Shenyang bets on auto industry growth

Shenyang, a city in the Northeast China old industrial base, plans to promote the rapid development of its auto industry sector, the city's mayor revealed at an event for the Liaoning delegation attending the second session of the 13th National People's Congress in Beijing, on March 6.

According to an industry plan, by 2023, the annual output of automobiles in Shenyang should exceed 1.5 million, the output value of the automobile industry should reach 500 billion yuan ($74.53 billion) or more; and the proportion of new energy vehicles should exceed 20 percent of the total automobile output.

The city is an important traditional manufacturing base in China and it is thought to have great advantages in attracting auto manufacturers to establish plants and research centers.

BMW is one such company that has set up shop in Shenyang. 

In 2003, the German car giant opened a plant in the city, becoming the first car manufacturer to produce luxury cars in China since China joined the WTO in 1995.

The Tiexi plant of BMW Group in Shenyang [Photo/people.cn]

And the company has made a big commitment to the city over the past few years, investing in new facilities and equipment.

Shenyang is currently the company's largest production base. It not only has two large vehicle production plants in Dadong and Tiexi, but also the largest powertrain plant outside Europe, with an annual output of 600,000 engines. 

In addition, it also operates the BMW Asia Pacific Base for High Voltage Power Battery and the only BMW research and development center outside Germany.

Last year, the overall production and sales volume of Chinese autos fell, while the production volume and sales of BMW cars in China both exceeded 20 percent, with the company maintaining a strong growth momentum despite current industry trends. 

In the future, Shenyang plans to build a new energy vehicle production system, accelerate the development of new energy vehicle models such as passenger cars, commercial vehicles, light trucks and buses and accelerate the development of key technologies. 

In addition, Shenyang will also promote the application of new energy vehicles to serve as taxis, ride-hailing cars, logistics vehicles, and buses.

The Dadong plant of BMW Group in Shenyang [Photo/people.cn]