overseas together, forming an industrial ecological output effect.
4.2 Accelerate technological innovation and create competitive advantages
Improve the level of intelligence and electrification, increase the research and development of technologies such as autonomous driving and vehicle networking, and meet the needs of high-end markets in Europe and the United States; actively adapt to international certification standards, and carry out EU WVTA, US FMVSS and other certifications in advance to avoid exports affected by technical barriers; strengthen original technology research and create differentiated competitive advantages.
4.3 Improve overseas supply chain and after-sales system
Build overseas warehouses and distribution centers, set up warehousing and logistics bases in key markets, and improve delivery efficiency; establish a localized service system, cooperate with local dealers, and provide maintenance, charging, OTA upgrades and other supporting services; use digital management of the supply chain, optimize the global supply chain through blockchain and Internet of Things technologies, and reduce logistics costs.
