Automobile manufacturers and brands of China

There are currently about 150 active brands in the Chinese automobile market. Among them are 97 Chinese domestic brands and 43 joint venture (JV) brands.^[1] Before 2010, the traditional "Big Four" refers to the four major state-owned car manufacturers, SAIC, FAW, Dongfeng and Changan. Other Chinese car manufacturers, both from public and private sectors, like Geely, BAIC, BYD, Chery, GAC, Great Wall, JAC and Seres, emerged as the major players with the expansion of the Chinese automotive industry.

The article is an introduction to major automobile manufacturers and brands of China; for the full list see List of automobile manufacturers of China.

Major manufacturers and brands

See also: List of automobile manufacturers of China

Chinese major automobile manufacturers headquarter locations

Central state-owned manufacturers

Central state-owned manufacturer refers to manufacturers directly owned by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC) of the People's Republic of China. Currently, FAW, Dongfeng and Changan are owned and controlled by the Central Government.^[2] According to the civil service ranks of China, The central government controlled state-owned enterprises are ranked as Sub-Ministerial-Level Enterprise.

• FAW (China First Automobile Works Group Corporation, Chinese: 中国第一汽车集团有限公司) is a central state-owned automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Changchun which is directly under the control of the central government of China. Founded on 15 July 1953, it is the oldest car manufacturer of the People's Republic of China. Currently FAW sells products under their brands including Hongqi, Jiefang, and Bestune. FAW also operates joint ventures with Toyota, Volkswagen and Audi.^[3][4]
• Dongfeng (Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Chinese: 东风汽车集团有限公司) is a central state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wuhan, Hubei, which is directly under the control of the central government of China. Originally known as Second Automobile Works when it was founded in 1969, FAW and SAW were the two major manufacturers before the reform and opening-up of China. It currently owns Voyah, M-Hero, Aeolus, Forthing, Dongfeng Nammi and operates joint ventures including Cummins, Honda, Nissan, Infiniti, and Stellantis (PSA Peugeot Citroën).^[5]
• Changan (China Changan Automobile Group, Chinese: 中国长安汽车集团有限公司) is an central state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Chongqing. It is the oldest automobile manufacturer in China, and can be traced back to 1862 during the Qing Dynasty. Changan designs, develops, manufactures and sells passenger cars sold under the Changan Auto, Deepal, Avatr and Kaicene brands. Changan operates joint venture companies Ford and Mazda.^[6][7][8]

Local state-owned manufacturers

Local state-owned manufacturers refers to manufacturers owned by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of local governments (instead of the State Council). Most local government-controlled manufacturers are ranked as Bureau-Director Level Enterprise or even lower level.

• SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, Chinese: 上海汽车集团股份有限公司) is a Chinese state-owned automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Shanghai. It is controlled by the municipal government of Shanghai. SAIC sells vehicles under a variety of brands including IM, Rising Auto, Maxus, MG, Roewe, Wuling, Baojun, and Yuejin. Joint venture brands include Buick, Chevrolet, Iveco, Volkswagen, and Audi.^[9]
• GAC (Guangzhou Automobile Corporation, Chinese: 广州汽车集团股份有限公司), is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Guangzhou and controlled by the municipal government of Guangzhou. GAC sells passenger cars under the Trumpchi, Aion, and Hyptec brands and operates foreign joint ventures with Honda and Toyota.^[10]
• BAIC (Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd. , Chinese: 北京汽车集团有限公司), is a state-owned enterprise located in Beijing and controlled by the municipal government of Beijing. Its owns the brands of Arcfox, Beijing, Beijing Off-road, and Foton. It has foreign joint ventures with Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz.^[11]
• JAC (Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corporation, Chinese: 安徽江淮汽车集团股份有限公司) is a state-owned enterprise based in Hefei, Anhui Province, and controlled by the Provincial Government of Anhui. It owns the brands of JAC Motors, JAC Yiwei, JAC Refine, and collaborates with Huawei under the Maextro brand.^[12]
• Chery (Chery Automobile, Chinese: 奇瑞汽车股份有限公司), a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer based in Anhui and controlled by the municipal government of Wuhu. It sells cars under the Chery, Exeed, Jetour and iCar brands. It also has a foreign joint venture with Jaguar Land Rover for the production of Jaguar and Land Rover cars in China.^[13]

