1997, north of Wuhu city, a barren stretch of land.

No factories, no equipment, no technical drawings, hardly anyone believed anything could grow here. Chery drove its first stake into such a place. Back then, the Chinese auto market was dominated by joint-venture brands. Santana, Jetta, Fukang "the old three" ruled supreme. Domestic brands? In many people's concepts, that was just a joke.

Two years later, the first Fengyun came off the line. Two more years passed, and Fengyun became the first Chinese brand sedan to cross the border. No one could have imagined that this car, which raced out of the barren land, would weave a story of 20 million vehicles 29 years later.

But what is truly worth discussing about the number 20 million is never how big it is, but how "heavy" it is.

One in every three owners is not in China

20 million, placed in today's Chinese auto market, just looking at the numbers, it's not earth-shattering. But if you calculate this arithmetic problem differently, the result is completely different.

Among Chery's 20 million users, nearly 7 million are from overseas. Accounting for 35%. What does this mean? For every 3 Chery vehicles sold, 1 is sold outside China. This proportion is unique among all Chinese automakers.

This first half of the year, Chery exported 943,800 vehicles, up 71.5% year-on-year. On average, one Chery vehicle heads to an overseas wharf every 17 seconds. June was even more exaggerated, with overseas sales hitting 191,000 in a single month, with an export ratio as high as 69.5%. In other words, nearly seven out of ten Chery vehicles sold that month were bought by foreigners.

If we look at the timeline, in 2007 Chery completed its first 1 million in the first decade—that was the first time a Chinese domestic brand knocked on the door of the "million club". From 1 million to 20 million, 19 years, compound growth rate 17%. The growth curve of the last two years is steep and frightening; just the export volume of the first half of this year already exceeded the total global sales of certain brands for the entire year.

But what is worth pondering more behind the numbers is: Chery didn't just recently think about going overseas, it has walked this road of globalization for over twenty years. Starting from the first Fengyun exported to Syria in 2001, Chery has always been moving outwards. The first 20 years were a slow simmer, only in the last two years has it come to a quick boil.

More valuable than any report is the vote of one family, two generations

At the delivery site of the 20 millionth vehicle on July 25, 2026, there was an interesting detail.

The owner is named An Xinran, Australian nationality, pursuing a PhD at Zhejiang University. Why did she buy a Chinese brand EV? The story starts with her mom. An Xinran's mom was already a Chery owner in Australia. Back then she chose Chery because Chery received a five-star rating in the Australia and New Zealand high-spec safety test. The old lady felt this Chinese car was reliable, safe, and trustworthy.

Influenced by her mother, after coming to China to study, An Xinran has been paying attention to Chery. Later she saw the Fengyun A9, was moved by its appearance and intelligent cockpit, became the recipient of the 20 millionth vehicle, and received the car key from Yin Tongyue and spokesperson Yang Zi.

Where is the gold content of this story? In "intergenerational transmission" and "trans-oceanic trust".

Mom drives a Chery in Australia for safety; daughter drives a Chery in China for intelligence. Two generations, two countries, two completely different usage scenarios and consumption needs, caught by the same brand. This is not something ad copy can fabricate; this is real word-of-mouth rolling into a snowball.

Think about it, how harsh the Australian market is on car safety requirements, anyone who knows cars slightly knows. Getting a five-star rating there is equivalent to getting an "entry ticket" for the entire mature Western market. And an Australian family, mom drove it and thought it was good, daughter continues to buy — this trust chain is more convincing than any "Global Sales #1" slogan.

What is truly difficult is not selling the car, but taking root

Many people think "globalization" is just shipping cars to ports, loading ships, and sending them off. That is trade, not globalization.

Chery's understanding of globalization is three stages: product going overseas, capacity going overseas, ecosystem going overseas. As Yin Tongyue said, it is from "going out" to "going in" and then to "blending in".

How to blend in?

As of now, Chery has 16 overseas factories globally, distributed in Brazil, Spain, Thailand, South Africa, etc. In 2024, Chery cooperated with Spanish EV MOTORS, revived the Spanish national brand EBRO, directly creating over 1,000 jobs, called a "model of China-Spain cooperation" by both governments. This July, Chery launched the upgrade and renovation of the South African Rosslyn plant — this plant was built in 1963, after Chery took over it promised to retain all 692 employees, and also drove nearly 3,000 jobs upstream and downstream.

Among Chery's 150,000 global employees, overseas employees exceed 20,000.

Yin Tongyue has a sentence that impressed me deeply. He said Chery cannot be a "tumbleweed chasing profit", rolling wherever the wind blows, cannot take root; it must be a "tree planter rooted locally", wherever it is, for wherever it is, becoming a part of the locals.

This sounds simple, but weighs heavily. The "tumbleweed" style of going out is the logic of making fast money — rush in when the market is good, run away when the market is bad. But the logic of the "tree planter" is — I came, and I won't leave, I grow together with this land.

In 2026, Chery joined the IATF International Automotive Task Force Board, obtained the voting right for global auto standard formulation. From "abiding by rules" to "participating in setting standards", this leap is much harder and more valuable than selling hundreds of thousands more cars.

After 20 million, why dare to say "no involution"?

At the Fengyun A9 launch event on July 25, 2026, Yin Tongyue said: "After 20 million vehicles, we will no longer participate in involution, we will no longer only pursue sales, but pursue upward brand growth, pursue greater value creation."

Spoken by others, this might be face-saving talk. But spoken by Chery, it is backed by solid actions.

This first half of the year, Chery actively "squeezed out excess" domestically, significantly reducing dealer inventory, shipping 150,000 fewer cars domestically. The sales figures indeed looked bad, but dealer inventory pressure eased, channels became healthier. What was the cost? Decline in short-term sales. What was exchanged? Beneficial operation of the entire system.

In the latest Fortune China 500 list, Chery ranked 87th on its debut, with a return on net assets of 36.5%, number one in the auto industry. Not competing on price is because it found things more valuable than competing on price.

Fengyun A9 is that "upward" spear. Full series standard equipped with 70kWh battery, 655 km range, 8 airbags, front double wishbone rear five-link suspension, pre-sale price 109,900 to 129,900. Pulling this spec sheet to the European market, the level of competitiveness is clear to those in the know. 72-hour pre-sale orders 18,173 units, 15 days broke 31,729 units. The market votes with its feet, more real than any self-praise. From the first Fengyun going off the line in 1999, to today Fengyun A9 becoming the carrier of the 20 millionth; from "making cars ordinary people can afford" to "defining global high-quality mobility standards" — the name Fengyun has been used for 27 years, the logic behind it has climbed several steps.

What did that stake hammered on the barren land pierce out?

Back to 1997. When Chery drove the first stake into the barren land, no one believed this zero-start domestic brand could survive, let alone believed it could go out.

That year, the landscape of Chinese cars was still decided by joint-venture brands. "Market for Technology" was exchanged for 20 years, how much technology was actually exchanged, everyone has a number in their heart. Chery took a different road from the beginning — no joint ventures, no relying on foreign parties, gnawing technology by itself, expanding market by itself.

Was this road difficult? Too difficult. The first 1 million in 2007 took ten years; from 1 million to 2 million took three years; from 2 million to 5 million took five years; from 5 million to 10 million took six years; from 10 million to 15 million took three years; from 15 million to 20 million took only two years. The slope gets steeper and steeper, but every step is stepped solidly.

This number 20 million, the real weight is not in "20 million" itself, but in its composition — 35% overseas users, first Chinese brand exports for 23 consecutive years, three-digit growth in European market, one seat on the IATF board, An Xinran and her mom crossing two generations and two countries brand trust.

These are the assets that cannot be taken away. Yin Tongyue said, 2027 is Chery's 30th anniversary, by then Chery will not only be an auto company, but also a tech ecosystem company. From barren land to 20 million vehicles, from Wuhu to over 100 countries and regions globally, Chery has walked this road for 29 years.

No short cuts, all hard work. But on the road of globalization, it is precisely hard work that is most valuable.

Chery Group July new energy vehicle sales hit a new high again, reaching 129,067 units, with a year-on-year increase of 97.5%, approaching a doubling. From January to July, Chery Group cumulatively sold 604,305 new energy vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 42.3%, breaking 100,000 units in a single month for four consecutive months. According to data released by the China Passenger Car Association, Chery has ranked in the top three in the industry for new energy wholesale volume for four consecutive months.

Scaled development enters a boom period, ranking in the top three in the industry for wholesale volume for four consecutive months

From stabilizing at 100,000 units to successively breaking through 110,000 and 120,000 units, and then approaching 130,000 units, Chery Group new energy vehicles maintain high-speed growth, and scaled development has entered a boom period. So far this year, Chery Group has cumulatively sold over 604,000 new energy vehicles.

According to the July passenger car main manufacturer new energy wholesale volume sales bulletin released by the China Passenger Car Association, Chery ranked third in the industry. Thus far, Chery has ranked in the top three in the industry for new energy wholesale volume for four consecutive months this year.

New energy transformation accelerates, domestic penetration rate exceeds 60%

New energy has become a new label for Chery Group. In July, Chery Group's total sales were 276,820 units, of which new energy vehicle sales were 129,067 units, and the overall new energy penetration rate steadily climbed to 46.6%.

New energy is already the absolute main force of Chery Group in the domestic market. In July, Chery Group's domestic new energy sales were 46,044 units, with a new energy penetration rate of 62.0%. For every three vehicles sold by Chery Group in the domestic market, two are new energy.

Figure: Fengyun A9

Figure: New QQ3

New energy is also an important growth pole for Chery Group's expansion into overseas markets. From January to July, Chery Group's new energy exports grew by 175.7% year-on-year, more than double the overall export growth rate. In the first half of the year, Chery sold 86,000 new energy vehicles in Europe, a year-on-year increase of 385%, accounting for about half of the sales in Europe, meaning Chery's new energy penetration rate in Europe is already around 50%.

Hit product matrix formed, winning global user love

More and more global users are choosing Chinese new energy products, choosing Chery new energy vehicles. Chery has currently formed a new energy hit product matrix both domestically and overseas:

In the domestic market, the new QQ3 broke 10,000 sales for four consecutive months; Fengyun A9 pre-orders exceeded 31,000 units in 15 days; iCAR V27 firmly held the monthly sales champion in the 200,000-level extended-range SUV segment; the high-end new energy MPV Luxeed V9 delivered over 10,000 units in a single month.

In the overseas market, JAECOO 7 topped the UK monthly all-market sales first place, JAECOO 5 was the champion in the Australian BEV small SUV market, Indonesian and Thai BEV markets, iCAR V23 took the first place in the box-style SUV sub-segments in South Africa, Thailand, and Nepal.

Luxeed V9 single-month delivery exceeded 10,000 units

Figure: JAECOO 7 New Energy Vehicle Model

Consolidating the "Battery Pillar", building a strong new energy safety and charging foundation

The dual growth of sales and penetration rates cannot be separated from the continuous breakthrough of new energy core technologies. Chery's "Battery Pillar" is being continuously consolidated. Currently, Chery's battery layout covers two material systems: ternary lithium and lithium iron phosphate, three cell structures: short blade, prismatic, and large cylindrical, and three product series: dedicated hybrid, dedicated pure electric, and dedicated solid-state. Chery's Rhino solid-state battery cell energy density has reached 400Wh/kg, aiming for 600Wh/kg. By the end of 2025, Chery Rhino battery-equipped vehicles have cumulatively driven over 1.2 billion kilometers, with the highest single vehicle at 160,000 kilometers, delivering a market report of "0 spontaneous combustion, 0 battery safety incidents".

