China revs up as top auto exporter

China is expected to consolidate its position as the world's largest vehicle exporter this year as more carmakers in the country rev up efforts to explore overseas markets.

Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, estimates that China's vehicle exports may reach 5 million units this year, up from 3.11 million in 2022.

China already replaced Japan as the No 1 vehicle exporter in the first half, shipping 2.34 million vehicles overseas, up around 77 percent year-on-year, said the General Administration of Customs.

Japan exported 2.02 million units during the same period, up 17 percent year-on-year, said the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Automakers in China started to go global decades ago, and the first-mover advantage in the new energy vehicle industry provides them with new opportunities, especially in Europe and Southeast Asia.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said NEV exports totaled 636,000 units from January to July, up 150 percent year-on-year.

Its growth rate was almost three times the figure of gasoline-powered vehicles shipped from China during the same period.

In late August, Zeekr, an NEV arm of Geely, saw its first model on the way to Europe. The carmaker said deliveries of the Zeekr 001 in Europe will begin in the fourth quarter.

Its first brick-and-mortar stores on the continent where modern vehicles were invented will be located in Sweden and the Netherlands, said Zeekr.

Its vehicles will be available in more European markets including Denmark, Germany, France and Norway in 2024.

SAIC, China's largest vehicle maker by sales, sold 115,000 MG-branded vehicles in Europe in the first half, of which over 50 percent were NEVs, said Yu De, managing director of the carmaker's international business department.

SAIC has been China's top exporter, with 483,000 units shipped overseas from January to June. It expects its total exports this year to reach 1.23 million units, of which MG-branded NEVs will likely exceed 200,000 units.

Tesla, whose Shanghai plant serves as a major export hub globally, shipped more than 180,000 vehicles out of China in the first half, up over 87 percent year-on-year, with the list of destinations growing to include countries such as Thailand and South Korea.

Great Wall Motor, China's largest SUV maker, entered Indonesia, the largest market in Southeast Asia, in late August.

The automaker said it now has a presence in every major market in ASEAN countries except East Timor, offering electric vehicles, hybrids and plug-in hybrids, since it started its foray into the region in 2021.

GWM said its overseas sales reached 27,007 units in July, representing a year-on-year growth of 83.6 percent.

July marked the fifth consecutive month the company's overseas sales exceeded 20,000 units. Its overseas sales from January to July totaled 150,937 units, up 94.7 percent year-on-year.

Hozon, a Chinese startup that owns the Neta brand, is eyeing Indonesia as well, saying it would like to introduce smart electric vehicles into the market with a population of over 200 million people.

It partnered with PT Handal Indonesia Motor in late July. The two will start to assemble complete cars starting from the second quarter of 2024.

"We believe that Indonesia has great potential," said Wang Chengjie, vice-president of Neta Overseas. " (They will) accept electric cars ... because they are proven to be effective and environmentally friendly."

Hozon started to explore overseas markets in 2022. Now its models are available in a number of countries and regions, mainly Southeast Asia, including Malaysia and Thailand.

Statistics show that Neta was the best-selling EV brand in Thailand in June, seizing a 28.9 percent share of the market.

More brands are to follow. Wang Xiaofei, chairman of Deepal, an NEV brand of State-owned Changan, said going global is one of the major strategies of the brand's development.

"Our models for overseas markets are under development," said Wang at the Chengdu Motors Show in late August. "The first model for Southeast Asia will be launched later this year, and the one for Europe will follow in 2024."