State-private mixed ownership manufacturer

• Seres (Seres Group, Chinese: 赛力斯集团股份有限公司), is one of the first state-private mixed ownership manufacturer in China. Headquartered in Chongqing, it is currently co-owned by the founder's family, the state-owned company Dongfeng and municipal government of Chongqing. It used to be famous for producing light commercial vehicles and budget passenger vehicles but is transforming to produce premium electric vehicle since 2021 after partnering with Chinese tech giant Huawei. It owns the brands of Seres, AITO, Fengon, Landian and DFSK.^[14]
• Hozon (Zhejiang Hozon Auto New Energy Automobile, Chinese: 浙江合众新能源汽车有限公司), is an EV manufacturer headquartered in Hangzhou. It is a state-private mixed ownership manufacturer which is mainly invested in by Chinese tech company Qihoo 360 and three local governments of Yichun, Tongxiang and Nanning. It produces vehicles under the Neta brand.

Notable privately owned manufacturers

• BYD (BYD Auto, Chinese: 比亚迪汽车有限公司), is an automobile manufacturer based in Shenzhen, founded by BYD Company which are known for their batteries. It is currently the largest electric vehicle manufacturer of the world. It operates brands such as BYD, Denza, Fangchengbao, and Yangwang.^[15]
• Geely (Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Chinese: 浙江吉利控股集团有限公司), is one of the biggest privately owned automobile manufacturers and is headquartered in Taizhou, Zhejiang. Currently one of the fastest growing automotive groups in the world, Geely is known for its ownership of the Swedish luxury car brand Volvo Cars, its performance counterpart Polestar, and the British sports car company Lotus. It also owns the brands of Geely, Livan, Lynk & Co, Zeekr, Volvo Cars, LEVC, Farizon, Ji Yue, Proton and Smart.^[16]
• GWM (Great Wall Motor, Chinese: 长城汽车股份有限公司), is a private company famous for manufacturing SUVs headquartered in Baoding, Hebei. GWM sells vehicles under the brands of Haval, Wey, Tank and Ora. It operates a joint venture called Spotlight Automotive with BMW Group to produce Mini brand electric cars.^[17]
• Leapmotor (Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology, Chinese: 浙江零跑科技股份有限公司) is an EV manufacturer founded in 2015, headquartered in Hangzhou. Stellantis acquired a 20% stake in Leapmotor in 2023.
• Li Auto (Beijing Car And Home Information Technology, Chinese: 北京车和家信息技术有限公司) is a startup manufacturer founded in 2015. It specializes in developing and manufacturing premium range-extender electric vehicles and has rapidly grown into a major player in the Chinese automobile market.^[18]
• Xpeng (Guangzhou Xiaopeng Motors Technology, Chinese: 广州小鹏汽车科技有限公司) is an EV startup manufacturer founded in 2014 and headquartered in Guangzhou. Together with Nio and Li Auto, it is one of the first EV companies in China. Volkswagen Group acquired a 5% stake in Xpeng in 2023.
• Xiaomi Auto (Xiaomi Automobile Co., Ltd, Chinese: 小米汽车有限公司) is the subsidiary of Chinese consumer electronics giant Xiaomi that produces EVs. It was founded in 2021 in Beijing and launched its first product, the Xiaomi SU7, in 2024. Xiaomi is currently the only Chinese tech company that is directly involved in automotive manufacturing.
• Nio (Shanghai Nio Automobile, Chinese: 上海蔚来汽车有限公司) is an EV startup manufacturer founded in 2014 and headquartered in Shanghai. The company is noted for its battery-swapping stations and premium EV. The company launched an entry-level brand, Onvo, and the high-end brand Firefly in 2024.^[19]

Chinese major state-owned automobile groups global sales (joint venture brands excluded)^[20]

