Made-in-Chongqing Cars Are Expanding Their Global Presence

People view a vehicle made by Chinese automaker Changan during a brand launch event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on August 31, 2024. (Photo/Xinhua)

Chongqing - In 2023, China became the world's largest car exporter. In the first three quarters of this year, China's car exports reached 4.7 million units, an increase of nearly 1 million compared to the same period last year. This continues to show impressive growth.

The export of Made-in-Chongqing cars is part of this trend. Intelligent, connected new-energy vehicles are becoming the focus.

"Recently, my international business trips have been quite frequent," said Wu Dongjun, International Marketing Director of Changan Automobile's NEV brand Avatr.

As Avatr has expanded its overseas markets in the past year, Wu’s footprint has spread to more than twenty countries.

Entering the Middle East market, where the electric vehicle (EV) sector is still in its infancy, is no easy task. Gaining a foothold and establishing independent brand stores is even more challenging for Avatr, a new luxury brand. Wu admitted that facing rejection is a common experience.

Starting from scratch, Avatr has persuaded overseas investors to make significant investments by focusing on brand investment, strategy, and product planning. 

In September, right-hand drive Avatr 11 was officially launched in Thailand. The company plans to use Thailand as a hub to expand into Southeast Asia and other global right-hand drive markets.

On November 5, Avatr's first showroom in Thailand opened, and the first 100 units of the Avatr 11 right-hand drive model were delivered to customers.

Thanks to Changan's accumulated overseas resources, Avatr expects to expand its sales channels to 25 countries and regions by the end of 2024.

"We aim to cover 50 countries and regions next year, enter the European market in the following year, and by 2027, we plan to reach 80 countries and regions with 280 overseas stores," Wu added.

Not only Avatr but also Changan Automobile's other brands are rapidly expanding in overseas markets.

Changan has built a production base in Thailand, which is expected to start production in the first quarter of next year. The company focuses on right-hand drive cars for the Southeast Asian market. In the Central and South American markets, Changan is targeting Mexico as a hub to expand its fuel vehicles across the region.

In the first 10 months of this year, Changan's own brand overseas sales reached 318,553 vehicles, a 61.81 percent increase year-on-year. The company aims to sell over 1.2 million vehicles annually in overseas markets by 2030 and rank among the top ten global automakers, becoming a world-class Chinese brand.

People experience a Seres 5 electric car during a media preview of the 100th Brussels Motor Show in Brussels, Belgium, January 13, 2023. (Photo/Xinhua)

Seres, another Chongqing-based electric vehicle maker, has also gradually established a foothold in the European market. On October 14, an Aito M9, starting from the Seres Super Factory in Chongqing's Liangjiang New Area, crossed 15,000 kilometers across Asia and Europe over 39 days, and was showcased at the Paris Motor Show.

Before this, Travelers drove Seres electric vehicles on a 25-day tour across 21 European countries. The vehicles were tested on various road conditions and environments, further showcasing the performance and capabilities of Made-in-Chongqing electric cars.

Seres cars have entered markets in countries like Norway, Germany, and France, and export prices have risen from $5,000 to over $40,000 per unit.

At the end of last year, Chongqing issued an action plan for made-in-Chongqing cars going global, setting a target to achieve 10 percent of China's total annual vehicle exports by 2027.

Chongqing-based automakers, such as Changan Automobile and Seres, are accelerating their global expansion in line with this goal. In the first three quarters of this year, the export value of made-in-Chongqing cars reached 31.7 billion yuan ($4.34 billion), a 34 percent increase year-on-year, with new energy vehicle exports growing by 131.9 percent.

Alongside this, auto parts from Chongqing are expanding their overseas sales while logistics companies are working to support this growth.

A representative from the International Business Department of Changan Minsheng APLL Logistics Co Ltd stated that the company has set up a dedicated team t to meet the rapidly growing demand for made-in-Chongqing cars going global. In the first ten months of this year, the company has provided logistic services for more than 280,000 vehicles from Chongqing.

(Yan Wei, a reporter from Shangyou News, contributed the Chinese version of this report.)