Chery has won continuous authoritative recognition in the battery safety field. In July, at the National New Energy Power Battery Safety Warning Algorithm Competition hosted by the Technical Innovation Center of the State Administration for Market Regulation, Chery Group won three first prizes in both ternary lithium and lithium iron phosphate tracks; meanwhile, it passed the industry's first six-vehicle major serial extreme tests implemented by the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, verifying safety capabilities in extreme environments.

Figure: Fengyun A9 undergoing whole-vehicle six major serial extreme tests

Battery safety is the bottom line, while charging efficiency is key to user experience. Chery's "Xunlong Instant Charge" energy technology is promoting the transformation of new energy vehicles from transportation tools to mobile energy nodes; Rhino batteries support charging for 8 minutes with a range of 500 kilometers, ready to set off after a cup of coffee. Chery plans to build over 20,000 charging stations supporting V2G functionality before 2029.

From ranking in the top three in the industry for new energy wholesale volume for four consecutive months to domestic penetration rate exceeding 60%; from a complete hit product matrix both domestically and overseas to continuous battery technology breakthroughs, Chery Group is entering the fast lane of brand elevation with a high-quality new energy transformation.

In the first half of 2026, competition in the automotive industry continued to intensify, and market structures accelerated iteration. Chery Group, relying on clear strategic layouts, deep independent technology accumulation, and a mature global operation system, achieved comprehensive breakthroughs in four dimensions: sales scale, quality reputation, globalization progress, and frontier technology layout. It continuously achieved landmark results such as record-breaking sales figures, industry-recognized quality certifications, global production and sales milestones, and a spot on the Fortune Global 500 list, delivering a highly valuable report on high-quality development for the first half of the year with stable growth resilience, leading business performance, and diversified technology layout.

From the perspective of market sales volume, in the first half of 2026, Chery Group's cumulative vehicle sales reached 1.3575 million units, a year-on-year increase of 7.7%, refreshing the highest sales record for the same period since the brand's establishment and solidifying its status as a top-tier independent brand. Behind the outstanding data, exports and new energy businesses form the core dual engines driving growth, becoming Chery's core advantage distinguishing it from most peers. In the first half, Chery's total overseas export volume reached 943,800 units, a significant year-on-year increase of 71.5%. On average, one Chery vehicle is shipped to various global destinations every 17 seconds. Relying on solid product strength, the brand continued to achieve breakthroughs in market share in global high-regulation standard markets such as Europe, the UK, and Australia. Currently, Chery's global overseas user scale is approaching 7 million, accounting for 35% of the brand's total user base. The overseas market has become the core foundation supporting the brand's long-term development.

At the level of going global model, Chery has long moved beyond the primary trade mode of simply exporting vehicles, building a unique 'Integrative Going Global' paradigm. Currently, Chery has laid out six core overseas manufacturing nodes in Spain, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, Thailand, and Iran, building a localized production network covering key global markets. Among them, the Spain EBRO plant deepens into the European local market, and the South Africa Roslyn plant takes over the capacity of a century-old automotive manufacturing base. All major overseas factories adhere to deep localization operations, hiring a large number of local employees, cultivating local upstream and downstream supply chains, complying with local regulations, and implementing various public welfare projects. They abandoned the simple replication of domestic factory expansion ideas, achieving a model upgrade from 'simply selling cars' to 'rooting locally and co-developing', providing replicable and referenceable industry samples for the globalization development of Chinese brands.

At the level of product and service quality, Chery achieved a landmark industry breakthrough in 2026, sweeping first place in four core research independent brand categories of J.D.Power New Car Quality IQS, Product Appeal APEAL, Purchase Experience PXI, and After-sales Service CSI. It became the first domestic automotive enterprise to achieve the 'Grand Slam' of this evaluation. The four authoritative evaluations cover vehicle factory quality, driving product experience, terminal purchase service, and after-sales maintenance full life cycle. Leading evaluation results in all dimensions fully verify Chery's long-term adherence to the quality manufacturing system implementation, achieving a benign development pattern of 'steady sales growth and simultaneous consolidation of reputation'. Meanwhile, Chery's frontier intelligent industry layout has yielded results. Its Moji Robotics business has completed global scaled implementation. Products have entered more than 60 countries globally, covering hundreds of commercial and industrial scenarios. Until the first half of the year, global cumulative sales exceeded 2,000 units. The humanoid robotics business has officially become Chery's new technology going global business card, marking Chery's transition from a traditional complete vehicle manufacturing enterprise to a multi-track technology group.

From the first half of 2026 to July, Chery continuously welcomed two key milestones worthy of being recorded in the brand's development history. The first milestone was reaching a global cumulative sales breakthrough of 20 million units on July 25. Looking back on the 29-year development process, Chery has always stuck to the independent R&D route, breaking industry inherent prejudices such as 'no joint venture, difficult to develop' and 'low volume cannot independently develop core technology', paving a completely independent and controllable Chinese automotive development path. 20 million units is not the end of development, but a brand new starting point. Currently, Chery has simultaneously laid out frontier tracks such as high-level intelligent driving, flying cars, embodied intelligence robots, '3G Strategy', and even controlled nuclear fusion. It continues to break the industry boundaries of traditional car companies, evolving steadily into a global high-tech group.

Another heavyweight milestone is Chery Automobile successfully listing on the 2026 Fortune Global 500 list as an independent listed company entity, ranking 383rd, and also being the only complete vehicle enterprise newly listed in mainland China this year. At the level of business performance, Chery's Return on Equity (ROE) exceeded 36%, ranking 30th globally among this year's Fortune 500 enterprises, and first among all listed Chinese enterprises. Different from many enterprises that rely on revenue volume to be listed, Chery listed this year as an independent listed entity, reflecting the comprehensive maturity of the enterprise's modern governance system and market-oriented operation mechanism. It further broke the single evaluation standard of the industry competing only on production and sales scale, proving that besides scale growth, Chery simultaneously possesses industry-leading profitability and efficient asset turnover capabilities, completing the key strategic turnaround from simple scale expansion to high-quality benefit growth.

The accumulation of multiple outstanding results fully demonstrates Chery's all-round, multi-level comprehensive competitiveness in the first half of 2026. Standing at the six-month development node, relying on a huge global user base, perfect overseas manufacturing network, industry-leading quality endorsement, and diversified frontier technology reserves, Chery's growth momentum continues to be sufficient. In the second half of the year, Chery will continue to amplify the dual growth curve advantages of exports and new energy, relying on 20 million global user accumulation and Fortune 500 platform momentum. It will continuously deepen independent core technology innovation, deepen global localization ecological layout, steadily promote the construction of a global high-tech group, continuously consolidate the foundation of high-quality development of independent brands, and convey the core force of Chinese automotive industry upward breakthrough to the global market.

On average, 17 seconds. In the time it takes you to read this pause, another Chery-made vehicle roars toward a port on the other side of the Earth.

To be honest, half-year exports nearing 950,000 units, single month nearing the 200,000 unit mark, these numbers are indeed substantial. But if you only look at sales volume, you fall into a data trap. What we see is not how many cars Chery sold, but how this enterprise is forcibly rooting the car manufacturing roots into the soil of the global market. This is no longer simple trade export, but a fundamental restructuring of the globalization survival model.

From Product Transit to Industrial Rooting

In the past, when we talked about going global, the essence was door-to-door delivery. Domestic production, ocean shipping, terminal sales, short chains, weak stickiness. Chery's current approach has clearly changed the logic.

Spain's European Operation Center, UK Liverpool Commercial Vehicle Headquarters, are not simply offices, but have moved the decision-making brain of market operations, compliance management, supply chain coordination, and financial control to the local level. Even more significant is the South Africa Rosslyn Plant, fully taken over from foreign enterprises, retaining all 692 original employees, and driving 3,000 supply chain jobs in the surrounding area.

It can be said that this deep cultivation of the whole value chain is more penetrating than spending heavily on advertising. You place manufacturing on their land, taxes into their treasury, employment links to locals. This "In somewhere, For somewhere" (Here, For Here, Becoming a Local Member) deep binding is the true moat for going global.

From Single Product Breakout to Group Strategy

Look at the product side again. Early Chinese brand global expansion often relied on one or two cost-performance models to open the market, concentrated risk, insufficient follow-up. Chery has now formed a blockbuster matrix with multiple lines advancing together.

Tiggo 7 monthly overseas sales broke 30,000 units, Tiggo 4 took the runner-up spot in South Africa monthly rankings; JAECOO 7 topped the UK full market monthly leader, JAECOO 5 led in three lines: Australia small pure electric SUV, Indonesia pure electric, Thailand markets; JETOUR T2 even secured the South Africa Car of the Year award, an authoritative award with a 40-year history. Also, OMODA 5 and iCAR V23 continue to sell well in the UK and Thailand respectively.

Yes, this is the true meaning of the matrix. From fuel to pure electric, from entry-level home to light off-road, every segment has a capable main product. This multi-point supported product structure is the true portrayal of capacity and demand behind one car every 17 seconds.

From Compliance Adaptation to Rule Participation

The European market is a benchmark-level arena for the global auto industry, with strict regulations and dense barriers. Chery has not only achieved sales breakthroughs but also completed advancements at the standards level.

Jan-May Europe cumulative sales 138,800 units, year-on-year growth 216.69%; in the UK for three consecutive months ranked second overall brand, second only to Volkswagen. More critically, Chery became one of the Chinese car companies to obtain the China-Europe Automotive Carbon Footprint Mutual Recognition Report, and officially entered the IATF (International Automotive Task Force) Board of Directors, directly participating in the formulation and revision of global automotive quality standards.

From Trade Going Global to System Export

In the end, Chery's over 940,000 unit export volume in these half years marks that China's automotive global expansion has entered a new stage.

In the past it was trade going global, revenue counted per car sold; now it is system going global, while exporting products, synchronously exporting technical standards, manufacturing systems, brand culture, and localized operational capabilities. New energy export grew 1.6 times, in the European market for every 2 Chery cars sold, 1 is new energy; commercial vehicle sector June export year-on-year growth 146%, 1000 Mojia robots also opened up commercial service tracks in over 50 countries and regions.

Zhang Guan's Comment: One car every 17 seconds, sounds very fast. But for Chinese brands aspiring to become global car companies, this rhythm perhaps has just entered the stable zone. True globalization has never been as simple as shipping cars out, but rather making oneself truly a local enterprise in every local market.

In the first half of 2026, the overseas export rankings of domestic automakers witnessed profound changes. If excluding Russia and Iran, these two special markets with geopolitical dividends, BYD's overseas sales have already surpassed Chery. This data also reflects the completely different globalization layout strategies of the two automakers.

BYD Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu

Customs export data for the first half shows Chery's overall exports at 944,000 units, among which the Russia and Iran markets contributed a combined 283,000 units. Excluding these two markets, Chery's sales in global marketized regions totaled 661,000 units. Out of strategic considerations, BYD actively abandoned the Russia and Iran markets. On one hand, the geopolitical situation in these two areas is complex, operational stability is very poor, currency fluctuations and sanctions could bring operational risks at any time; more critically, to concentrate all resources on deepening the European mainstream market, avoiding chain reactions in Western public opinion caused by the layout in Russia and Iran which could affect the European layout, BYD chose to strategically exit these two regions. All of BYD's 789,400 unit exports came from fully marketized regions such as Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, Latin America, etc., and the total amount is already significantly leading Chery after excluding the dividend markets.

For many years, Chery relied on the market dividends of the Russian-speaking region and Iran, long staying at the first place in Chinese car exports. After Western European and American automakers actively withdrew, a huge vacuum appeared in the local fuel vehicle market, and Chery took stable sales through this. However, such markets are greatly affected by geopolitical situations, stability is insufficient, and do not have reference value for the global market. BYD actively gave up short-term dividends and persisted in deepening mainstream mature economies, making the growth more solid.