Year	Central state-owned			Local state-owned					State-private mixed owned
	FAW	Dongfeng	Changan	SAIC	GAC	BAIC	JAC	Chery	Seres	Hozon
2010	1,038,290	607,068	1,239,990	1,424,513	45,065	682,895	442,547	750,456	226,198	–
2011	907,337	654,991	1,025,233	1,433,387	44,056	664,812	466,459	729,497	243,053
2012	718,327	611,446	1,053,645	1,659,973	71,505	683,991	448,813	653,476	202,991
2013	723,969	709,470	1,152,537	1,884,112	124,001	866,994	495,737	561,062	205,019
2014	627,006	715,344	1,363,487	2,051,240	146,694	864,783	446,802	570,718	277,000
2015	505,849	690,531	1,504,936	2,272,961	207,890	827,170	588,052	575,108	275,316
2016	505,711	779,298	1,682,741	2,533,586	375,723	988,109	643,342	682,474	381,636
2017	572,862	810,407	1,597,543	2,811,224	508,797	837,129	510,892	604,708	400,038
2018	543,986	664,313	1,270,100	2,957,136	535,323	701,754	462,477	752,759	347,837	1,206
2019	589,832	661,585	1,331,802	2,621,117	384,792	743,614	421,241	747,806	325,381	11,212
2020	779,403	725,475	1,503,604	2,575,775	353,597	790,241	456,125	731,117	273,590	15,509
2021	846,803	819,172	1,754,707	2,845,309	447,207	760,476	524,224	961,926	266,614	69,674
2022	555,406	743,032	1,874,569	2,779,123	633,704	570,681	500,401	1,232,727	267,246	152,073
2023	732,328	671,702	2,097,794	2,804,845	886,508	821,033	592,499	1,881,316	253,181	127,496
2024	813,632	765,242	2,226,489	2,429,925	789,475	872,362	403,094	2,603,916	497,008	87,684

Chinese major privately owned automobile groups global sales (joint venture brands excluded)^[20]

Year	Privately owned								HIMA[21]
	Geely	BYD	GWM	Li Auto	Leapmotor	Nio	Xpeng	Xiaomi
2010	425,194	521,761	415,779	–	–	–	–	–	–
2011	857,006	454,676	518,965
2012	905,083	462,512	672,234
2013	979,691	514,188	803,449
2014	878,818	446,329	767,825
2015	1,025,287	451,868	871,315
2016	1,333,077	510,157	1,086,639
2017	1,938,057	421,158	1,085,654
2018	2,276,846	528,298	1,072,529			11,348	482
2019	2,194,145	467,960	1,097,451	1,000	1,000	20,565	16,608
2020	2,150,134	431,447	1,111,598	33,457	10,266	43,728	27,041
2021	2,189,409	749,325	1,280,993	90,491	43,121	91,429	98,155
2022	2,312,613	1,881,669	1,067,523	133,246	111,168	122,486	120,757		76,180
2023	2,790,000	3,024,417	1,230,704	376,030	144,155	160,038	141,601		95,279
2024	3,336,534	4,272,145	1,233,292	500,508	251,207	221,970	190,068	135,000	444,956

Foreign and joint venture manufacturers

See also: List of automobile manufacturers of China § Foreign joint ventures/brands

Following the Chinese economic reform, from 1994 to 2018, Chinese automotive policy mandated that foreign carmakers had to establish joint ventures (JVs) with a Chinese counterpart to produce vehicles in the country, with the Chinese partner owning at least 50% of the venture. This measure was implemented to protect local manufacturers and provide it with the chance to bridge the technology gap and develop their brands.^[22]

On April 17, 2018, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China announced that foreign ownership limits on automakers would be phased out over a five-year period.^[23][24] On 28 July 2018, China lifted foreign ownership restrictions on new energy vehicle production, which benefited American electric car manufacturer Tesla, Inc. The company established a plant in Shanghai, becoming the first foreign automaker to open a wholly owned manufacturing facility in China.^[25][26] The liberalization was followed by commercial vehicles in 2020 and passenger cars in 2022. The rule prohibiting foreign automakers from setting up more than two joint ventures in China was also lifted in 2022. Therefore, it became legally possible for foreign automakers to buy out local partners from joint ventures. In 2022, BMW and Volkswagen had acquired 75% stake in their joint ventures.^[27][28]

Foreign manufacturers

The following are foreign manufacturers that operate in China either through wholly owned manufacturing plants or joint ventures where they own more than 50 percent of the shares.

