Founded in 1862 and owned by the Chinese state, Changan produced its first automobile only in 1959: the Chanjiang Type 46, which was also the first car manufactured in China. In fact, automobile manufacturing became crucial for the company based in Chongqing only during the 1980s, shortly before (1983) the signing of an industrial and technical partnership agreement with Suzuki (1984), which led to the Star model. And, despite its 163 years of existence, the brand name appeared on a vehicle (the Benni) only in 2006.
This timeline comes in light of Changan recently announcing the production of 30 million automobiles, which occurs less than five years after celebrating the 20 millionth unit (2021), a fact that confirms the rapid growth pace of a brand that the Auto-Industrial Group recently introduced in our country (at this moment, in the lineup, there are only two models, both in SUV format and with 100% electric powertrains, the Deepal S05 and the Deepal S07). To manufacture the first 10 million cars, the Chinese manufacturer needed 30 years.
The 30 millionth automobile is part of the Avatr lineup, a sub-brand positioned as premium, which produces only fully electric vehicles with CATL batteries, a Chinese company that holds a stake in this division of Changan. The Chinese manufacturer also has the Nevo and Deepal divisions, which specialize in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and Kaicene, for the production of light commercial vehicles and minivans.
In November, Changan sold about 283,000 vehicles (of which more than 125,000 were electric and plug-in hybrids), representing a growth of 23% compared to the same month in 2024. During the same periods, exports increased by 47% (55,000 units). In 2024, Changan manufactured 2,683,798 vehicles, a record that will easily be surpassed in 2025, with the ambition to exceed the threshold of 5 million vehicles per year by 2030 – the number assumes that 60% are electric and plug-in hybrids, and that 30% are intended for export markets.
