September 03, 2026 – Beijing -- Chinese-brand passenger cars have captured 77.4 percent of the domestic market in July 2026, up sharply from 40.3 percent in 2023, driven by full-chain innovation across batteries, chips and software.
Battery and software breakthroughs concentrate NEV supply chain power in Chinese firms
BYD became the first company to fully master the "three electrics" system of battery, motor and electronic control, enabling its flash charge technology to make "charging as fast as refueling" a reality. CATL's latest battery technology has pushed peak charging rates to 15C, allowing a charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in three minutes. On the software side, Huawei's Qiankun smart driving system has moved from dependence on high-definition maps to map-free full-domain navigation, while Changan has secured filing and approval for a generative AI model, one of the few in China to clear that regulatory process. GAC Group's Hyptec GT Climbing Edition runs on 1,004 domestically designed chips.
Seres super factory cuts AITO's path to one million units to 46 months
Seres chairman Zhang Zhengping said advancement now hinges on seven core component groups -- including domain controllers and telematics modules -- rather than the engine, transmission and chassis that once defined a vehicle. At the company's Chongqing super factory, more than 3,000 industrial robots handle stamping, welding, painting and mixed-model assembly across multiple vehicle types, supported by automated guided vehicles and continuous AI visual inspection. From its first car, the AITO brand reached its one millionth vehicle in 46 months, a global record for luxury NEVs. Seres' "industrial brain" links an ecosystem of more than 300 partners and over 50 core suppliers, lifting R&D efficiency by 20 percent and on-time order delivery by 13 percent.
Rival super factories set new production benchmarks nationwide
BYD's Zhengzhou plant, the world's largest single-site NEV production base, rolls out a vehicle in under one minute and produces a battery cell roughly every three seconds. At NIO's Hefei facility, 80 percent of manufacturing scenarios rely on AI decision-making. Xiaomi's Beijing super factory has achieved 100 percent unmanned "lights-out" production in the key processes of its six core workshops.
Yangtze River Delta's four-hour supply circle links chips to final assembly
Shanghai supplies chips and software, Jiangsu provides power batteries, Zhejiang supplies integrated die-casting machines, and Anhui handles final vehicle assembly -- all within a four-hour drive. Wang Zhijie, director of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, said real-time equipment data has replaced the need for manufacturers to send staff to inspect supplier plants, and that supply-chain data now allows banks to extend loans to small and medium-sized enterprises. Zhao Fei, general manager of China Changan Automobile, said batteries, motors, electronic controls, chips, software and AI providers across the chain are advancing together rather than individually.