Seizing the New Opportunity in "AI + Automotive": Chongqing Aims To Capture Trillion-yuan Industry Sector

Chongqing Changan Automobile's Liangjiang Plant, General Assembly Workshop: Workers busy on the production line.

(Source: Chief Reporter Long Fan / Visual Chongqing) 

Guests

Wang Zhijie, Director, Chongqing Economic and Information Commission

Qi Meiwen, Party Secretary, Shapingba District Party Committee

Wang Zixiong, Member of the Party Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Management Committee, Liangjiang New Area

Chen Xueqin, Executive Vice President and Secretary-General, Chongqing Automobile Business Association

Cao Bin (Benjamin), General Manager, TINNOVE

Moderator

Yang Jun, Chief Reporter, Chongqing Daily/New Chongqing

The automobile industry is a cornerstone sector for Chongqing. In recent years, global trends towards electrification, intelligence, and connectivity have swept the world, ushering in a new revolution for the auto industry. Standing at this industry "sweet spot," Chongqing has proposed building itself into an Intelligent Connected New Energy Vehicle (ICV & NEV) capital, aiming to advance its automotive industry to a trillion-yuan, world-class level.

How can Chongqing build this ICV & NEV capital? Chongqing Daily invited leaders from relevant municipal departments, districts, associations, and enterprises to discuss.

Industrial foundation

Significant improvements in six automotive sectors

"Tall buildings rise from the ground. Chongqing's proposal to build an ICV & NEV capital greatly benefits from its solid automotive industrial base," introduced Chen Xueqin. "During the '14th Five-Year Plan' period, Chongqing's auto industry has achieved significant improvements in six aspects: industrial scale, leading enterprise brands, products, industrial chain, industrial ecosystem, and technological innovation."

Currently, Chongqing has established a complete vehicle system led by Changan and Seres. In 2024, annual vehicle production in Chongqing reached 2.54 million units, ranking third nationally, including 953,000 new energy vehicles. Models like AITO, Avatr, and Deepal have made strong breakthroughs, with significant results in transitioning products towards "premium and intelligent" segments.

Regarding the upstream and downstream chain, Chongqing's component industry achieves comprehensive coverage across "3 types of systems, 12 types of assemblies, 56 types of components." It has also gathered over 1,200 automotive parts enterprises above designated size and more than 300 automotive software and information service enterprises.

Chen Xueqin added that beyond the core technologies of Changan and Seres, Chongqing has implemented 10 national-level pilot projects, including Autonomous Driving by Vehicle, Road and Cloud Integration and L3 autonomous driving, with smart buses and unmanned logistics vehicles accelerating their adoption.

Wang Zixiong reported that the automobile industry in Liangjiang New Area has achieved scale, forming a "dual-leadership" structure by the Changan group and Seres group, with multi-point support from companies like Afari Technology and SAIC. In the first eight months of this year, NEV production in Liangjiang New Area reached 539,000 units, accounting for 78% of the municipality's total.

Qi Meiwen stated that Shapingba District, guided by "chain master" enterprises like Seres, has mapped a full industrial chain covering "R&D - Production - Supply - Sales - Service." It focuses on extending, supplementing, and strengthening the chain in key areas like lightweight car bodies, automotive electronics, and thermal management. The district is projected to form a 100-billion-yuan ICV & NEV industrial cluster by 2027.

Development direction

Seizing the "AI-defined vehicle" industry trend

With a solid industrial foundation in place, what is the focal direction for Chongqing in building its ICV & NEV industry? The answer is Artificial Intelligence.

Benjamin, stated that with the rapid integration of AI, 5G, and large language models, AI will comprehensively replace previous interaction logic and fundamentally disrupt automotive cockpits. In the future, AI capabilities based on voice and multi-modal interaction will become the primary manifestation of cockpit intelligence. In response, TINNOVE has launched the industry's first "Flying Car Intelligent Cockpit OS," actively aligning with the national low-altitude economy strategy and achieving a leapfrog layout from "land to air." Chongqing must deepen the integration of AI technology with user experience, accelerate the engineering and industrialization of cutting-edge technologies, and build an open, win-win "pan-ecosystem" collaboration platform.

Other guests concurred with the view of "AI-Defined Vehicles." Wang Zhijie indicated that AI empowerment is key to consolidating and enhancing technological innovation support capabilities. It will drive the automotive industry's transition towards premium, intelligent, and green development. Chongqing must seize the opportunity presented by the shift from "Software-Defined Vehicles" to "AI-Defined Vehicles."

Qi Meiwen stated that Shapingba District has clearly defined its subsequent focus on innovation sourcing, ecosystem aggregation, market expansion, and brand influence. By strengthening AI empowerment, Shapingba aims to continuously improve the industrial ecosystem and application scenarios, better aggregate specialized talent, and persistently enhance the district's industrial competitiveness.

Wang Zixiong stated that Liangjiang New Area has explicitly proposed to deeply implement the "AI+" initiative. It will guide complete vehicle enterprises to establish and improve the new model of "Industrial Brain + Future Factory," and fully support the construction of a "Modeling Power Highland" to continuously stimulate AI innovation momentum.

Implementation plan

A comprehensive push from six fronts

With clear goals and a defined roadmap, Chongqing has formulated a more specific implementation plan.

"Building a capital for ICV & NEV requires Chongqing's persistent and long-term efforts," stated Wang Zhijie. Specifically, the plan involves six key aspects:

First, strengthening leading enterprises. Chongqing will support companies like Changan, Seres, and Afari Technology in becoming world-class automotive enterprises with global competitiveness and proprietary core technologies.

Second, developing a robust component system. The municipality will promote highly efficient coordination across the entire industrial chain, driving the synergistic leapfrog development of related industries such as automotive electronics, integrated circuits, lightweight materials, robotics, and high-end equipment.

Third, consolidating technological innovation support. Chongqing will enhance the recruitment and cultivation of key talent, and construct national-level practice bases for outstanding engineers and institutions like the Intelligent Automotive Technology College.

Fourth, building a sophisticated intelligent manufacturing system. The municipality will continuously improve the practical capabilities of the "Industrial Brain + Future Factory" model, promote the digital and intelligent upgrade of the entire automotive manufacturing chain and process, and propel the industry towards the mid-to-high end of the value chain.

Five, cultivating the aftermarket ecosystem. Chongqing will collaboratively improve service systems encompassing commerce, logistics, finance, and inspection/testing, advance the construction of new infrastructure and application scenarios, and foster the scaled, standardized, and branded development of the automotive aftermarket.

Sixth, expanding and optimizing global layout. The municipality will strengthen comprehensive support in logistics, finance, talent, and standards, deepen the implementation of the "Chongqing Vehicles Going Global" plan and encourage enterprises to expand into international markets.

Qi Meiwen stated that Shapingba District will support Seres Group in building a "New-energy Vehicle Safe Body and Intelligent Chassis Industry Innovation Complex." It will also assist traditional auto parts enterprises in their transformation and upgrading, accelerating the high-end, intelligent, and green development of the automotive industry. Meanwhile, it will help automobile enterprises explore diversified international markets and fully promote the "Chongqing Vehicles Going Global" initiative.

Wang Zixiong stated that Liangjiang New Area will achieve remarkable leaps in industrial control, innovation leadership, brand influence, industry competitiveness, and ecological agglomeration, thereby solidly advancing the construction of Chongqing as a hub for ICV & NEV to a new level.

Source: Chongqing Daily