• Tesla
  • Gigafactory Shanghai (Tesla is the first and currently the only 100% foreign-owned car manufacturer in Chinese mainland)^[29]
• Toyota
  • Lexus Shanghai (second 100% foreign-owned car manufacturer in Chinese mainland)^[30]
• BMW
  • BMW China (former 50–50 joint venture with Brilliance Auto Group, a majority 75% stake was acquired by BMW in 2022)^[31]
• Volkswagen
  • Volkswagen Anhui (former 50–50 joint venture with JAC, a majority 78.52% stake was acquired by Volkswagen in 2020)^[32]
  • Audi-FAW NEV (Audi AG and Volkswagen Group hold 60% majority of stake)^[33][34][35]
• Ford
  • Ford Beyond (JMC Ford Technology, Ford holds 65.32% majority of stake indirectly)^[36]

Summary

Company	Marques	Foreign-branded JVs
Central state-owned manufacturers
FAW	Hongqi, Jiefang, Bestune	FAW-Toyota, FAW-Volkswagen (Volkswagen, Audi, Jetta)
Dongfeng	Voyah, M-Hero, Aeolus, Forthing, Nammi	Dongfeng-Honda (Honda, Lingxi), Dongfeng-Nissan (Nissan, Infiniti, Venucia), Dongfeng-Peugeot Citroën
Changan	Changan, Deepal, Avatr, Kaicene	Changan Ford (Ford, Lincoln), Changan Mazda, Changan Ford NEV
Local state-owned manufacturers
SAIC	SAIC, IM, Rising, MG, Roewe, Maxus, Baojun/Wuling (under SGMW)	SAIC-Volkswagen (Volkswagen, Audi, AUDI), SAIC-General Motors (Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac)
GAC	Trumpchi, Aion, Hyptec	GAC-Toyota, GAC-Honda
BAIC	Arcfox, Beijing, Beijing Off-road, Foton, Stelato	Beijing-Benz, Beijing-Hyundai
Chery	Chery, Exeed, Jetour, iCar, Luxeed, Jaecoo, Omoda, Aiqar, Exlantix, Freelander	Chery-Jaguar Land Rover
JAC	JAC, JAC Yiwei, JAC Refine, Maextro
State-private mixed ownership manufacturers
Seres	Seres, AITO, Fengon, DFSK, Landian
Privately owned manufacturers
Geely	Geely, Livan, Lynk & Co, Zeekr, Volvo Cars, Polestar, Lotus, LEVC, Farizon, Radar, Ji Yue, Smart, Proton
BYD	BYD Auto, Yangwang, Denza, Fangchengbao
Great Wall	GWM, Haval, Wey, Tank, Ora	Mini (Spotlight)
Li Auto	Li
Smaller startup manufacturers
Nio	Nio, Onvo, Firefly
Xpeng	Xpeng, XPeng AeroHT
Leapmotor	Leapmotor
Hozon	Neta
Xiaomi	Xiaomi Auto

Joint venture manufacturers

The following are foreign manufacturers that operate in China through joint ventures where they hold a maximum of 50 percent ownership.

• Volkswagen
  • FAW-VW (with FAW) (Volkswagen, Jetta, Audi)
  • SAIC-VW (with SAIC) (Volkswagen, Audi, AUDI, Skoda)
• General Motors
  • SAIC-GM (with SAIC) (Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet)
  • SAIC-GM-Wuling (with Guangxi Auto, SAIC)
• Ford
  • Changan Ford (with Changan) (Ford, Lincoln)
  • Jiangling Motors (with JMCG) (Ford, JMC)
  • Changan Ford New Energy (with Changan)
• Stellantis
  • Dongfeng PSA (with Dongfeng) (Peugeot, Citroën)
  • Leapmotor International (with Leapmotor)
• Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi
  • Dongfeng Nissan (with Dongfeng) (Nissan, Infiniti, Venucia)
  • Zhengzhou Nissan (with Dongfeng) (Nissan, Fengdu)
  • JMEV (with JMCG)
  • eGT New Energy Automotive (with Dongfeng)
• Toyota
  • FAW Toyota (with FAW)
  • GAC Toyota (with GAC)
• Mercedes-Benz
  • Beijing Benz (with BAIC)
  • Fujian Benz (with BAIC, Fujian Motors)
• BMW
  • Spotlight Automotive (Mini, with Great Wall Motor)
• Honda
  • Dongfeng Honda (with Dongfeng)
  • GAC Honda (with GAC)
• Hyundai-Kia
  • Jiangsu Yueda Kia Motors (with Yueda)
  • Beijing Hyundai (with BAIC)
• Isuzu
  • Jiangxi Isuzu (with JMCG)
  • Qingling Motors (with Qingling)
• Tata
  • Chery Jaguar Land Rover (with Chery)
• Mazda
  • Changan Mazda (with Changan)

