Just like in previous years, Zhu Huarong, a delegate to the National People's Congress and the Secretary of the Party Committee as well as Chairman of Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Changan Automobile), continues to focus on the automotive sector this year. He has prepared a proposal regarding the high-quality coordinated development of the Chinese automobile industry.
In 2023, China's automobile production and sales both exceeded 30 million units, with monthly production and sales of new energy vehicles surpassing one million units for the first time, and automobile export volume jumping to the top spot globally.
According to data from the General Administration of Customs, in 2023, the combined export value of the "New Big Three" products (electric passenger vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and solar panels) reached 1.06 trillion CNY, breaking the trillion-yuan mark for the first time and increasing by 29.9% compared to the previous year. These figures indicate that China firmly holds its position as the world's largest producer of automobiles and solar energy installation capacity.
China's New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) are selling well overseas
On February 24th, a special train loaded with 153 Changan Automobiles departed from the Gulu Station of the Chongqing East Ring Railway, passed through the Taicang Port, and headed to Russia. This special train adopted a "rail-water-road" intermodal transportation method, saving over 50% of time and costs, facilitating the export of Chongqing-made cars. Since the beginning of this year, Gulu Station has sent out a total of 12 trains carrying 313 cars, with 2890 units of finished vehicles. As a crucial station along the Western Land-Sea New Channel, the Yuzui Station in Chongqing has already loaded 6200 units of Chongqing-made vehicles this year.
Chongqing, a major hub of the automotive industry in China, ranks second in national automobile production. In 2023, "Chongqing-made" cars were exported to over 80 countries and regions, with exports reaching 368,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 29.8%. According to officials from Changan Automobile, the sales volume of Changan's independent brand overseas exceeded 236,000 vehicles in 2023, marking a 39.23% year-on-year increase and reaching a historic high. In November 2023, Changan Automobile's first overseas production base started construction in Thailand.
"We have established a global research and development network called 'Six Countries, Ten Locations' focusing on core areas like new energy," said Zhu Huarong, introducing Changan Automobile's achievements. The company boasts over 17,000 research and development personnel from 30 countries and regions, including nearly a thousand senior experts. In the field of new energy, Changan Automobile has mastered over 400 core technologies such as multi-in-one high-voltage power systems and sodium-ion battery packs. In the realm of intelligence, they possess over 200 key core technologies including intelligent car-cloud integration, real-time operating systems for intelligent driving, and advanced intelligent driving systems.
Chinese auto companies, represented by Changan Automobile, are continuously expanding overseas under policy guidance, painting a promising picture of Chinese cars selling well globally.
Li Shufu, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Chairman of Geely Holding Group, believes that with the expansion of China's new energy vehicle scale, improvements in technology and quality, and gradual cost reduction, the user experience is getting better. The BYD ATTO 3 was selected by a British news agency as the Best Electric Car of the Year in the UK in 2023, and Geely's Geometry E model became the cost-effective choice for consumers in Rwanda.
A Complete Cluster in the Lithium Battery Industry
The development of new energy vehicles has entered the fast lane. Lithium batteries, as one of the core components of new energy vehicles, play a crucial role.
Zaozhuang, located in the southern part of Shandong Province, was once a city built and prospered by coal. After Zaozhuang's green transformation, it has prioritized the cultivation of the lithium battery industry, replacing "black" energy with green energy, gradually consolidating the "green momentum" of urban development.
"Widely regarded as a resource-depleted city, Zaozhuang has successfully transitioned in recent years and has formed a complete industrial cluster around lithium batteries," said Wang Ling, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Vice Chairman of the Zaozhuang Municipal Committee of the CPPCC.
Up to now, Zaozhuang has 117 lithium battery companies, nearly five times the number in 2020, forming a complete life cycle industry ecosystem from key materials such as lithium battery cathodes, anodes, separators, and electrolytes to battery manufacturing, inspection and testing, terminal applications, and decommissioning and recycling.
About 1200 kilometers south of Zaozhuang, the export of lithium batteries in Fujian Province is also booming.
During the Spring Festival, Xiamen's Haicang Port remains busy, with rows of lithium batteries being exported overseas from here. According to statistics from Fuzhou and Xiamen Customs, in 2023, the export scale of lithium batteries in Fujian Province reached 128.75 billion CNY, a year-on-year increase of 49.5%, with the export growth rate to Belt and Road Initiative countries reaching 80.3%. According to the China Chemical and Physical Power Industry Association, Fujian was the largest source of lithium-ion battery export products in China in 2023, with exports accounting for 28.1% of the national total.
Ningde Times New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. is a leader in the lithium battery industry in Fujian Province. More than a decade ago, when the state first encouraged the development of new energy vehicles, decision-makers in Ningde saw the market potential of power batteries. Since then, the government and enterprises have worked together to address gaps in the industry chain, promoting the rapid development of the local lithium battery industry.
China's Photovoltaics Holding Up "Half of the Sky" for Global Industry
The latest data from the National Energy Administration shows that global renewable energy added 510 million kilowatts of installed capacity in 2023, with China contributing over 50%. For the photovoltaic industry, China has a leading advantage in R&D technology reserves, manufacturing capacity enhancement, and industrial chain improvement.
Zhong Baoshen, a National People's Congress (NPC) deputy and Chairman of Longi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd., said, "'Chinese photovoltaics,' as a business card for China in the new era, will fully leverage its global leading advantages to build cooperation bridges in energy transformation, technological innovation, and talent cultivation, and contribute more to promoting the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative." Recently, the first phase of a 1-gigawatt photovoltaic project in Uzbekistan was connected to the grid, with all components supplied by Longi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd.
Not only in Uzbekistan, but also at the 2022 Qatar World Cup and on the roof of the Three Streams Smoked Fish Factory in Cape Town, South Africa, Longi's presence can be seen.
In the process of going global, Chinese photovoltaic companies often appear in groups and engage in long-term cultivation in local markets. Recently, Xinjiang Integrated Technology Co., Ltd. has won consecutive major overseas contracts in countries such as India and Spain, achieving a good start to the new year. Jiang Weipeng, the company's president, said they have laid out global channels and made significant breakthroughs in battery and component efficiency, effectively ensuring the high-quality delivery of global orders.
Technological innovation has become an important support for promoting the high-quality development of China's photovoltaic industry. In Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, known as the "brain of photovoltaics," Longi Central Research Institute recently manufactured silicon heterojunction solar cells with high flexibility, high power-to-weight ratio for the first time. Prior to this, they had successively broken the world records for cell efficiency in two major categories: monocrystalline silicon single junction cells and crystalline silicon-perovskite tandem cells. They continuously achieved innovative results in new battery and component technologies, new material technologies, and high-end equipment