The European market has become BYD's most important growth engine. In the first half of 2026, BYD new registrations in Europe reached 162,400 units, compared to 70,500 units in the same period last year, with a year-on-year increase of up to 136%, achieving over doubling growth. Breaking it down, DM-i plug-in hybrid models were the largest incremental growth, surging 260% year-on-year, skillfully avoiding the pressure brought by the EU pure electric anti-subsidy measures; pure electric models climbed steadily, rising 78% year-on-year. Germany, Italy, Spain and other core Western European countries all achieved substantial growth, with no weak markets.

BYD's ability to continue rising relies on a complete system layout. Factories in Thailand and Brazil are continuously ramping up, and the Hungarian production base is about to go into production in the fourth quarter, which can avoid EU tariffs and further amplify the advantage in Europe. The independent Ro-Ro fleet is continuously expanding, thoroughly breaking free from the limitations of ocean shipping capacity, laying the foundation for continuous exports. Chery lacks overseas production bases, capacity is already close to the ceiling, superimposed with the Russia-Iran dividend markets showing top growth, subsequent growth will gradually slow down.

Based on the current growth rhythm, even if Russia and Iran sales are fully counted, BYD's total export volume at the end of this year has a high probability of surpassing Chery and taking the number one spot in annual Chinese car exports.

Short-term geopolitical dividends can support the rankings for a while, but cannot support long-term globalization. Looking only at mainstream markets with free competition, BYD has already surpassed, which also means that Chinese automakers going global have officially entered a new stage relying on product power to layout globally.

This article originates from AutoR Interviews, author Jia Hongbing

"The return of the all-new QQ, we are not simply competing with opponents to make this market more competitive. We hope to give users a new choice, to have a warmer companionship with QQ."

"Many A0 class small cars in the industry are making 'trade-offs', but users actually don't want to make trade-offs; they want it all. We use platformization and scale to bring down costs without reducing user experience."

"The Chinese market is just a part of the all-new QQ. Since its birth, it has been built as a global car according to global standards."

—— Chery QQ Owner Zhang Hongyu

Interview with Chery QQ Brand Owner Zhang Hongyu: How Does QQ Return?

Produced   by: AutoR

Host: Jia Hongbing

Guest: Zhang Hongyu

Chery Automobile's senior 'veteran', possessing deep accumulation in the automotive industry for over 20 years. He personally experienced and witnessed the history of the first generation of Chery QQ sweeping the nation and becoming a national divine car; now, he shoulders the main burden again, serving as the all-new Chery QQ brand owner.

He takes the lead in the operations of the product sequence for the all-new QQ. Relying on the 'Grand Middle Platform' system of big Chery, he promotes the full chain from brand definition, product development, manufacturing to terminal delivery, committed to opening a new chapter for the QQ brand in the electrification and intelligence era facing the global market through intelligent pure electric native platforms and 'tech with warmth'.

AutoR interviews Chery Automobile QQ Brand Owner Zhang Hongyu: How Does QQ Return?

01.

All-new QQ operates independently within the Chery system

AutoR: You have a new Title here, I am quite interested, why call it 'QQ Owner'?

Zhang Hongyu:QQ returns, refreshed, actually at this time point, domestic brands are not just Chery, everyone is thinking about brand issues.

Chery already has Fengyun, Jetour has Shanshui, Jetour high-end Zhongheng, Chery's high-end also has Exeed.

If QQ returns again as a brand brand, it seems quite a lot.

Of course QQ should also be a brand with a lot of feelings, the first generation of QQ everyone still likes it very much!

So for the first product of the all-new QQ return, we still want to use hardcore product power to respond to everyone's expectations.

Why call it Owner? It is back to what I just said, that we don't want to come back and use a new brand organizational structure to do it, we still want to borrow the ability of the big system.

I as the product person in charge, later our team said, then you just call Owner!

This naturally came out, in fact it is still pushing forward according to the idea of operating as an independent brand.

From brand to product definition, to product development to manufacturing to delivery to the whole terminal delivery, experience channel operation management, in fact it still runs according to a set of organizational structure.

Overall I lead this team, in charge of everyone pushing this thing, so everyone gave me a name Owner.

AutoR: How many people are in your team now?

Zhang Hongyu: It is the wholeQQ from brand to marketing to terminal channels, to product definition development, this is actually QQ team exclusive, we this team total about 1,000 people.

AutoR: Over 1,000 people?

Zhang Hongyu:Over 1,000 people. Then the whole backend also has us do product engineering development specially, do engineering development verification, do manufacturing delivery, do quality control management, these are actually Chery whole 'Grand Middle Platform' give us do support, equivalent to we make requirements, we set targets, they have to give us delivery, to reach my requirements.

Then this is 'Big Chery' system team help us do support, we exclusive team now already about 1,000 people.

AutoR: You are also an old Chery person, here for more than 20 years.

Zhang Hongyu: Yes.

AutoR: Actually the first generation QQ was also nearly 20 years ago, exactly you witnessed the first generation QQ to now second generation QQ resurrection. When the first generation, you originally in Chery what position?

Zhang Hongyu: Cannot mention position, now also cannot mention any position.

Do Chery, everyone still very happy.

We hope regardless of do QQ or do Chery other brand cars, must do it well, let users like.

First generation QQ why there so big sales, actually essence is still that car from modeling above say, is grow on everyone's aesthetics point.

That car in that era, its color very bright, color many, let users have many choices.

At the same time its product power also very capable, in that time small cars achieved large space, chassis also very solid, its power also very strong.

Many users actually drive QQ that small car still open to Lhasa up, Lhasa certain degree represent do car, your hardcore mechanical performance still very solid.

Users many spontaneously set up car owner association, we also set up QQ primary school, actually is users through QQ this platform, many people become very good friends, some also borrow this platform do their career make very well.

QQ second time return, I personally think also is everyone's voice, users very look forward.

Today we again come do all-new QQ, more confident, because today electrification, intelligence, Chery technology foundation strength stronger.

So we more confident do QQ every car can achieve user interaction experience sense, driving experience sense should can do better.

So we not simple come do a compete with opponent car, or let user choose very hard car, we hope it can achieve like past QQ same, it very classic, it very different, it very lively, it can reflect young people that kind exploration, free.

Put this spirit can return to new QQ, we want do such thing.

So we all-new QQ, actually company still spent heavy money create a new platform, call intelligent pure electric platform.

It can in electronic architecture, chassis platform these aspects just can very well realize, we future regardless whether in space, in driving, in intelligence, in OTA above, it can do infinite stretch.

We not simple go compete with opponent, let this market more competitive, we hope let users have a new choice, can with QQ do more warm companionship.

We internal team say we must use more temperature technology, give users bring best, extreme experience.

All-new QQ3 everyone can see four get users point call high appearance, large layout, strong body, more understand you.

We talk large layout is space not only big, not only more is easy to use, more is you maybe use more use want, so we for this why like put front trunk, we want do many kind open way, actually we think each kind open way it may certain in scene under let your experience sense pull full, let you very convenient.

I once with our team say, I say we do a voice interaction, you think ah, I say mom drive car go pick her own baby, then in school gate, this baby use he like wake word open front trunk, put his schoolbag in.

I say that instant open and auto close that instant, this kid absolutely in his classmate face, he is full sense of pride, this certain degree reflect this car technology, but more reflect it has temperature technology, it understand you.

So we hope do such QQ, this is Chery confidence, technology strength.

QQ second time return time, we think we can achieve call 'King Return, One Step到位'.

02.

All-new QQ focuses on A0 class small cars

AutoR: Chery so many brands, QQ in Chery new brand group, it status a what position?

Zhang Hongyu: We now should call product sequence, just belong Chery brand below product sequence, focus do this kind call A0 class level small cars.

This kind car we hope for a kind call have passion, explore, can enjoy in it also willing to share (people provide), just hope put our brand build have this slogan spirit a product sequence.

So our product you will see it very suitable do DIY, it very lively.

At the same time its inside technology factors many, just this kind intelligence.

And this kind intelligence thing still can constantly OTA, it this chassis solid, let you can go farther place.

These are we QQ next do product, we want grasp technology route.

For example our space and driving, we just use all-new intelligent pure electric platform go create.

We next car wheelbase may can achieve 2 meters 8 above, this platform will make our internal space, regardless height, main line above this length and width, it all will very comfortable.

AutoR: China many brands also all do A0 class small cars, and all are pure electric, just our this native pure electric platform have what advantage no?

Zhang Hongyu: This platform because is new consider ah! It from start design time, is with user demand as origin go consider, at the same time consider do multi model have extendibility, so in chassis platform above, first achieve rear drive layout.

Rear drive layout benefit lies in put front space give let out, it has front trunk.

This kind small cars past all are oil cars, oil cars sure front drive, because engine all in front ah, engine gearbox in front you then less space utilization, very convenient electric front trunk it just unable achieve.

This must rely on platform layout, another, I just said chassis layout above, we in steering, braking above all consider future extend models.

So this kind platformization, universal design, future small cars cost also favorable, it not let users do configuration trade-off, actually use we this kind platformization, universalization put scale do up, cover multiple markets.

So my cost can hit down, but user experience I not reduce, his demand not reduce.

For example its computing power must enough, it can support from domain control to central integration, so it can constantly OTA.

It not a piecemeal, makeshift car, now industry small cars, I not say complaint our friends not good, everyone actually all for users do very hard, also do all very excellent, but overall say I think many directions still in trade-off.

Because you trade-off after, he will inconvenient, or his experience just not so good.

For example some want range do very high very long, but he for this more pile cost after, other place maybe do interior do pull weak a bit, plastic sense stronger, or material use maybe it smell just not how good, even he sometimes in body chassis safety on he maybe do some sacrifice, in turn he some maybe is chassis driving comfort above maybe he also sacrifice, for example he use torsion beam, then you think he use torsion beam that this bump, pass shock absorber strip it sure uncomfortable ah!

We consider small cars time, we second row often consider elderly want with family together, weekend time go out elderly sit back, itself elderly he just endure not fiddle, you this small car again bump, that sure not like sit ah.

This not our original intention, these are we consider do QQ time, we how use platform put it create well.

03.

Born Global, China is just one of QQ's markets

AutoR: We know Chery export very powerful, QQ is a face global market model, you on its global sales how view?

Zhang Hongyu: Now domestic brands all go export, call domestic brand strengthen, make strong, do long-term, inevitable experience this process.

Especially this one two year, should domestic brand export do all very excellent.

Chery because always do overseas market, always do global layout, Chery do time is longest, from performance look also not bad, continuous many years all domestic brand export first.

QQ from start all consider global layout, right steering like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia these markets, still left steering markets, we all are do global layout.

So this car from start platform design time, in development verification time, we all according to local law, regulation and user demand.

So I in launch release meeting once say, we QQ3 actually experienced various exams, global big exam, practice a body skill.

So you in China market buy QQ3, actually it is fit global car standard.

This year 5 month, I just go to some right steering markets, like Malaysia, Indonesia, to 9 month I will go Europe like UK, Aus New these markets, about next year beginning just direct global pave. China just is me this QQ one market.

AutoR: Then on its sales have what expectation?

Zhang Hongyu: Sales ah naturally bigger better.

Currently look, domestic market demand should very lively, last year year, this Geely one car Xingyuan just sell 460,000 units, and single month sales several months just passed 50,000, and it now overseas export also very good; include BYD many small cars, like Seagull, Dolphin, these cars export also very good.

Buy electric car, its experience sense better than oil car very much, economic performance also very good, use maintenance cost also low, then consumer is understand, so I believe choice people will more more.

AutoR: This small car this year actually some new technology configurations, for example like 80,000 yuan install LiDAR, some want run world model, but we feel this QQ3 actually not above go compete. In intelligence driving aspects we how layout?

Zhang Hongyu: We this car also configure Falcon500, on Highway NOA above is not have problem.

