Exports Soar 77%! Production Ranks Third Nationwide!
Exports Soar 77%! Production Ranks Third Nationwide! Zhejiang's New Energy Vehicles Conquer the World with “Full-Chain Magic”
When the latest foreign trade results for 2025 were released, Zhejiang's new energy vehicle industry delivered a performance that stunned the sector: exports reached 43 billion yuan in the first 11 months, surging 77.5% year-on-year. Growth rates soared by 140% to the EU, 155.7% to ASEAN, and 209% to Latin American markets. Production reached 1.233 million units, up 49.9% year-on-year, far exceeding the national average growth rate and propelling the province to third place nationally. The automotive manufacturing sector has also risen to become the top manufacturing industry in the province. From the global breakthroughs of leading vehicle manufacturers to the technological breakthroughs of parts suppliers, coupled with the synergistic empowerment of policies and ecosystems, Zhejiang is leveraging its full industrial chain advantages to write a dual legend of China's new energy vehicles: “going global” and “upgrading.”
Leading the Way in Vehicle Manufacturing: Industry Leaders Drive Double Surge in Output and Value
Stepping into Geely's Changxing production base, the bustling scene in the smart workshop is truly captivating: robotic arms perform welding and assembly with precision, while the assembly line operates efficiently at a rate of one vehicle per minute. One after another, the “Smart #5” models roll off the production line, ready to be shipped worldwide via the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. As the leading exporter of new energy vehicles in Zhejiang Province, Geely's performance is nothing short of impressive.
By November 2025, our total vehicle production reached 217,000 units, including 32,000 new energy vehicles, with exports accounting for a remarkable 50% of total output—a year-on-year increase of approximately 30%! Chen Shuang, Manager of Government Affairs at Geely's Changxing Production Base, noted that the enthusiastic reception of the “Smart #5” in the European market exceeded expectations, further accelerating the company's overseas expansion. The localized assembly project in Malaysia is progressing steadily, while market launches in Thailand have yielded significant results, forming a dual-engine drive of “Chinese smart manufacturing + local delivery.”
Beyond Geely's Changxing base, Lynk & Co's Yiwu plant is also operating at full capacity, with cumulative production of the new Lynk & Co 900 model reaching 50,000 units. Leapmotor's production in Zhejiang this year has surpassed 530,000 vehicles, maintaining its position as China's top new energy vehicle manufacturer in both production and sales for nine consecutive months. The collective momentum of leading enterprises propelled Zhejiang's new energy vehicle production to surpass 1.233 million units in the first 11 months, achieving the annual target ahead of schedule. By October, the province had already risen to third place nationally, delivering a dual achievement of “leading national production volume and rapid export growth.”
The leading role of vehicle manufacturers continues to strengthen, particularly through the application of new technologies like intelligent driving and smart cockpits, enabling products to precisely meet market demands. This is the core secret behind the surge in production. Lü Penghong, Director of the High-End Equipment Research Office at the Provincial Development and Reform Institute, pinpointed the key factor.
Parts Breakthrough: 2,500 Enterprises Provide Support, Technology Strengthens the Foundation of the Industrial Chain
The confidence to export complete vehicles stems from the robust support of the parts industry. Behind Zhejiang's explosive growth in new energy vehicles lies the concerted efforts of over 2,500 automotive parts enterprises meeting scale requirements. Among them, 18 companies have ranked among China's top 100 parts suppliers, creating a virtuous cycle where “complete vehicles drive parts demand, and parts demand boosts complete vehicle sales.”
At Zhejiang Jingfeng Auto Parts Co., Ltd.'s intelligent workshop, a production line stretching over 100 meters runs at full capacity. Each palm-sized passenger vehicle tapered roller bearing undergoes precision machining from raw material to finished product in just one hour, with tolerances strictly controlled within ten micrometers—equivalent to one-sixth the diameter of a human hair. This extreme precision has enabled the products to successfully penetrate high-end markets in Europe, Japan, and South Korea, while also becoming highly sought-after in ASEAN countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.
“Workshop 1 alone produces 30,000 to 40,000 bearings daily. By 2025, its output value will reach 60 million yuan, and it is expected to surpass 200 million yuan in 2026!” Wang Meifang, head of production management, spoke with confidence. At Taizhou Haoda Auto Parts Co., Ltd., a 3D digital bending machine introduced under the “Two New” policy enables “one-click forming” of components from raw materials to finished products. This not only saves layout space and reduces weight but also boosts production efficiency by 40%.
