By Wang Shining | wuhudaily.cn

Anhui produced 1.69 million vehicles in the first half of 2026, retaining its crown as China's top auto-producing province, data from the National Bureau of Statistics show. The province also led the nation in auto exports, shipping 1.01 million vehicles worth 104.36 billion yuan. Wuhu played a pivotal role in this success, with its expanding industrial ecosystem and export scale leading the nation. Chery Automobile, based in Wuhu, topped the export chart with 931,600 units in the first half, up 70.9 percent year-on-year and accounting for 21.9 percent of the industry's total.

Wuhu's automotive industry chain expanded to 1,245 enterprises above designated size in the first half, a net increase of 269 from the previous year that grew the sector by over 20 percent, according to the municipal automotive office. The latest database shows the 1,245 companies include 13 vehicle manufacturers, 926 parts suppliers and 306 aftermarket enterprises, covering the entire industry chain.

The automotive sector further cemented its dominance. Its share of the city's industrial output above designated size climbed to 30.4 percent in the first quarter from 29.2 percent a year earlier, as manufacturing value-added grew 13.9 percent year-on-year. From January to May, 917 such enterprises posted revenue of 216.3 billion yuan, up 20.4 percent.

Wuhu maintained its national lead in auto exports. The city shipped 753,600 vehicles from January to May, up 69.45 percent year-on-year and accounting for 80.36 percent of the provincial total. New energy vehicle (NEV) exports reached 217,400 units, surging 158.68 percent and making up 69.12 percent of the province's total — keeping the city at the forefront nationally. During the same period, combined exports of the "new trio" — electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products — hit 33.95 billion yuan, surging more than 2.5-fold and representing 55 percent of the provincial total.

Sales structure also improved. The city sold 1.11 million vehicles from January to May, up 7.35 percent year-on-year and accounting for 65.43 percent of provincial sales. NEV sales reached 362,300 units, up 25.78 percent and making up 47.71 percent of the provincial total, as the NEV penetration rate steadily increased.

A citywide industrial layout with district-level specialization is taking shape. The economic and technological development zone focuses on vehicle-robot synergy and automotive electronics. The hi-tech (Yijiang) district runs liquid, semi-solid and all-solid-state battery technologies in parallel. The NEV core parts industrial park in Fanchang district is fully operational. Jiujiang district is building a used-car export and parts support system. Wuwei is developing the power battery industry, backed by FinDreams Battery. Nanling county specializes in molds, motors and aluminum die-casting. Wanzhi district is expanding vehicle exports while exploring auto and low-altitude integration. Jinghu district is focusing on the automotive aftermarket and car culture. Chery's mass customization center is set to open.

In the second half, Wuhu will consolidate its edge in the "three electrics" — batteries, electric motors and electronic controls — and push ahead with projects by Gotion High-tech, Inovance Automotive and BYD Power Battery. It will also focus on the "three intelligences" — intelligent cockpits, intelligent driving and intelligent connected vehicles — to attract targeted investment, strengthen supply chain resilience and march toward the goal of becoming a world-class auto city.