Sichuan, Chongqing make strides in auto industry cooperation

Changan Global R&D Center in Liangjiang New Area. [Photo by Chen Wensen] 

Major passenger carmakers in Chongqing witnessed soaring sales in 2024. Changan Auto sold 2.68 million units, a record high for the past seven years, while SERES accumulated 426,885 sales, with an annual growth of 182 percent. 

These strong performances are backed up by the deepening collaboration within the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle to boost the auto industry.

A Changan Auto manager said Changan models are not only Chongqing-made products but also a collaborative result between Sichuan and Chongqing. At present, one-third of Changan's suppliers come from Sichuan, with annual contracts totaling 20 billion yuan ($2.73 billion). Many R&D staff are also dispatched to Changan's global R&D center in Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing. 

Following China's 2021 plan to construct the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, Sichuan and Chongqing initiated an action plan for coordinated, high-quality development of the auto industry in the same year, eyeing a 1-trillion-yuan auto industry. An intelligent, connected new energy vehicle industry began to take shape.

An official from the Chongqing Economic and Information Technology Commission says the region has more than 600 suppliers and nearly 300 auto software companies. These cover three major systems, 12 assemblies, and 56 parts in the intelligent-connected vehicles sector, enhancing the resilience of the regional industrial chain. 

This regional collaboration has produced representative models such as the AVATR 12 and SERES M9, which are recognized as products of the highest standards.

SERES M9, a best seller priced above 500,000 yuan in the first 11 months of 2024, is perceived as a benchmark of domestic luxury vehicles. The model carved out its competitive edge with the "new luxury" design concept, which means it rivals traditional luxury models in space and interior and excels at intelligence and electrification. 

High-end products enhance brand value and drive sales. From 2021 to 2024, the Sichuan-Chongqing region manufactured 12.57 million vehicles, with an average annual growth rate of 7.23 percent, of which 2.38 million were new energy vehicles. The region also exported more than 1.6 million vehicles, with an average annual growth rate of 39.5 percent.

SERES Super Factory in Liangjiang New Area. [Photo by Wang Jiaxi]