On Sharing Edition above all up automatic parking, just parking assist. This small cars parking assist, we think user should be use high frequency scene, because many moms she on parking mind actually still have anxiety, include young people just get driving license, so we in Sharing Edition two configurations up, automatic parking all have.

Because QQ in this platform also plan new others models, we also will with this intelligence driving ability continuous enhance, cost continuous dip, finally also must put it perfect match to QQ above go, but this must look intelligence driving experience maturity and it can give consumer pricing, because small cars overall sale price should not high, so must overall put it match well.

I think in intelligence driving above, especially domestic brands, in chip, computing power, large model above, this development in multiple models above application more and more mature, I believe more and more excellent.

AutoR: Is future QQ this product line how arrange? For example have QQ5, still a car is right?

Zhang Hongyu: Later we will with industry will gradually release these information, overallQQ dream still very big, global layout, we also aim for more consumers can choose QQ, as mission to go develop, so later models have bigger point, also more personality point, all go launch.

AutoR: If take five years as one time node, you hope five years after, QQ can achieve a what vision can satisfy your effort?

Zhang Hongyu: I think right now we first step go well, first step go well, everything possible.

Of course is company include shareholder, expect maybe all very big ah!

QQ overall because we global layout, according now industry this kind A0 class car currently development trend look, I think we achieve a bigger target should have challenge, but should we have confidence.

"Interviewing Pioneering Figures, Recording Human Mobility Transformation." AutoR Interviews is AutoR Network's in-depth interview column launched for AI and future mobility field, planned and hosted by AutoR Network founder, editor-in-chief Jia Hongbing.

AutoR Interviews ID:DeepAutoR

Cooperation or news tips contact email: zhubian@autor.com.cn

Contact person WeChat: buyuziya

Last year, China's passenger vehicle exports surpassed Japan to take the global top spot; in the first half of this year, exports increased by another 65.3%, with the full year expected to break the 10 million vehicle milestone. This number is striking, but behind the glamour, an awkward reality is emerging: cars are selling in increasing volumes, but the walls of regulations are getting higher and higher.

The EU imposed countervailing duties of up to 35.3% on pure electric vehicles made in China, pushing the combined tax rate above 45%; Brazil raised import tariffs for electric vehicles uniformly to 35% starting from July 1st; Thailand implemented a 'production wager' mechanism, requiring the local production of 2 vehicles for every 1 imported; South Africa is also considering raising the import tariff for complete vehicles from China and India to 50%.

From Europe to Latin America, from Southeast Asia to Africa, Chinese automobiles are facing encirclement on all sides. The light-asset model of producing domestically and selling overseas has hit its ceiling.

On July 3, 2026, Chery made a move in Pretoria, South Africa, formally taking over the Rosslyn Plant, which Nissan had operated for nearly 60 years. This appears to be an ordinary transaction for Nissan to cut losses and Chery to expand production, but viewed under the proposition of 'how Chinese automakers can truly take root overseas', its weight is quite different.

Nissan Sheds Burden, Chery Takes Capacity

The sale of the Rosslyn Plant is part of Nissan's global restructuring plan 'Re:Nissan'. In the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years combined, Nissan reported a total loss exceeding 1.2 trillion yen. According to the restructuring plan, Nissan will close 7 plants globally and lay off about 20,000 people before the 2027 fiscal year, reducing global production bases from 17 to 10.

This factory previously produced models such as the Navara pickup and NP200, with products covering more than 40 African nations. However, capacity utilization rates have continued to decline in recent years. After the NP200 stopped production in March 2024, Navara became the factory's only in-production model, yet monthly sales were only a few hundred units. In May 2025, Nissan announced that local production of Navara would also cease. For Nissan, this factory has transformed from an asset into a burden.

For Chery, taking over an existing factory is more efficient than building from scratch. Chery entered the South African market in 2021, showing a steep growth curve. At this node of rapid expansion, local capacity means avoiding exchange rate and tariff risks, and also provides a hardware foundation for the next step of expanding market share.

More importantly, this acquisition is a piece in Chery's 'systematic overseas expansion' chess game. Since the beginning of this year, Chery has not just been selling cars but has deeply planted the roots of an entire industrial chain, including R&D, manufacturing, operations, and standards, into overseas markets.

In Europe, the European Operation Center and Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain, have been commissioned, and the joint venture factory with EBRO has also started production and operations; in Southeast Asia, a new factory in Vietnam worth 800 million USD is under promotion. The South African Rosslyn Plant is positioned as a comprehensive automotive hub radiating to Southern Africa.

The layout of these three locations supports each other, and a global manufacturing network is taking shape.

The Real Challenges of the South Africa Move

With the factory handover complete, the real test may have just begun.

Chery committed to retaining all 692 employees, planning to start production in mid-2027, with a future single-shift capacity of 50,000 units, and striving to achieve a 40% localization rate before 2028. This 40% is the core challenge.

Currently, South Africa imposes import tariffs of about 25% on complete vehicles, with the government considering raising the tax rate to the WTO-allowed limit of 50%. Once implemented, imported models dominated by Chinese and Indian brands will face direct cost pressures.

This is actually a positive for Chery. However, there are concerns; if the localization progress cannot keep up, the cost of importing parts will rapidly increase the overall vehicle manufacturing cost.

More realistically, the South African domestic market size is limited, with new car sales of about 550,000 per year, far insufficient to absorb large-scale production capacity. If the capacity of the Rosslyn Plant is to be fully utilized, Chery must treat South Africa as an export base, selling cars to Southern Africa and even farther markets. However, the automotive market size in most African countries is extremely small, infrastructure is weak, and export channels are not smooth.

Meanwhile, the foundation of the South African local parts industry is not optimistic. Data from the Motor Industry Association of South Africa shows that in 2025, only 33% of vehicles were manufactured locally in South Africa, a significant drop from the previous level of over 50%.

The South African local parts industry has long relied on orders from multinational automakers. As brands such as General Motors, Ford, and Nissan successively withdrew or reduced local production, the parts supplier system has already begun to shrink.

For Chery to achieve a 40% localization rate within three years, it means building or restoring an entire supply chain from scratch, introducing Chinese parts suppliers, and completing localization certification and production preparation. The schedule is quite tight.

Conclusion

Once this chess piece, the Rosslyn Plant, is placed, the situation on the chessboard begins to change. This is a landmark node for Chinese automotive export shifting from 'trade-type' to 'rooted-type'.

Against the background of tariff barriers encircling on all sides, the light-asset model relying on complete vehicle exports is unsustainable. Chery has chosen a more sustainable path, deeply planting an entire industrial root system including R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, and standards into overseas markets.

This path is not smooth. The 40% localization rate, the fragile parts system, and limited market capacity, each is a threshold that needs to be crossed. But Chery is not starting from zero.

The operational experience accumulated over more than 20 years of struggling overseas, as well as the global competitiveness of the Chinese automotive supply chain providing cost and technical support, its layout in Spain, Vietnam, and South Africa is forming a network effect.

Perhaps the most fitting conclusion is the words from Chery itself on social media: 'A new era is coming. From this moment on, Chery Automobile will proudly serve South Africa, manufactured in South Africa.'

This statement speaks not only of the fate of a factory but also of a fundamental transformation that Chinese automotive export is undergoing: from selling a car to rooting in a place. This is true globalization.

On June 21, 2026, on the Shantou East Coast, a car life square facing the sea was unveiled.

This is not only a commercial opening, but also the latest achievement of famous Teochew businessmen Wang Laichun and Wang Laisheng returning home to invest, and also a vivid footnote to the Shantou "Teochew Businessman Returning Home Project".

In this new city transformed from tidal flats, the Ruixun Gulf Car Life Square and the first Chery Life Hall in the country are trying to define an unprecedented new landmark for car culture in Eastern Guangdong

This life hall has completely broken the cold transaction logic of traditional 4S stores "selling immediately upon entry". It has turned the 30,000 square meter seaside space into a full-scenario ecosystem field integrating "people, cars, and life".

Here, viewing cars can be a sea view tour, waiting can be a meal of Chaoshan cuisine, parent-child time can be interwoven with tech study.

Chery Automobile Chairman Yin Tongyue revealed the essence: "What today's users need is not just a good car, but a quality, personalized, and happy lifestyle."

He explicitly stated that this life hall is the largest and most fully-featured benchmark of Chery globally, and the "one city, one hall, one feature" layout will be promoted in the future.

This "stress-free discovery" model has completely broken the circle barriers of car consumption, allowing car culture to move from professional to mass public.

For the 15 million overseas Chinese scattered across the globe, the strategic significance of this life hall far exceeds a leisure consumption venue.

Shantou possesses scarce international submarine cable channels and "data processing" pilots, approved as one of the national first batch of "Digital Bonded Zone" cultivation pilots, serving as the digital bridge connecting China and Southeast Asia. This is naturally the "bridgehead" for Chinese brands going global.

Chery's partnership with Shantou is essentially a strong alliance between "Chinese hardcore products" and "Global Teochew Business Networks".

Chery Life Hall is not only a showroom, but also a "home port" and actual scene model room provided for overseas Chinese and potential dealers — overseas Chinese here not only see cars, but can also see a replicable commercial model carrying Chinese lifestyle and brand value.

Chery's confidence stems from its solid overseas performance record.

In 2025, Chery's export sales reached 1.344 million units, accounting for nearly half of total sales, ranking first in export of Chinese brand passenger cars for 23 consecutive years.

In the Southeast Asian market dominated by Japanese cars for decades, Chinese brands are tearing open a gap with new energy as a weapon.

In January 2026, Chinese brands accounted for over 75% of the pure electric vehicle market share in Thailand, and Chery has even jumped into the top three in brand sales.

In Malaysia, Chery, relying on solid workmanship and highly competitive pricing, saw its market share surge, attracting a large number of consumers who originally considered Japanese cars.

Yin Tongyue once said, Chery's globalization cannot just compete on speed, but must rely on sustainable technical capabilities, with the goal of upgrading from "product going global" to "technology going global".

Now, Yin Tongyue went a step further, he hopes to build the Shantou Life Hall into an "investment promotion platform, going global exchange platform", promoting Chinese automotive technology to "go south to Southeast Asia", towards the world.

This highlights Chery's strategic vision of deeply cultivating Southeast Asia — no longer satisfied with selling cars, but outputting brands and lifestyles. The opening of the Shantou Chery Life Hall is not only a milestone in Chery's channel reform, but also a microcosm of Shantou's urban advancement.

It integrates the advantages of the hometown of overseas Chinese, coastal endowments, and cutting-edge consumption formats, providing an observation sample for the globalization narrative of Chinese brands: true going global is letting brand culture take root in a foreign land, and behind this, is the warmth and strength given by this hot soil of the hometown.

The May car sales rankings have been released one by one. The domestic sales landscape is basically set, with little highlights. The most crucial part is the surge in overseas exports. BYD exceeded 160,000 units, closely chasing Chery's 180,000 units. Chery is an old export powerhouse, and is now quickly to be overtaken by BYD.

Thrilling!

Regarding overseas exports, both strategies differ, but looking at this May data alone, Chery temporarily held the throne, but BYD chased very aggressively.

Chery: The Foundation of a 'Veteran'

Chery exported 181,900 units in May, leaving other opponents far behind.

Chery has deepened cultivation in places like Russia, Brazil, and the Middle East for nearly 20 years. Channels and reputation are very solid. It's like running a restaurant; Chery is an old brand with stable repeat customers, and now the taste (product power) has also upgraded, so sales exploded suddenly.

Feature: Fuel cars are the main force and the foundation for making money; new energy is also catching up now.

BYD: The Impact of a 'Rising Star'

BYD exported 160,600 units in May. Although fewer than Chery by over 20,000 units, the growth rate and momentum are stronger.