Reversed joint ventures and cooperation

See also: List of foreign brand vehicles developed and manufactured by automobile companies of China

In the 1990s, Chinese automakers pursued Western technology through joint ventures. However, a reversal occurred in the 2020s, with Western manufacturers now seeking technological assistance from Chinese counterparts and invested in China through joint ventures.^[37] Several Chinese electric vehicle startups have leveraged their technological advantages, attracting investments from traditional Western automotive giants such as Renault-Nissan, VW, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Stellantis.

• In 2017, Renault-Nissan and Dongfeng set up a joint venture called "eGT New Energy Automotive" to produce A-segment EV.^[38]
• In 2019, Mercedes-Benz announced the establishment of a joint venture partnership with Chinese automaker Geely.^[39] Geely acquired 50% of Smart brand to produce EVs based on Geely's SEA platform.^[40]
• In July 2019, Renault Group announced a capital injection of 1 billion yuan to acquire a 50% stake in JMEV, an EV subsidiary of Jiangling Motors Corporation.^[41]
• In 2020, BMW and Great Wall Motor invested RMB 5.1 billion on a joint venture Spotlight Automotive to produce the Mini brand EV using the technology of Great Wall Motor.^[42]
• In 2020, Toyota announced its joint venture with Chinese manufacturer BYD. The joint venture was set to assist technical know-how for Toyota's EV development and supply the battery, electric motor and electronic control unit for Toyota's EV.^[43] Toyota bZ3, the first electric sedan of Toyota, was built under the assistance of BYD with its technology.
• In July 2023, Audi and SAIC announced their partnership that the EV platform from IM Motors, the brand of SAIC, will be introduced into Audi's electric models.^[44]
• In July 2023, Volkswagen Group announced its investment of $700 million in XPeng, the EV startup venture from China, for purchasing 4.99% stake of the company. The VW will collaborate with XPeng to develop two VW brand electric models for the mid-size segment in the Chinese market in 2026.^[45][46]
• In August 2023, Geely and Renault decided to set a joint venture codenamed Horse with each entity holding 50% stake, to manufacture internal combustion engine (ICE) and hybrid powertrains for Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi vehicle with Geely's technology.^[47]
• In September 2023, Ford and Changan announced to establish a new joint venture Changan Ford NEV, to produce and distribute Ford vehicles based on Changan's technology of electric vehicle. Changan holds 70% stake in the JV while Ford holds 30%.^[48][49]
• In October 2023, Stellantis announced its investment to Leapmotor at the price of 1.5 billion euro, acquiring 20% of Leapmotor for the support of technology to produce EVs.^[50]
• In November 2023, South Korean manufacturer KG Mobility, formerly SsangYong Motor, signed a cooperation with BYD, that BYD would supply battery pack and hybrid powertrain for KG Mobility's electrified SUV and pickup truck.^[51]
• In June 2024, Jaguar Land Rover and Chery signed a letter of intent to create a new EV brand called Freelander that will be based on an EV platform from Exeed.^[52]
• In October 2024, KG Mobility signed an agreement with Chery to co-develop electrified vehicles for global markets. KG Mobility will receive the T2X platform developed by Chery.^[53]
• In July 2025, Dongfeng Motor and Nissan announced the establishment of a joint venture at the ratio of 60% and 40%, to export vehicles and components manufactured by Dongfeng Nissan.^[54]