From lightweight wheels crafted using Zhejiang Jinfly Keda's “casting + spinning” process (reducing weight by 10%-15% and boosting new energy vehicle range by 3%-5%), to core components for automotive electronics and thermal management systems, Zhejiang has established a comprehensive parts industry cluster covering the entire new energy vehicle supply chain. In the first 11 months, Jinhua alone exported over 13.3 billion yuan worth of automotive parts—a 39.6% year-on-year increase. This robust local supply chain not only bolsters vehicle exports but also gives “Zhejiang-made vehicles” a competitive edge in global markets through cost and efficiency advantages.
Eco-Empowerment: Cross-Boundary Technology + Policy Support Unlock Differentiated Competitiveness
As the global new energy vehicle market transitions from a “hardware competition” to an “ecosystem contest,” Zhejiang has leveraged cross-industry innovation from technology service providers and targeted policy support to enable “Zhejiang-made vehicles” to break free from price wars in overseas markets and unlock a new competitive track based on differentiation.
Chinese automakers have hardware advantages in global expansion, but adapting to local content ecosystems remains a major challenge," stated Sun Yanlong, Chairman of Zhejiang-based STAR Market-listed company Danghong Technology. To address this issue, Danghong Technology partnered with global entertainment technology giant Xperi to launch the DTS AutoStage in-vehicle entertainment solution. This solution aggregates mainstream global content resources from platforms like YouTube and Disney, combined with proprietary audio-visual enhancement technology, to deliver a cinema-grade in-car audio-visual experience.
Data indicates that during short trips, overseas users utilize music apps at a rate of 61% and video/film applications at 23%. In the North American market, users spend up to over $100 monthly on in-car entertainment. Currently deployed in models like the Geely ADAMAS, this solution has secured strategic partnerships with leading Chinese automakers expanding overseas. Through a “technology + ecosystem” model, it empowers Zhejiang-based new energy vehicle manufacturers to achieve high-value-added global expansion.
Behind technological innovation lies robust policy support. Our province has successively implemented action plans for new energy vehicle industry development and industrial cluster construction, establishing a pilot mechanism for “vehicle-road-cloud integration.” Through diversified policies such as special subsidy funds, industrial fund guidance, and medium-to-long-term credit support, we have intensified efforts to stabilize, supplement, and strengthen industrial chains. Moving forward, Zhejiang will focus on key technologies like intelligent driving and solid-state batteries, accelerate the development of charging infrastructure and vehicle-road-cloud integration scenarios, and continue building an internationally competitive industrial ecosystem.
Breaking Through the Entire Supply Chain: The Path from “Zhejiang Manufacturing” to “Global Smart Manufacturing”
The explosive growth of the new energy vehicle industry vividly exemplifies Zhejiang's role as a major economic contributor. In the first 11 months, Zhejiang's total import and export value surpassed 5 trillion yuan, with new energy vehicles and other emerging sectors emerging as key drivers of export growth. The automotive manufacturing sector recorded an 18.8% year-on-year increase in added value, while new product output surged by 22.3%—both leading all ten major manufacturing industries in the province.
The success of Zhejiang's new energy vehicle industry fundamentally stems from the coordinated efforts across the entire industrial chain. Hu Huan, an engineer at the Industrial Development Research Institute of the Provincial Development Planning Research Institute, analyzed that the combined forces of enhanced competitiveness among vehicle manufacturers, sustained efforts by parts suppliers, and precise policy and ecosystem empowerment have enabled Zhejiang to establish a firm foothold in the global new energy vehicle industry landscape.
From Geely and Leapmotor's global expansion to parts suppliers' technological breakthroughs and overseas supply chain integration, coupled with Danghong Technology's ecosystem empowerment, Zhejiang has evolved from “product exports” to “industrial globalization.” This transformation is accelerating the shift from “Zhejiang Manufacturing” to “Zhejiang Intelligent Manufacturing.” Even with the resumption of new energy vehicle taxes next year, policy incentives remain in place. A sales surge is anticipated before year-end, further propelling the industry toward high-end, green, and intelligent development.
Today, Zhejiang's journey in exporting new energy vehicles has long transcended mere product exports, evolving into a comprehensive export of technology, standards, and ecosystems. Looking ahead, with further breakthroughs in core technologies, deepening overseas expansion, and the refinement of industrial ecosystems, “Zhejiang-made vehicles” are poised to secure a more prominent position in the global new energy vehicle market, injecting sustained and robust momentum into the high-quality development of Zhejiang's foreign trade.