Chongqing - Chongqing, after ranking second in national car production last year, surpassed Guangzhou by producing 997,100 vehicles from January to May. Recent data from local statistics bureaus show that Chongqing exceeded Guangzhou's production of 947,300 vehicles in the first five months, reclaiming its position as China's largest car manufacturing city.

At the provincial level, from January to May, Chongqing ranked second in car production after Guangdong province (1,806,600 vehicles), followed by Anhui (949,100 vehicles), Shandong (734,000 vehicles), Shanghai (697,600 vehicles), and Jiangsu (620,100 vehicles).

Cutting-edge new energy vehicles rolled off the production line at the Seres Smart Factory in Shapingba District, Chongqing. (Photo/ Zhang Jinhui)

From 2014, Chongqing was China's largest car manufacturing base, producing 2,628,900 vehicles, over 11% of the national total. This leadership continued until a sharp decline in 2017. Production dropped to 1,720,700 vehicles in 2018 and further to 1,383,000 vehicles in 2019. Guangzhou took over as China's top car manufacturing city during this period.

In 2017, Chongqing's leading automaker Changan faced significant challenges as its joint venture brands, Changan Ford saw a sharp decline in sales and Changan Suzuki exited the Chinese market. Another major local private enterprise, Lifan, underwent bankruptcy restructuring along with Yinxiang under the Beijing Automotive Group. This series of setbacks led to a period of hardship for Chongqing's automotive industry.

In recent years, Chongqing car companies have been actively transitioning to new energy vehicles, which has helped recover Chongqing's leading position in car production. For example, local industry leader Changan Automobile has focused on new energy transformation, with its EV brands such as Changan, Deepal, Qiyuan, and Avatr becoming increasingly mature, with hot-selling models on the rise.

Private enterprise Seres Group is another market leader. The latest data shows that Seres sold 94,825 new energy vehicles in the first quarter, continuing its strong growth trend in May.

Meanwhile, Chongqing's automotive industry foundation is showing its strengths. With over 20 complete vehicle manufacturers and 1,200 large-scale supporting parts companies, it boasts the most comprehensive automotive industry chain in the western region.