Year	Foreign manufacturer	Chinese manufacturer	Reversed joint venture / collaboration
2017	Renault/Nissan	Dongfeng	Developing and manufacturing Renault and Dacia brand EV based on Dongfeng's technology
	eGT New Energy Automotive (25:25:50)
2019	Renault	JMCG	50% of JMEV acquired by Renault Developing and manufacturing JMEV and Mobilize brand EV
	JMEV (50:37)
2019	Mercedes-Benz	Geely	50% of Smart brand acquired by Geely Developing and manufacturing Smart brand EV by Geely
	Smart Automobile (50:50)
2020	BMW	Great Wall Motor	Developing and manufacturing Mini brand EV by GWM
	Spotlight Automotive (50:50)
2020	Toyota	BYD	Providing technical support for Toyota and supply the BYD-made battery, electric motor and electronic control unit for Toyota's EV.
	BYD Toyota EV Technology (50:50)
2023	Volkswagen	XPeng	4.99% of Xpeng acquired by VW Rebadging/technology transfer for VW vehicles
2023	Audi	SAIC	Establishing new AUDI brand Developing and manufacturing vehicles with EV platform from IM Motors
2023	Stellantis	Leapmotor	20% stake of Leapmotor acquired by Stellantis Rebadging/technology transfer for Stellantis vehicles Setup of joint venture for the exclusive rights to sell Leapmotor vehicles outside China
	Leapmotor International (51:49)
2023	Renault	Geely	Supply of ICE and hybrid powertrains for Renault, Dacia, Nissan and Mitsubishi vehicles by Geely
	Horse (50:50)
2023	Ford	Changan	Developing and manufacturing vehiclesFord brand electric vehicles by Changan
	Changan Ford NEV (30:70)
2023	KG Mobility	BYD	Supply of battery pack and hybrid powertrain for KG Mobility's electrified SUV and pickup truck
2024	Jaguar Land Rover	Chery	Establishing Freelander brand Developing and manufacturing vehicles by Chery
2024	KG Mobility	Chery	Technology transfer of Chery's T2X platform
2025	Nissan	Dongfeng	Export for Dongfeng-Nissan vehicles and components
	JV for export (60:40)

Chinese technology industry involvement in the automotive industry

Since the 2020s, Chinese technology corporations such as Huawei, Baidu, and DJI, with their advanced software or hardware technological capabilities, started entering the automotive business through various approaches.

Huawei's partnership with automobile manufacturers has taken the form of three business models, from the standardized parts supply model, the "Huawei Inside" (HI) model, and the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA).^[55][56] Baidu and DJI have provided autonomous driving system and hardware to automotive manufacturers.^[57][58] Qihoo 360 invested in the Chinese EV startup company Hozon Auto.^[59] Geely collaborates with Baidu to set up joint venture brands, and acquired Chinese smartphone company Meizu for its Polestar and Lynk & Co brands with its auto OS and AR system. Xiaomi is the first and the only Chinese tech company that is directly involved in automotive design, development and manufacturing, and operates its factory in Beijing.^[60]

Chinese technology industry involvement in the automotive industry

Tech company	Manufacturer	Collaborating brand	Note
Huawei (HIMA)	Seres Group	AITO	Collaborates under the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) model. Huawei provides a complete set of vehicle solutions and participates in product definition, design, marketing, user experience, quality control and delivery, while the manufacturers are responsible for vehicle manufacturing.[55]
	Chery	Luxeed
	JAC Group	Maextro
	BAIC BluePark	Stelato
	SAIC Motor	SAIC
Huawei (Huawei Inside)	Changan	Avatr	Collaborates under the Huawei Inside (HI) model. Huawei provides a full-stack smart car solution and Huawei's smart cockpit to car manufacturers. Huawei supplies both software and hardware, but does not participate in the design, development, or marketing of the vehicles.[55]
	Dongfeng	M-Hero
		Voyah
	BAIC BluePark	Arcfox
	Changan	Deepal
	GAC	Trumpchi
	SAIC-VW	Audi
	FAW-VW
	Audi-FAW NEV
	Dongfeng	Dongfeng eπ
	Dongfeng Nissan
Xiaomi	Xiaomi Auto		Directly invests and is involved in automotive design, development and manufacturing.[60]
Baidu	Dongfeng	Voyah	Baidu equips Dongfeng's electric vehicle brand, Voyah, with its Apollo autonomous driving system.[57]
	Geely	Jidu Auto / Ji Yue	Baidu and Geely have established two joint venture companies, Jidu Auto for automotive technology, and Ji Yue for car manufacturing.[61][59]
DJI	SAIC-GM-Wuling	Baojun	DJI provides its autonomous driving system for several brands, including Baojun, Volkswagen,[62] and iCar.[63]
	Volkswagen
	Chery	iCar
Qihoo 360	Hozon	Neta	Collaborates in a form of investment.[59]
Meizu	Geely	Lynk & Co, Polestar	Meizu provides an auto OS called Flyme Auto OS, and an AR system.[64]