BYD is the global new energy sales champion, with high brand popularity. Especially in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Singapore) and South America (Brazil), BYD's electric vehicles delivered an overwhelming advantage, grabbing quite a bit of the market.

Feature: All new energy, conforming to future trends, with very strong follow-up power.

Let's look at the May domestic car brand export data. I made a table, it's more intuitive:

Geely this time is worth mentioning separately:

Geely's 85,100 units, although the absolute value hasn't caught up to Chery and BYD yet, the 184% year-on-year growth rate is the highest in the field.

And there is a detail especially worth noting: Geely's exported new energy vehicles in May accounted for 47.9%, almost half were electric cars.

This indicates Geely is not just relying on fuel cars to boost volume overseas; new energy exports have truly taken off. This contrasts with BYD relying mainly on new energy and Chery relying mainly on fuel cars, forming the three main routes for automotive exports currently.

Additionally, Zeekr under Geely delivered 34,377 units in May, with year-on-year growth of 82%. The path of high-end electric car exports went quite smoothly. Lynk & Co 08 EM-P has already launched and delivered in Kazakhstan. Geely's new energy layout overseas is becoming more comprehensive.

Simply summarize the current landscape:

Chery: Total volume No. 1, deep foundation, fuel cars are the baseline

BYD: Total volume No. 2, pure electric and hybrid both strong, momentum fierce

Geely: Growth rate No. 1, highest new energy export ratio, high potential

These three companies' current tactics each have characteristics: Chery plays the 'All-rounder card', BYD plays the 'New Energy card', Geely plays the 'High-end Growth card'. The May export rankings are clear, but who grows faster in the second half, is really hard to say.

And regarding the champion fight, the author believes this battle is not just two car companies fighting, it also represents two export models:

Chery is an 'All-rounder': Grasps both fuel and electric cars, deep foundation in traditional markets. For May, Chery was the undisputed No. 1.

BYD is a 'Specialist Genius': Specializes in new energy, breaking through like bamboo in emerging markets. Although the single month hasn't surpassed Chery yet, adding up January to May, Chery exported 753,000 units. BYD hasn't released cumulative data yet, but based on the single month of 160,000, the total volume gap is rapidly narrowing.

To give an example: This is like a football match. Chery is a traditional strong team, leading all through the first half (past few years), defense is stable; BYD is a rising star with a top striker (EV technology), currently attacking fiercely.

Currently, although Chery leads, the match is far from over. As long as BYD maintains this growth rate, who sits on the 'Number One' seat by the end of this year is really hard to say.

May 2026, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers refocused the industry's attention overseas. From January to May, cumulative exports of Chinese automobiles exceeded 4.25 million vehicles, a year-on-year increase of over 50%. Annual exports are expected to break through the 10 million mark.

Last year, Chinese automobiles with a total export volume of 7.098 million units (data from CAAM) suppressed Japan for the third consecutive year, reclaiming the global first place, surpassing Japan's historical export record of 6.85 million units set in 1985.

Previously, logos of Toyota, Honda, and Nissan were found everywhere in streets and alleys across Southeast Asia. Suzuki dominated the South Asian market, while Mazda was highly sought after in Europe. Japanese cars relied on a reputation for reliability, fuel efficiency, and value retention to weave a global sales network over the course of four decades.

Now, this network is being torn apart by Chinese carmakers one opening at a time.

BYD, Geely, Chery, three Chinese carmakers with annual sales exceeding 1 million vehicles, are launching a "group charge" in overseas markets. Why these three? Because their internationalization paths are quite representative in different fields: one attacks Europe with strong vertical integration of new energy technology, one weaves a brand matrix through global M&A, and one ground out export volume first through the hard work of building channels overseas for twenty years.

This is no longer a question of "whether China can export", but "among the fleet of Chinese carmakers going overseas, who is the most capable"?

But at the same time, the volume of exports is just one side of a mirror. The final victory in the battlefield lies in: among these three export "giants" BYD, Geely, and Chery, who can be the first to complete the qualitative change from "trade export" to "industrial export" and become a new generation of global car giants? The answer to this question will determine the final move of the Chinese automotive industry in the world map.

# Overseas Markets, Chinese Cars Successively Take Positions #

From importing complete vehicles in the early 21st century to establishing joint ventures in the 2010s, Chinese automobiles went through a long and helpless period of "trading market access for technology". For 30 years, domestic carmakers were technology importers, and reverse exports were basically zero.

But in recent years, this trend is reversing. In 2025, Chinese automobile exports reached 7.098 million vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 21.1%. Among them, new energy vehicle exports reached 2.615 million vehicles, doubling year-on-year, accounting for about 36.8% of the total export volume; traditional fuel vehicles were 4.483 million vehicles, a decrease of 2% year-on-year. Under the CAAM statistical caliber, in 2025, the share of complete vehicle exports in wholesale exceeded 20% for the first time.

Entering 2026, the export growth rate accelerated further. From January to May 2026, cumulative passenger vehicle exports reached 2.649 million vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 61.7%. Among them, new energy passenger vehicle exports were 1.732 million vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 117.3%. The proportion in passenger vehicle exports jumped from about 37% in 2025 to over 65%.

In May alone, new energy passenger vehicle exports reached 424,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 112.6%, accounting for 54.1% of passenger vehicle exports. For every 10 vehicles exported, more than 5 are electric vehicles. At the same time, the average price per exported vehicle has risen from about 100,000 yuan five years ago to the 300,000 yuan level. Export products are accelerating towards mid-to-high ends.

Except for the growth in volume, Chinese car exports have moved from "single dependence" to "blooming in multiple points".

In 2025, the top ten destinations for Chinese passenger vehicle exports were: Russia (555,400 vehicles, -46.1% YoY), UAE (539,700 vehicles, +74.3%), Mexico (490,800 vehicles, +44.2%), UK (320,800 vehicles, +70.3%), Brazil (299,900 vehicles, +34.6%), Belgium (289,500 vehicles, +4.5%), Saudi Arabia (250,500 vehicles, +11.2%), Australia (246,200 vehicles, +59.3%), Kazakhstan (187,000 vehicles, +74.3%), Iran (164,100 vehicles, -31.6%).

Except for exports to the CIS region dominated by Russia, which declined due to policy and inventory impacts, other regions showed a growth trend: exports to Europe reached 1.51 million vehicles, a 32% increase year-on-year; exports to the Middle East and West Asia reached 1.27 million vehicles, a 48% increase year-on-year; exports to South and Central America reached 1.01 million vehicles, a 49% increase year-on-year; exports to Southeast Asia reached 1.98 million vehicles, a 57% surge year-on-year; exports to Africa reached 800,000 vehicles, a 119% increase year-on-year.

Europe, as a critical breakthrough market, saw Chinese exports to the EU exceed 1 million vehicles for the first time in 2025, reaching 1.0062 million vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 30.7%, with an export value of 13.72 billion euros.

Currently, China is the number one source of automobile imports in the EU region, and also the fifth largest supply source for the European automotive market. In statistics with a broader caliber, it is shown that in 2025, Chinese brand automobiles sales in the European market reached 811,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 99%, with market share rising to above 7%.

The Middle East, currently arguably one of the important markets for Chinese carmakers to earn high profits. In 2025, Chinese exports to the Middle East region reached 1.4 million vehicles, among which 570,000 in UAE and 300,000 in Saudi Arabia combined contributed over 60% share. The market share of Chinese carmakers in this market has approached 30%. Benefiting from the high unit price market characteristics, the profit margin of Chinese carmakers in this market is significantly higher than in other countries and regions.

The Mexico market in the Latin America region, surpassed Russia last year to become China's largest export country. In 2025, Mexico's cumulative exports reached 625,200 vehicles. Mexico has always been regarded as an important stepping stone for Chinese cars to enter the Americas market, and now has an increasingly higher proportion.

As for Southeast Asia, Japanese carmakers have previously established market barriers belonging to them, but now the entry of Chinese cars is eroding the inherent market share of Japanese cars. Data shows that the market share of Japanese brands in Thailand has dropped from 90% to 70%. The main reason for this data change is the entry of Chinese cars; furthermore, the share of Japanese brands in Indonesia fell below 81%, while Chinese brands reached 14%. Currently, the number of Chinese automobile exports accounts for about 27% of the sales in the Southeast Asian market.

Currently, the overseas expansion of Chinese carmakers is basically concentrated in the top few, such as Chery, SAIC, BYD, Geely, etc. Among them, as representative of private enterprises, BYD, Chery, and Geely actually have different overseas strategies, and also represent three paths of Chinese cars going overseas at present.

# Rivalry of the Three Powers, Who Will Be the Future Overseas Leader? #

Chery is currently the leader in Chinese car exports and also the carmaker with the largest export volume.

In Q1 2026, Chery exported 393,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 54%, with an export proportion as high as 67%. Such a number means that in Chery's sales structure, overseas sales have exceeded domestic sales, and its average price per vehicle at the export end reached 121,600 yuan, about 14,700 yuan higher than domestic. The performance of the overseas market is directly linked to Chery's profitability.

According to different market regions, Chery's advantage in the European market is quite prominent. From January to April 2026, Chery's export volume in Europe reached 147,000 vehicles, firmly occupying the first tier of Chinese brands. The European market grew year-on-year by over 200% for the full year and has entered 16 countries including the UK and Italy.

In the Middle East market, Chery still took the export top spot with 56,000 vehicles in the first quarter. As for the Southeast Asian market, Chery exported 24,000 vehicles from January to April 2026, a year-on-year increase of 18.2%. Chery's export path is mainly "fuel + hybrid" side-by-side. Among the current exported models, the Tiggo series is very competitive in the Russian and Latin American markets, while OMODA and JAECOO are accelerating penetration into the European market.

BYD ranked second to Chery in export volume in May this year, with a strong potential to surpass. First, look at the data. BYD's overseas sales reached about 1.1 million vehicles in 2025. This year's first quarter exports were about 320,000 vehicles, with an export proportion exceeding 46%. On this basis, BYD has increased its 2026 export target to 1.5 million vehicles, which is the most aggressive target among the three.

BYD's overseas exports not only grew in scale but also optimized in structure. Currently, Brazil is its largest overseas market. From January to April, export volume reached as high as 148,000 vehicles, among which pure electric and plug-in hybrid accounted for almost half each. The European market exported nearly 100,000 vehicles from January to April, a year-on-year increase of 29.7%; the Middle East market exported 26,000 vehicles from January to February; in terms of Southeast Asia, BYD exported 32,000 vehicles from January to April, a year-on-year decrease of 25%.

As for Geely, it is exchanging quality for quantity. If looking at shipment volume alone, Geely cannot compare with Chery and BYD. In May 2026, Geely exported 85,100 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 183.7%; cumulative exports from January to May reached 371,400 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 157.7%. Its export plan for this year is 750,000 vehicles.

But it is worth noting that Geely's average price per overseas vehicle has approached 180,000 yuan, and the export gross profit margin is 9 percentage points higher than domestic. The average price per vehicle in the first quarter reached 118,100 yuan, a year-on-year increase of nearly 15,000 yuan, with growth leading among domestic brands.

In terms of overseas regional distribution, Geely is the most balanced among the three. In the North American Mexico market, it grew over 3 times with 16,000 vehicles; in South America Brazil, it first broke 7,000 vehicles; in Southeast Asia, it firmly occupies the Chinese brand top spot with 46,000 vehicles export volume from January to April leading Chinese brands; in Europe, Geely exported 40,500 vehicles from January to April, a year-on-year increase of 63.6%, and the absolute volume of exports is still rising rapidly.

# Three Paths, Three Strategies? #

Combining the previous content, we will find that these three carmakers represent the three mainstream internationalization models currently domestic, they each have their focus on the overseas path, and the strategies are completely different.

