Author: Jiang Shan | Location: 960

1830 words, approximately 4 minutes to read

Changan has ascended to become a pivotal entity within a tier-one central enterprise, making its mark in Chongqing.

On July 29, China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd. was officially established in Chongqing with the ambitious goal of "establishing a globally competitive automotive group with independent core technology."

This new central enterprise, spun off from the former China South Industries Group Corporation, boasts 117 subsidiaries. Its primary businesses encompass complete vehicles and auto parts, auto sales, financial and logistics services, as well as motorcycles. Looking ahead, the enterprise will focus on fostering innovative technologies such as smart car robots, flying cars, and embodied intelligence, aiming to explore a novel three-dimensional transportation ecosystem spanning land, sea, and air. It will also accelerate its global expansion, targeting five regional markets: Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Central and South America, Eurasia, and Europe.

According to the "Catalogue of Central Enterprises" updated on the SASAC website, there are now 100 central enterprises, with China Changan Automobile Group ranking 73rd.

▲Central Enterprises Catalogue (Updated on July 29, 2025)

According to Tianyancha, China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd. was officially registered on July 27 with a registered capital of 20 billion yuan. Its legal representative is Zhu Huarong, and its registered address is Chongqing.

On the day of its registration, the "China Changan Automobile Group" Weibo, WeChat official account, and video account, all officially certified under "China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd.," went live. Notably, the video account released seven videos on July 28, showcasing images and product promotions of Changan Automobile, Chenzhi Group, and the five major brands and series under its umbrella.

▲Business Information

With this, the trio of central enterprise automakers comprising FAW Group, Dongfeng Motor Corporation, and Changan Automobile Group has been finalized.

It's noteworthy that the name "China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd." was previously used by the controlling shareholder of Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. (commonly known as Changan Automobile). In June of this year, that company was renamed "Chenzhi Automotive Technology Group Co., Ltd." According to media reports, the renamed "Chenzhi Automotive Technology Group" will serve as the core components business, integrating with Changan Automobile's existing complete vehicle business and other companies within the newly established central enterprise automaker.

From the banks of the Huangpu River to the shores of the Yangtze River, Changan, as a newcomer to the central enterprises, boasts a rich heritage spanning over a century as an ordnance manufacturer and over 40 years in automobile manufacturing.

Key milestones in Changan's history include:

• 1862: The predecessor, "Shanghai Foreign Artillery Bureau," was founded in Shanghai.
• 1959: Production of China's first jeep, the "Changjiang" jeep.
• 1984: Production of China's first batch of mini-car products.
• 2001: Initiation of a research and development layout spanning "six countries and ten locations."
• 2006: Official entry into the passenger vehicle sector.
• 2020: The Blue Whale engine set a Guinness World Record by running at 5500 RPM for over 200 hours.
• 2022: Aim to build a world-class intelligent and connected new energy vehicle industry cluster.
• 2023: Launch of the global strategy plan "Embrace All Rivers."
• 2025: Establishment of China Changan Automobile Group.

Currently, its brand portfolio includes AITO, SL03, Changan Automobile, Changan Qiyuan, and Changan Kaicheng.

In terms of sales, Changan Automobile sold a total of 2.6838 million vehicles in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 5.12%. Of these, 2.2265 million were sold under its independent brands, 734,600 were new energy vehicles, and 536,200 were exported. In the first half of this year, Changan Automobile sold a total of 1.3553 million vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 1.59%. Among these, 1.1506 million were independent brand models, up 2.61% year-on-year, and 451,700 were new energy vehicles, up 49.05% year-on-year.

Regarding financial performance, Changan Automobile's revenue in 2024 was 159.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.58%. Its net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company was 7.321 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 35.37%. In the first quarter of this year, Changan Automobile's revenue was 34.161 billion yuan, down 7.73% year-on-year, while its net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company was 1.353 billion yuan, up 16.81% year-on-year.

Looking ahead, by 2030, the new central enterprise aims to achieve a vehicle production and sales scale of 5 million units, with new energy vehicle sales accounting for over 60% and overseas sales accounting for over 30%, striving to enter the top 10 global automotive brands.

Changan's elevation to a central enterprise signifies a significant boost for Chongqing's efforts to build an intelligent and connected vehicle industry cluster.

Chongqing, an industrial hub with 39 out of 41 major industrial categories nationwide and all 31 manufacturing categories, boasts a prominent position in the domestic automotive industry.

However, Chongqing's automotive industry has faced challenges in recent years, akin to an "elephant turning around." From 2014 to 2016, Chongqing's fuel vehicle-dominated automotive industry led the nation in production for three consecutive years. In 2016, the industry peaked with a production volume of 3.16 million units and an output value of 540 billion yuan. Yet, subsequent years saw a downturn due to the overall Chinese automotive market environment and issues with product structure, leading to a steep decline in production volumes and severe challenges for leading enterprises.

To navigate these setbacks and the pain of transformation, Chongqing implemented a series of measures to "change lanes" and adapt, introducing a development strategy focused on "coordinating whole vehicles and parts, combining hardware and software, and jointly building an ecosystem." This strategy aims to propel the transformation of the traditional automotive industry towards intelligent and connected new energy vehicles, with the ultimate goal of establishing a world-class intelligent and connected new energy vehicle industry cluster.

Local complete vehicle enterprises have played a crucial role in this transformation. Changan Automobile launched the "Shangri-La Plan," nurturing multiple new energy vehicle brands such as AITO and SL03. Thalys, spun off from Chongqing Xiaokang Group, collaborated with tech giant Huawei to introduce the highly acclaimed "AITO" brand. Meanwhile, Chongqing Lifan, on the brink of bankruptcy, was revitalized with the assistance of Geely.

According to the "Economic Operation of Chongqing in the First Half of 2025" jointly released by the Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Statistics and the National Bureau of Statistics Survey Office in Chongqing, Chongqing produced 1.2185 million vehicles in the first half of this year, marking a 0.3% increase and ranking third nationwide.

With Changan's elevation to a central enterprise, it is anticipated that core component enterprises will accelerate their clustering in Chongqing, driving the local supply chain towards higher value-added areas and further enhancing Chongqing's significance in the national automotive industry landscape.