Chinese carmaker SAIC Motor marks 100-million-vehicle milestone

SAIC Motor on Thursday became the first Chinese carmaker to surpass 100 million units in cumulative vehicle sales and production, a milestone for the country's auto industry as it expands its global footprint and accelerates a push into electric vehicles.

The company marked the occasion in Shanghai by delivering its 100 millionth vehicle -- an IM LS9 Hyper extended-range sport utility vehicle from its electric vehicle subsidiary IM Motors -- to its client Cao Xudong, chief executive officer of autonomous driving startup Momenta.

The achievement underscores the rapid rise of China's auto sector, which has evolved from a small domestic industry to make the country the world's largest vehicle market and a major exporter. With more choices of competitive electric vehicles, many domestic automakers have been gaining more market share from established global brands.

"The 100-million-unit mark is not a finish line, but a springboard for China's auto industry to scale new heights," said Cui Dongshu, secretary general of the China Passenger Car Association.

Evolving from a small local factory into a Fortune Global 500 enterprise, SAIC Motor epitomizes the rising competitiveness of China's auto industry and even the manufacturing sector globally, Cui said.

"China has officially stepped into the first tier of the global automotive industry," Cui said.

Previously, only automakers from countries like the United States, Japan, Germany and the Republic of Korea had reached the 100-million-vehicle milestone.

SAIC Motor's global expansion and electric vehicles sector have driven growth in recent years.

Its new energy vehicle (NEV) sales hit a new record high in 2025, accounting for over one-third of its total sales of 4.5 million vehicles, up from less than 0.1 percent in 2014.

SAIC Motor has invested heavily in NEVs and intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs) to gain a larger slice of the fast-growing NEV market.

Over the past more than a decade, it has invested over 150 billion yuan (about 22 billion U.S. dollars) in research and development related to NEVs and intelligent connected vehicles, securing nearly 26,000 valid patents.

The company has also expanded aggressively overseas. Its overseas sales surged 50.2 percent in the first four months of this year, while sales of its MG brand exceeded 120,000 units in Europe alone.

At a dealership in London also on Thursday, Natalia Nobes became SAIC Motor's 100,000,001st customer after taking delivery of an MG4 electric vehicle weeks after placing the order for the popular model.

One version of the MG4, the world's first mass-produced vehicle equipped with semi-solid-state batteries with increased safety and charging performance, is expected to be exported to Europe later this year.

Since exporting its first passenger car in 2001, SAIC Motor's products and services have expanded to more than 170 countries and regions worldwide, with cumulative overseas deliveries exceeding 7 million units.

The carmaker operates more than 100 auto-parts production bases and over 3,000 dealerships overseas. It also has three research and development centers overseas and four manufacturing plants in Thailand, Indonesia, India and Pakistan.

To facilitate exports, SAIC Motor also operates China's largest self-owned fleet of vehicle transport ships.

SAIC Motor began to produce Phoenix-brand sedans during the 1950s. By the 1980s, it had formed a joint venture with Germany's Volkswagen Group, whose Santana model became one of China's best-selling sedans for decades. It has also set up a joint venture with General Motors.

The company made a major shift towards NEVs in 2014, as China beefed up efforts to build a globally competitive electric vehicle industry.