BYD takes the new energy full supply chain overseas route, which is closely related to its brand development path. Currently, its exported models are mainly pure electric and plug-in hybrid, with a price range covering 15,000 to 80,000 Euros.

BYD's logic is very clear: utilize China's full supply chain advantage in the electrification field to quickly seize the overseas market with technological leadership and cost advantage. In the two electrification frontier markets of Europe and Southeast Asia, BYD chose the asset-heavy model of self-built factories plus own channels.

The advantage of this model is strong brand control and complete profit chain. The disadvantages are large investment, long return cycle, and high sensitivity to local policy environments. The electric vehicle tariff policy just implemented in Europe might be the greatest uncertainty BYD faces for a period of time.

Geely takes the multi-brand matrix + overseas brand leveraging route. Through acquiring Volvo, investing in smart, and establishing Polestar as a joint venture, Geely has already possessed a brand matrix spanning Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

This matrix allows Geely to send different brands for different markets. Europe is led by Volvo and Polestar, Southeast Asia by Geely's mother brand and Proton, smart serves as global urban premium EVs, while the Middle East and Latin America are promoted synchronously by Geely's mother brand and Lynk & Co.

This model allows Geely to rapidly enter the high-end market by leveraging Volvo's dealer network, after-sales system, and brand premium, while using the Geely main brand and Lynk & Co to fight for the mainstream market. However, multi-brand synergy itself is a high-difficulty management art. If brand differentiation is unclear, left-hand vs right-hand fighting may occur.

Chery takes the high cost-performance fuel vehicle + wide channel coverage route. Export main force is still fuel SUVs, with a price range concentrated between 12,000 to 25,000 USD.

Chery's advantage lies in its product pricing and developing countries' purchasing power matching highly. These markets like South America, Middle East, Russia, North Africa have imperfect charging infrastructure, consumers are highly sensitive to price, and brand loyalty has not solidified. Chery has almost no direct electrification competitors here.

The export route is the simplest, but also the easiest to replicate. When more Chinese brands bring fuel vehicles of similar high cost-performance to flood these markets, Chery's first-mover advantage will sooner or later be diluted. Chery is trying to open new space with new energy products like Exeed, but from the current situation, the proportion of new energy in Chery's total exports is still far lower than BYD and Geely.

As for these three overseas paths, who can win the future overseas center spot battle, it cannot be easily concluded.

Chery's biggest advantage is the largest export base, difficult to surpass in the short term. But it also has concerns, such as its current export structure, which is highly dependent on the Middle East and Eastern European markets. Once geopolitical or trade policy changes, the impact may come.

Geely's overseas profit level is relatively the highest, and multi-brand differentiation overseas is also the most mature. Its problem lies in whether it can form true confrontation with BYD and Chery in scale. Even if the 2026 export target is increased to 750,000 vehicles, there is still a significant gap compared to BYD's 1.5 million.

BYD has the strongest long-term momentum for overseas expansion because it is not just selling cars, but exporting the standards of the new energy industry chain globally. As long as new factories are built in markets, the cost efficiency advantage of "Made in China" can quickly convert to cost-performance advantage. The uncertainty is BYD's overseas brand recognition. Among mainstream consumer groups in Western Europe, BYD's brand premium has not yet been established. Once trade barriers are encountered, whether BYD can maintain profit levels per vehicle overseas still poses a challenge.

# Overseas Localization Level Determines Future Ranking #

Global largest car exporter, this laurel was previously hanging on the head of the Japanese automotive industry. But from 2023, it finally changed hands, and China surged to become the world's largest car exporter. In the subsequent 2024 and 2025, this status remained firmly in place.

This is a milestone event. At the same time, we also need to clearly recognize that this overseas expansion is just the first step for Chinese cars to go international. And regarding the issue of complete internationalization, there is still a gap compared to Japanese brands.

Why say this? Setting aside the single data of export volume, there are many other data determining whether internationalization is successful. A very important point is overseas capacity.

Through data showing 2025 full year, Chinese carmakers' overseas production was 8 million units. Although this data rose relatively clearly compared to before, looking at Japanese carmakers' overseas capacity, it was as high as 20.4 million units. Although Chinese cars' total volume went up, it was more relied on domestic markets and whole vehicle exports to absorb, far from the complete overseas production system of Japanese carmakers.

So how important is overseas localized production?

A simple example can figure it out. For example, it's the same opening a restaurant. Relying purely on imports requires making food into finished products and transporting them completely to the local place. This involves not only considering transportation quality but also even higher costs. If using locally available ingredients and cooking on site, costs are not only lower, but taste will also be more suitable for local consumers.

The automotive market is the same. Taking Toyota as an example, according to the group's externally announced news, in 2025 Toyota Group's global total sales reached 11.323 million units. Among them, Toyota and Lexus brand Japan domestic sales were 1.5013 million units, overseas sales were 9.0355 million units. If counting all sub-brands like Daihatsu, Hino, etc., overall overseas sales would increase further, overall scale approaching 10 million units, accounting for about 85% of the group's total sales.

It is known that although Toyota currently appeared profit decline, it is still the world's most profitable carmaker without question. A very important point in this is its global localized system ecosystem.

At this stage, most of our independent brands' overseas localization layout is mostly an "extension" of exports. For example, many factories are mainly assembly, core component supply is still exported from domestic to local, and sales networks are also slightly thin. There is still a distance from a complete industry ecosystem.

As for the future, establishing local system ecosystems will naturally be the focus. As for BYD, it has already had three mass production complete vehicle factories in Thailand, Uzbekistan, and Brazil. As for the Hungary factory, it is a key step for BYD to enter Europe. Planned annual capacity 150,000 vehicles. After production starts in Q2 2026, it will achieve zero tariff entry to Europe, cost reduced by 20%-30%. The Indonesia factory also plans to start production in 2026.

BYD's global factory map covers the three core regions of Asia, Europe, and South America. It is the Chinese carmaker with the most active overseas capacity.

Geely has a mature production system overseas. Malaysia's Proton factory has been deeply localized for many years and has launched new energy Proton X70; Belarus BELGEE joint venture CKD factory annual capacity 60,000 units, can directly radiate Russia and Eastern European markets.

Geely is currently investing in Renault Brazil factory. In 2026, Geely brand models are expected to be produced. Factories in Belgium and the UK are more focused on high-end model localization. Geely is not simply newly building capacity but cutting into global layout with existing capacity renovation + equity investment hybrid mode. Cost controllability is stronger.

Chery has established a complete full process and CKD factory matrix overseas. It has four major production bases in Russia; Brazil has two CKD factories with a combined annual capacity of 236,000 vehicles; Spain has an European Industrial Base; Iran, Thailand, and Vietnam also have layouts. Among them, the Vietnam factory claims to be the largest in ASEAN. Chery is also seeking strategic alliances with Renault in Colombia and Argentina to further expand the Latin American market.

BYD invests heavily in new factories to quickly seize zero tariff channels; Geely is good at integrating existing resources to quickly revitalize existing capacity through equity cooperation; Chery relies on early cultivation to form capacity networks in key regions. The three can be said to have their own focuses. Regarding the future, localization speed will determine the sustainability of overseas sales. Currently, it looks like BYD invests the heaviest, determination is greatest; Geely leverages the most, model is most flexible; Chery outlets are densest, but depth needs strengthening.

This Chinese car internationalization competition is not a sprint but a global marathon spanning several years.

Short term, Chery is the champion of current scale. Million-vehicle level export volume, twenty years of overseas deep cultivation, no one can match in the short term; Medium term, growth rate and brand momentum are these two key points. BYD is quickly catching up. The global wave of new energy is its biggest tailwind; Long term, system capability is Geely's advantage. Brand matrix, Volvo's global layout, Proton's Southeast Asian foundation, construct a relatively balanced and risk-resistant globalization system.

Ultimately, who can take the lead depends on a deeper question. Who can truly win hearts after selling to the globe?

Chinese carmakers have proved we can conquer the market with cost and efficiency. But we have not yet fully proved we can conquer users with brands and trust. Toyota's globalization took half a century, Volkswagen's European foundation took decades. Chinese carmakers' overseas expansion has just begun.

In this sense, the competition between BYD, Geely, and Chery is not who defeats who, but who can win a true position for Chinese automobiles in global consumers' minds.

The fundamental victory of Chinese carmakers going overseas is not export volume surpassing Japan. It is when global consumers choose a premium electric car, "Chinese Brand" can sit on equal footing with "Made in Germany" and "Made in Japan". In this critical period of moving from an automotive big power to a powerhouse, for every solid stake Chinese carmakers drive overseas, it means shortening the distance from a big power to a powerhouse.

As stated in the title, Chery (Chery) has confirmed it will enter the Japanese market through Electric Mobility Technologies (EMT), the joint venture is registered in Singapore, with participants including Chery, Jiangsu Yueda Group, Autobacs Seven, Gotion High-Tech and Anest among others.

According to media reports, the joint venture will launch a new brand named Emta in Japan. The first model is a pure electric light vehicle, commonly known as a K-Car, expected to officially launch in 2027. Product-wise, the new car will be built based on Chery's vehicle architecture, electric drive system and ADAS driving assistance technology, while the power battery will be supplied by Gotion.

In terms of production, this model is expected to be produced at Yueda's factory located in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, China. The factory currently also undertakes production tasks for Kia and HiPhi (HiPhi). If the brand subsequently achieves scaled success in the Japanese market, the company does not exclude the possibility of establishing a production base in Japan after 2030. In terms of division of labor, Autobacs Seven will be responsible for sales network construction and channel operations, while Anest will undertake quality and after-sales support systems.

According to the plan, the Emta brand will launch a total of four models for the Japanese market before 2029, with the K-Car being the launch product. Afterwards, it will gradually expand to a series of larger-sized models, including hatchbacks, SUVs and a multi-purpose vehicle with a shape close to an MPV.

From the currently revealed teaser images, the outside world generally believes the first model may be named Emta #01. Regarding design language, the overall contour of the car has some similarity to Chery QQ Ice Cream, but it has been redesigned in details, including a more simplified front face styling, redefined headlight group structure and more miniaturized exterior mirror design, making it better comply with the strict requirements of the Japanese K-Car market for practicality and space efficiency. In terms of body dimensions, the new car is about 3400mm long and 1480mm wide, complying with the typical K-Car regulatory framework.

It is worth noting that this Emta K-Car will directly face competition from multiple local brands in the Japanese domestic market in the future, and will also welcome opponents from the Chinese camp, such as BYD Racco and other same-class small electric vehicle products planned to be launched in Japan by BYD. As multiple parties accelerate layout, the competitive landscape of the Japanese micro electric vehicle market is expected to heat up significantly.

Written by | AUTO Xinqiu

Author | AUTO Xinqiu Team

In the vast family of Chinese automobiles, there is a "non-typical" leading enterprise.

It has ranked first in exports among Chinese brand passenger cars for 23 consecutive years, with almost half of its annual sales sold abroad, recognized as the No. 1 exporter.

You might not know, what is the status of it in the hearts of overseas consumers? On April 23 this year, the International Automotive Quality Expert Group, consisting of the International Automotive Task Force (IATF), International Automotive Oversight Bureau (IAOB), Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), and Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), followed it, personally visited and presented the "Automotive Industry Peak Award: Quality Innovation Figure" to the chairman of this enterprise.

Not to mention, winning the ICQCC Quality Gold Medal, regarded as the "Olympic" grade of international quality, for three consecutive times, proved its popularity in overseas markets has already "far surpassed" domestic peers.

If the above does not give you a sense, let me tell you, the recently in-the-spotlight Land Rover Freelander's engine is manufactured by it.

Congratulations, you answered correctly! Yes, what I am referring to is Chery Automobile.

So, why is Chery so radiant? What did Chairman Yin Tongyue do right?