Statistics

Historic sales volume of Chinese brand passenger vehicles

Year	Chinese brand passenger vehicle sales[65]	Domestic share of Chinese brand passenger vehicles[65]	Global passenger vehicle sales[66]	Global share of Chinese brand passenger vehicles
2010	6,273,000	45.6%	58,239,494	10.77%
2011	6,112,200	42.2%	59,897,273	10.20%
2012	6,485,000	41.9%	63,081,024	10.28%
2013	7,222,000	40.3%	65,745,403	10.98%
2014	7,518,000	38.1%	67,782,035	11.09%
2015	8,737,600	41.3%	68,539,516	12.75%
2016	10,529,000	43.2%	72,105,435	14.60%
2017	10,847,000	43.9%	73,456,531	14.77%
2018	9,890,000	42.1%	70,498,388	14.03%
2019	8,470,000	39.2%	64,033,463	13.23%
2020	7,749,000	38.4%	53,915,928	14.37%
2021	9,543,000	44.4%	56,437,803	16.91%
2022	11,766,000	49.9%	57,485,378	20.47%
2023	14,596,000	56%	65,272,367	22.36%
2024	17,970,000	65.2%	67,542,081	26.61%

Historic production data and notable milestones in the Chinese automobile industry^[67][68][69]

Year	Production	Global share	Milestones
1955	61		Foundation of the First Automobile Works (FAW)
1960	22,574
1970	87,166
1978	149,062		Beginning of the reform and opening-up
1985	443,377
1990	509,242
1995	1,452,697
2002	3,250,000	5.6%	Accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO)
2005	5,710,000	8.6%
2009	13,790,000	25.0%	Surpassed the United States as the world's largest automobile producer
2010	18,260,000	24.2%	Largest number of cars produced by any nation
2015	24,500,000	27.43%	Became the world's largest EV producer
2017	29,020,000	30.19%
2022	27,021,000	31.8%	Surpassed Germany as the world's second largest car exporter
2023	30,161,000	32.4%	Surpassed Japan as the world's largest car exporter
2024	31,436,000	33.0%	Highest production record in history

Automotive industry production capacity of China by province^[70]