"Technology Fanatic" Dual-Drive: R&D Obsession, Honest Collaboration

Yin Tongyue graduated from Hefei University of Technology, known as the "Huangpu Military Academy" of Anhui's automotive industry. After graduating in automotive manufacturing major in 1984, Yin Tongyue directly joined FAW Hongqi Sedan Plant, working as an automotive process engineer. Due to his diligence and outstanding performance, he was quickly identified as core talent and sent to Germany and the US for further study.

After returning to China, Yin Tongyue served as Director of the Final Assembly Workshop and Chief of the Logistics Section at FAW-Volkswagen. He was also awarded the "FAW Top Ten Outstanding Youth" title, with a bright future ahead.

However, a visit and study tour organized by Wuhu City completely changed Yin Tongyue's life trajectory.

At that time, Wuhu City was planning to build an Auto City, and also received strong support from the provincial government. Yin Tongyue, who had already shown his锋芒, was talent scarce in Wuhu City. Thus, the visit group invited him to return home to develop and lead the local auto project. What truly moved Yin Tongyue was a sentence from the visit group: Always working for foreigners is not worthwhile. It was this sentence that ignited his "Dream of Domestic Brand" deep in his heart.

So, he quit and handled the procedures, carrying luggage from Changchun, the Automobile Capital of China, to Wuhu which seemed unrelated to automobiles.

Heaven will assign great responsibility to this person. Yin Tongyue deeply felt the heavy responsibility, only able to exert all efforts and give whole heart.

Chery started from the "Heart of the Automobile", the engine. To ensure this project would be won, Yin Tongyue even made a hardcore commitment: If it failed, I would jump into the Yangtze River.

Possessing this persistence and resilience, he recruited 288 cadres and over 1,000 employees from FAW. It was also with this persistence and resilience that, facing a foreign production line assembly team shirking and slacking, they loudly shouted: "Get back to your home, let us do it ourselves!"

Thus, after 500 days of hard fighting, on April 27, 1999, Chery's first engine successfully rolled off the line, ignited successfully in one try. 7 months later, the first Chery sedan - Fengyun 000001 successfully rolled off the line.

From then on, under Yin Tongyue's leadership, Chery hit models emerged one after another. In 2003, Chery launched the generation mythic car Chery QQ, with annual sales revenue exceeding 8 billion RMB.

How popular was Chery QQ back then? Describing it as a "Phenomenal National Mythic Car" was no exaggeration, because it was the first true "Hit" among Chinese independent brands. Before Chery QQ ceased production in 2014, cumulative sales reached 1.40-1.54 million units, exported to over 100 countries and regions, with cumulative exports exceeding 500,000 units.

In 2013, under a new system and process, Chery created another classic model - Tiggo 5. To strictly control quality, before listing, Yin Tongyue even invited a Japanese expert for acceptance check. This Japanese expert scratched the inside of the car door handle with his fingernail and found a mark, saying: "This is unacceptable."

So without a word, they remade it. During the second inspection, the Japanese expert said the material formula needed re-adjustment and re-certification.

Thus, Yin Tongyue led the team to repeatedly tear down and start over. When Tiggo 5 passed rigorous verification, it also meant Chery bid farewell to the primary stage of "Assembling Parts to Build Cars", and car manufacturing technology and systems truly approached international standards.

Taking engine thermal efficiency as an example, this is a hard indicator measuring core capability of fuel vehicles. Currently, mainstream engine thermal efficiencies mostly range between 38%-45%, while Chery Kunpeng Tiqing Engine achieved 48%. According to Chery internal data, cumulative global installations of its Kunpeng Power Engine Upgraded Version has exceeded 3.1 million units. So, does Made in China fuel engine work? Currently, only Chery dares to pat their chest and say "Yes".

Nowadays, Chery engine thermal efficiency has stabilized at 44.5%, which is top-tier in the industry. With this unique skill, Chery won the favor of two major international luxury car benchmarks, Jaguar and Land Rover. Both parties jointly established a new company, and the new energy vehicle brand "Freelander" directly equipped with Chery's 1.5-Liter Range Extender.

The cooperation with Huawei is a strong alliance. Yin Tongyue has a sentence often mentioned: "When opinions differ, listen to Huawei; when opinions align, listen to Chery." This is not surface-level flattery nor deliberate humility, but a truest respect for technology and the most pragmatic posture of an entrepreneur with an engineer background.

In fact, since Zhijie S7/R7, both sides have been satisfied and mutually appreciative. Why did HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility select Zhijie V9 as its first MPV? It is precisely due to comprehensive consideration of Chery's manufacturing hard power, a need for deep integration of "Technology Definition + Top Manufacturing".

Firstly, in capacity and quality control aspects, Chery specially created a Super Factory and Brand New Welding Line for Zhijie V9, investing over 20 billion RMB in special funds, capable of delivering this large size MPV and models with high craft requirements with quality and quantity. Secondly, in supply chain cost control, Chery possesses a perfect supply chain system, capable of effectively balancing the high BOM cost brought by Huawei Advanced Smart Driving (such as 896-line LiDAR), supporting V9 being fixed in the 389,800 RMB starting price range, possessing strong market impact.

Global Layout: Not "Sold Out", but "Grown Out"

As early as 1999, Yin Tongyue determined one thing: Chinese automobiles must go out, but not in the way of dumping at cheap prices, but in the way of long-termism.

What was the result? Chery has held the No. 1 position in Chinese brand passenger car exports for 23 consecutive years. In 2025, exports reached 1.344 million units, nearly half of annual sales, cumulative exports exceeding 5.85 million units. More rarely, for Chery exported new energy vehicles, for every 5 sold, 1 is sold to Europe with the strictest regulations, meaning Chery Automobiles' quality is globally top-tier.

Yin Tongyue summarized Chery's globalization philosophy with one sentence: "In somewhere, For somewhere, Be somewhere — Wherever, For Wherever, Become Part of Local." Considering deep integration into local market as the core goal of car exporting.

This is not a slogan. Chery has 10 overseas factories globally. Like Russia, Brazil, Egypt, etc. KD factories achieved "Parts Export, Local Assembly", which both avoids tariffs and drives local employment, deeply welcomed and supported by local governments.

For the extreme cold of Russia and Middle East, Chery strengthened car AC and engine cooling functions; for Brazil and Latin America market, Chery developed flexible fuel engines capable of adding ethanol and gasoline; for Europe market, entering with OMODA, JAECOO New Brands, fully meeting Euro NCAP 5-Star Safety Standard; for Southeast Asia market, Chery developed RHD models using local factories.

Besides, Chery developed multiple modular platforms like T1X, M1X, Mars Architecture, letting products quickly adapt to different countries' regulations, road conditions, and climate.

In April this year, Chery established its first Overseas Regional Operation Center in Barcelona, Spain, and simultaneously launched Spain Research Institute, main focus is Electrification, Smart Mobility and Sustainable Development, with the goal to develop "Cars with More Local Flavor".

In the overseas market, Chery did not consider itself as a "Foreign Manufacturer", but also voluntarily undertook corporate social responsibility for locals. For example, cooperated with World Conservation Union (IUCN), conducted a Mediterranean Posidonia Seagrass Bed Restoration Project, to protect local "Lungs of the Ocean"; Chery also organized local owners in Malaysia, conducted Afforestation Public Welfare Activities, doing all for protecting local ecological environment.

When many companies still "Chase Trends, Make Quick Money", Chery has already built supply chain and layout R&D network overseas for years. This persistence has now finally turned in a shining report card.

Conclusion: Not a Stroke of Genius, but 23 Years of "Hard Work"

What Yin Tongyue did right was never any one "Stroke of Genius", but determined 23 years ago that "Chinese Automobiles Must Go Out", then using Engineer's Rigor, Merchant's Patience, Long-termist's Steadfastness, brick by brick built the "Made in China" reputation into Global Market.

When domestic car companies still race price and configuration, Chery has already completed the transformation from "Cheap Alternative" to "Quality Choice" in overseas market - this is the fundamental reason and confidence of the International Quality Expert Team "Chasing Awards": Not because of what you said, but because in the global market, using over 20 years time, you truly achieved what.

Objectively speaking, Chery Helmsman Yin Tongyue is not only the Top Domestic Car Exporter, but also the Founder and Torchbearer Promoting Chinese Cars to the World, this honor will be written into Chinese Auto Industry Chronicles.

Hope Chery Automobiles Advance Further!

*Images in this article sourced from Internet

Focusing on Smart Cars, Assisting Key Decisions.

At last year's Tokyo Motor Show, BYD launched an all-electric K-Car model for the Japanese market, the BYD RACCO Sea Otter. Now, another Chinese automaker has set its sights on this market. According to reports, Chery recently announced it will enter the Japanese market, and the exterior of its first K-Car model was revealed simultaneously.

It is reported that Chery is entering the Japanese market through a joint venture. Chery will cooperate with four companies to establish a new EV brand, EMTA. The four companies are Jiangsu Yueda, Japanese auto parts manufacturer Autobacs Seven, Chinese battery company Gotion High-Tech, and Japanese machinery company Anest. Chery will provide platforms and drive hardware for the new brand among these.

Unlike the previous BYD situation, Chery's strategy this time is to build a brand new brand and emphasizes a Japanese brand positioning. Therefore, besides the participation of two Japanese companies, technicians from Japanese automakers such as Honda and Mazda were recruited to participate in localized development. The company CMO is Shun Uchiyama, who served at Dongfeng Nissan in the early years. At the same time, EMTA's registration location was chosen to be Singapore, which can be said to help avoid the "Made in China" label, so as to better establish in the Japanese market.

As for the first model, EMTA chose a K-Car model with distinct Japanese characteristics. The vehicle length is 3.4 meters, and it will be developed according to Japanese K-Car specifications. Currently, the new car has not been named, and more parameters are unclear. However, looking at the shareholding structure of the enterprise, we can make some guesses. The new car will adopt Chery's electric drive technology and Gotion High-Tech's batteries. Some technologies might adopt the setting of Chery's pure electric small car QQ Ice Cream. As for the two Japanese companies, Autobacs Seven is responsible for sales business, and Anest is responsible for quality management. The new car is scheduled for delivery in 2027 and will form a product matrix of four models by 2029.

However, the competition in this market is still very huge. Competitors include local hot models such as Honda N-Box, Nissan Sakura, Daihatsu Tanto, and Suzuki Hustler, of course, there is also BYD's Racco Sea Otter. K-Car models occupy one-third of Japan's car sales, and for a long time have been almost entirely occupied by Japanese local manufacturers.

BYD entered the Japanese market in 2023, but penetration progress has been very slow, perhaps this is also one of the reasons why Chery entered this time in the form of a joint venture. But whether it can skip the dilemma currently faced by BYD and achieve better results still needs the market to give the answer. For this new Chery car and the move to enter the Japanese market, we will also continue to follow closely.

Chery's globalisation strategy has delivered another outstanding result. Data shows that in May, Chery Group exported 181,871 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 80.5%, marking the third consecutive month setting a new record for monthly vehicle exports by Chinese automakers. Among them, new energy vehicle exports grew by 138.8% year-on-year, becoming the main engine for Chery's "going global" strategy.

Looking at the overall performance, from January to May this year, Chery Group cumulatively exported 752,755 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 69.5%, creating a new record for Chinese automakers "exceeding 700,000 vehicles exported within five months", and continuously surpassing the milestones of 140,000, 170,000, and 180,000 vehicles, consistently leading the "going global" of Chinese cars.

The core driving force behind the continuous surge in export volume is Chery's long-established "Green Going Global" strategy. Relying on continuously iterated green technologies, a complete product matrix, and global layout, Chery has successfully converted green competitiveness into global market growth, bringing Chinese cars' "Green Solutions" to the world.