Region	Production share	Provincial	Production volume in 2023	Capacity utilization	Chinese brands	Foreign brands
Yangtze Delta	28.1%	Anhui	2,250,743	67.0%	Chery, BYD, Changan, Sehol, JAC, Jetour	Land Rover, Jaguar
		Jiangsu	1,837,252	39.3%	Li Auto, BYD, Ora, Roewe, MG, Maxus, Deepal, HiPhi	Volkwagen, Kia, Mazda
		Shanghai	1,810,679	69.6%	IM Motors, Roewe, Rising, BYD	Cadillac, Audi, Tesla, Buick, Mercedes-Benz
		Zhejiang	1,368,005	29.7%	Geely, Zeekr, Geely Galaxy, Lynk & Co, Polestar, Aion, Neta, Leapmotor, BYD	Volkswagen, Volvo, Ford
Central	14.8%	Hubei	1,585,294	41.4%	Voyah, M-Hero, Aeolus, Trumpchi, Tank	Honda, Nissan, Infiniti, Buick, Chevrolet, Dacia
		Hunan	1,009,720	42.1%	BYD, Denza, Geely, Beijing	Volkswagen
		Henan	811,836	37.4%	MG, Jetour, Roewe, BYD, Fangchengbao	Venucia
		Jiangxi	431,244	26.3%	BYD, Trumpchi, JMC	Ford
Chuan-Yu	9.6%	Chongqing	1,698,586	34.9%	Changan, Avatr, Deepal, Oshan, Tank, Jinbei, AITO, Seres, Landian, Livan, Wuling, Baojun	Ford, Lincoln
		Sichuan	782,924	43.3%	Zeekr, Lynk & Co, Kaiyi	Volvo, Toyota, Volkswagen, Jetta
Pearl River Delta	13.2%	Guangdong	3,418,749	65.5%	Trumpchi, Aion, BYD, Xpeng, Beijing	Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Audi, Volkswagen
Jing-Jin-Ji	9.8%	Tianjin	1,075,244	71.1%	Haval	Volkswagen, Audi, Toyota
		Beijing	912,003	45.6%	Changan, Beijing, Xiaomi, Li Auto	Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai
		Hebei	542,214	35.0%	Haval, Wey, Lynk & Co	Hyundai
Northeast	10.5%	Jilin	1,450,020	65.0%	Hongqi, Bestune	Volkswagen, Audi, Toyota
		Liaoning	1,197,285	64.9%	Chery	BMW, Nissan, Infiniti, Buick
		Heilongjiang	83,876	52.4%		Volvo, Ford
Other	14.0%	Shaanxi	1,255,307	85.1	BYD, Yangwang, Denza, Smart
		Guangxi	882,892	36.8%	Guangxi Auto, Forthing	Chevrolet
		Shandong	849,469	36.5%	BYD, Wuling	Volkswagen, Audi, Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet
		Fujian	287,021	44.5%	MG	Mercedes-Benz
		Shanxi	164,188	54.7%	Geely Geometry
		Inner Mongolia	89,775	89.8%	Chery
		Guizhou	51,529	16.6%	Geely
		Xinjiang	40,789	40.8%	Trumpchi	Volkswagen
		Hainan	12,871	2.9%	Haima
		Yunnan	3,387	3.4%	JMEV

Etymology of major manufacturers

Trade name in English	Common name in Chinese	Literal meaning in Chinese	Note
Central State-owned manufacturers
FAW	一汽	abbreviation for First Automotive Works	First automotive manufacturer of the People's Republic of China
Dongfeng	东风	'the East Wind'	Taken from Mao Zedong's famous saying "East wind prevails over the west wind", which means that the power of socialism will surely defeat the power of capitalism.[71]
Changan	长安	'Long-lasting peace'	Originated from "Chongqing Changan Arsenal", the predecessor entity in defense industry in 1950s. Changan is also the ancient name for the capital of Tang Dynasty.[72]
Local State-owned manufacturers
SAIC	上汽	abbreviation for Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation	Location of the manufacturer
GAC	广汽	abbreviation for Guangzhou Automobile Group	Location of the manufacturer
BAIC	北汽	abbreviation for Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation	Location of the manufacturer
JAC	江淮	abbreviation for Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp	Location of the manufacturer. Jianghuai refers to the northern Jiangsu and northern and central Anhui, where JAC located.
Chery	奇瑞	'unexpected and auspicious'	Named by Yin Tongyue, the company's first technical director
State-private mixed ownership manufacturer
Seres	赛力斯	'China'	Derived from the Ancient Greek word Σῆρες, which means 'China'
Privately owned manufacturers
Geely	吉利	'auspicious, propitious'	Phonetic transliteration of the company's native name 吉利
BYD	比亚迪	abbreviation for Build Your Dream	Originated from Yadi Electronics, the company's initial name, the character bi (比) was added to the name to prevent duplication, and to provide the company with an alphabetical advantage in trade shows. The backronymic slogan "Build Your Dreams" was adopted starting in 2008.[73]
GMW	长城	'the Great Wall'	Name by Wei Jianjun, the company's founder
Li Auto	理想	'ideal'	Homophone of its founder, Li Xiang.
XPeng	小鹏	'Little Peng' (a gigantic bird in Chinese myth)	Derived from the given name of the founder He Xiaopeng
Nio	蔚来	'Future' (homophone)	"N" stands for new era, "I" for innovation, and "O" for openness[74]
Leapmotor	零跑	'Leading the race' (homophone)	零 in Chinese means 'zero', which represents the vision of zero emissions, zero accidents, and zero traffic jams.[75]

See also

• List of automobile manufacturers of China
• List of foreign brand vehicles developed and manufactured by automobile companies of China