First Sino-European Carbon Footprint Mutual Recognition Certificate: Securing the European "Green Passport"

Green and low-carbon technology is the "passport" for Chinese automakers to enter high-regulation markets. Chery focuses on greening the entire industry chain, from raw materials to recycling throughout the full lifecycle, dedicated to making greenery permeate the entire process of a car from birth to rebirth.

Taking the European best-selling model JAECOO 7 SHS as an example, its full lifecycle carbon footprint is only 120.40 g CO₂e/km, at the leading level of its class. This stems from the model's systematic green technology layout: using approximately 75% low-carbon aluminum to reduce carbon emissions at the material stage, and production factories now use 100% green electricity to reduce carbon emissions at the manufacturing stage.

This all-chain, systematic low-carbon solution allowed Chery to obtain the first Sino-European mutual recognition full lifecycle carbon footprint report among Chinese automakers, and JAECOO 7 SHS received China's first Sino-European carbon footprint mutual recognition certificate.

Figure: JAECOO 7 SHS receiving China's first Sino-European carbon footprint mutual recognition certificate

Recognition in High-End Markets: New Energy Vehicle Sales in Europe Grow by 5.7 Times

With the support of the "Green Pass", Chery's sales have continued to climb in high-regulation markets such as Europe. From January to April, Chery cumulatively sold 107,000 vehicles in 24 European markets where it has already entered, including 53,600 new energy vehicles, a year-on-year surge of 570%. Today, for every 2 cars Chery sells in Europe, 1 is a new energy vehicle.

In the UK, a core European market, Chery has ranked in the top two of new car sales for two consecutive months, among which JAECOO 7 became the best-selling model in the entire UK market across all brands in March, earning recognition in Europe's high-end market.

In Australia, Chery continues to achieve new breakthroughs. Chery has maintained positive sales growth in Australia for 22 consecutive months. In May, OMODA&JAECOO sales increased by 729% year-on-year, ranking at the forefront of the industry; JAECOO J5 ranked second in the pure electric vehicle sales chart, second only to Tesla Model Y.

Multifaceted Efforts to Deepen Global Markets: New Energy Layout Accelerates

While consolidating high-end markets such as Europe, Chery is accelerating the global rollout of new energy products, focusing efforts on key regions such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America, comprehensively accelerating the global new energy layout.

In May, iCAR (the overseas brand name) landed in Oman, Indonesia, and South Africa, further expanding the layout of high-end new energy markets in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa; Vantec G700 launched in Mexico, accelerating the deepening of the high-end off-road market in Latin America. Meanwhile, Jetour landed in markets such as Poland, Malaysia, Brazil, and South Africa, continuously deepening the global new energy layout. By the end of May, OMODA&JAECOO had entered 70 markets globally. The accelerating new energy global map is bringing Chery's "Green Mobility" solutions to more users worldwide.

Figure: iCAR V27 landed in Oman in May to deepen the high-end new energy market in the Middle East

Figure: iCAR V23 landed in South Africa in May, further perfecting the African regional network

Figure: Vantec G700 carrying out off-road test drive activities locally in Mexico

Continuous product iteration, technology upgrades, and globalisation have enabled Chery's global user base to rise steadily. By the end of May, Chery Group's cumulative global users surpassed 19.62 million, of which overseas cumulative users exceeded 6.59 million. Looking to the future, Chery will persist in green development and green going global, providing greener, safer, and smarter travel products and experiences for users worldwide.

Gasgoo News In the Japanese automotive market, a long-neglected niche segment is quietly becoming a new battlefield for electrification transformation—Mini Cars (Kei Car). This Japan-exclusive vehicle category, with its lower price and tax fees, and the convenience brought by smaller dimensions, has long accounted for about 40% of new car sales in Japan. Since it is mainly used for short urban commutes and family transportation, the range requirements are relatively low, so Japanese mini cars are naturally suitable for electrification transformation. Today, with the entry of Chinese car companies and the strategic shift of Japanese local car companies, the Japanese mini car market is accelerating its transition from the fuel era to electrification.

BYD and Chery Bet on Japanese Electric Mini Car Market

Last October, BYD showcased a boxy four-door pure electric mini car named Racco at the Japan Mobility Show in Japan, and announced that this model would officially launch in Japan this summer. This is BYD’s first electric mini car built specifically for the Japanese market.

BYD Racco; Image Source: BYD

It is reported that the Racco model offers 3 versions, with the entry-level version having a range of about 200 km, and the other two versions having a range of 300 km. Racco strictly follows Japanese mini car standards and is equipped with sliding doors for the first time on such pure electric vehicles to better adapt to narrow streets and parking environments in Japanese cities. At the same time, the new car will also provide richer assisted driving functions.

BYD also plans to rapidly expand its sales network in Japan by opening numerous micro stores that display only one or two models. Atsuki Tofukuji, President of BYD Automotive Japan, stated: “We plan to cover local small commercial circles to sell micro electric vehicles.” These stores will be located in remote cities with a population of less than 500,000, displaying at most a few exhibition cars per store, with a faster store opening speed. BYD’s micro stores will feature Racco as the core recommended product.

Following BYD, Chery Motors also plans to launch a pure electric mini car in Japan next spring. Chery will join forces with four partners to jointly create a new electric brand EMTA, and has already established the operating company EMT in Yokohama, Japan, responsible for vehicle R&D and sales work. The CEO of EMT said in an interview recently: “This brand is built for Japanese consumers, aiming to create a more convenient and comfortable way of travel for the public.”

EMT belongs to a Singapore joint venture. The joint venture is led by Chery, while the other four cooperating enterprises are China Jiangsu Yueda Automobile Group, power battery manufacturer Gotion High-Tech, and Japanese automotive supplies retailer Autobacs Seven, and painting equipment company Anest Iwata.

This light vehicle is jointly developed by China and Japan. It will initially be produced in China, and core functions such as driving assistance all adopt Chery technology.

EMT Company Chief Marketing Officer Susumu Uchikoshi stated that the new car pricing will benchmark against fuel-powered mini cars of the same class. It is reported that the sales price of Honda N-Box fuel mini cars, which are very popular in the Japanese market, is 1.74 million to 2.48 million yen (approximately 10,915 to 15,560 USD). 

Image Source: EMTA

According to the plan, EMT will start with this pure electric light vehicle and launch four electric vehicle models in Japan before 2029. Autobacs will rely on its own offline store network to assist in vehicle sales.

After the launch of this electric light vehicle, EMT plans to build 100 stores integrating sales and after-sales in Japan, and continue to expand channels, striving to increase the store scale to hundreds by the 2027 fiscal year. The CEO of EMT Company stated: “Japan is our most important market, and the brand new European mini electric vehicle standards have also brought new opportunities for the brand’s global development.”

Japanese Car Companies Accelerate Mini Car Electrification Layout

With Chinese car companies accelerating their layout, Japanese local car companies are also actively promoting electric mini car products and market planning.

Honda’s electrification pace is the most eye-catching. Its N-Box mini car is the absolute king of the Japanese market. Sales broke through 200,000 units in 2024, ranking first in sales for three consecutive years. Honda launched the N-One e: pure electric mini car last September. The group will also launch the pure electric version of the N-Box model in 2028. Currently, the range and pricing of the electric N-Box model are still in the final confirmation stage. Besides the electric version, Honda is expected to continue selling the fuel version of the N-Box model.

N-One e; Image Source: Honda

Nissan officially launched the revised model of its Sakura electric mini car in April this year, aiming to maintain its competitiveness in the Japanese electric mini car market. The Nissan Sakura model was initially launched in 2022 as the mass production version of the IMk concept car and has continuously become the best-selling electric mini car in Japan in recent years. According to data released by Nissan, the sales of this model reached 14,093 units in the full year of 2025, ranking first in this sub-market for four consecutive years. It is reported that the sales of the two electric mini car models, Nissan Sakura and Mitsubishi eK X, in 2024, accounted for more than 40% of the total sales of electric vehicles in Japan.

In addition, Suzuki Motors plans to launch its first electric mini car within this fiscal year. Daihatsu also launched an electric mini commercial vehicle jointly developed with Toyota in February this year. Japanese local brands are building a deep moat using their huge channel advantages (Daihatsu alone has about 700 regular stores; if small outlets are included, it reaches 6,000).

Currently, in the Japanese new car market, the proportion of electric vehicles is only about 2%, ranking last among developed countries. Insufficient number of charging piles and high vehicle prices are the main constraints. High cost-performance electric mini vehicles are expected to improve the local electric vehicle penetration rate. Since mini cars are mainly used for short-distance travel, range requirements are not high, which fits very well with the positioning of pure electric vehicles. Seiji Sugiura, a senior analyst at an automotive market analysis institution, said: “Pure electric mini cars do not need to reach the range level of conventional passenger cars. As long as the pricing is reasonable, electric light vehicles are expected to quickly occupy the market.”

However, for BYD and Chery, the real test lies not only in launching a mini electric vehicle priced to benchmark the N-Box, but also in how to eliminate Japanese consumers' brand concerns over time, and how to maintain the balance between price and quality under the local advantages of Toyota, Honda, and Suzuki. This battle of pure electric mini cars may be the key battle for Chinese car companies to truly open the door to the Japanese market.

According to media reports, Chery is establishing a joint venture with multiple Chinese and Japanese enterprises to launch an independent all-electric brand in Japan. Instead of following Chery's traditional direct overseas model, the new venture adopts a strategy of "Chinese Technology + Japanese Local Operation".

This is a result of a five-party cooperation, including: Chery Automobile, which provides vehicle platforms, electric powertrains, and core intelligent driving technology, while serving only as a shareholder without participating in local Japanese operations; Jiangsu Yueda Group, which utilizes the former HiPhi factory in Yancheng to handle vehicle production; and Gotion High-Tech, which is responsible for supplying power batteries.

The Japanese side is mainly responsible for channels, craftsmanship, and localization. Autobacs Seven, Japan's largest automotive aftermarket retail chain with approximately 1,200 stores, manages sales, after-sales service, and localized brand operations. Anest Iwata, a prominent leader in industrial painting equipment, provides specialized technical support for the vehicle's body-painting and finish processes.

The operating entity's parent company is registered in Singapore, with a subsidiary EMT (Electric Mobility Technologies) established in Yokohama, Japan, to fully operate the new brand, R&D, and sales.

Positioned as an all-electric brand originating from Japan, the new venture has built a world-class team, recruiting technical talent from Honda and Mazda alongside a former Nissan executive serving as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).

In terms of product planning, the first all-electric model is scheduled for delivery in Japan in 2027, focusing on the compact and subcompact EV segments to adapt to Japanese urban driving needs. By 2029, the company aims to launch four distinct models covering subcompact cars, SUVs, and MPVs. Looking beyond 2030, it plans to explore building localized factories in Japan.

Chery Automobile's overseas expansion strategy dictates that its vehicles utilize Chery's proprietary technology and are Made in China, while carrying a new brand identity tailored for the Japanese market. Direct utilization of AUTOBACS's nationwide stores bypasses heavy overseas retail construction costs, enabling rapid network scalability. This joint venture allows Chery to precisely target Japan's electric vehicle vacuum, created by the slower electrification pace of legacy giants like Toyota and Honda. Capitalizing on this massive market gap, Chery is well-positioned to leverage its technological edge and local partnerships to seize a powerful first-mover advantage—an expansion strategy that holds immense promise.

According to data from the Japan Automotive Importers Association (JAIA), total New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sales in Japan reached 16,924 units in March 2026, with BYD capturing a 3.7% market share. Notably, within the imported EV segment, BYD secured a dominant 10.3% share, ranking first among all imported all-electric vehicles. Driven by this momentum and upcoming market entries from other Chinese brands like GAC Aion and Zeekr, annual sales of Chinese NEVs in Japan are projected to surpass 20,000 units by 2027.