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Changan Kaicene is a commercial vehicle brand under Chongqing Changan Kaicene Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. The company was established on July 27, 2020, with its headquarters in Chongqing, China. It is the only strategic pillar under Changan Automobile responsible for commercial vehicle business, positioning itself as a "Leader in Low-Carbon Smart Logistics." In 1998, Changan Automobile established its Commercial Vehicle Division in response to market competition. On April 23, 2018, Changan Light Commercial Vehicles was officially renamed Changan Kaicene. In July 2020, Chongqing Changan Kaicene Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. was established. The brand is committed to building a top-tier commercial vehicle brand, having deeply cultivated the commercial vehicle field for 41 years, with cumulative sales exceeding 10 million units.
The history of Changan Kaicene can be traced back to the micro-car era of the 1980s, which helped drive the development of China's automotive industry. In 1984, the first batch of Changan micro-cars rolled off the production line, marking the beginning of China's micro-car era and ushering in a golden decade of rapid micro-car development. As one of the first domestic companies to enter the light commercial vehicle field, Changan Automobile launched the "Changan Zhixing"—featuring forward-looking design and exceptional cost-effectiveness—in response to fierce market competition in the late 1990s, setting a record for the best-selling single model among Chinese independent brands.
In 2008, Changan Automobile strategically laid out its light vehicle business. In 2012, it established the Commercial Vehicle Division to address market competition, and in 2015 introduced the "Five Strategies, Five Measures" initiative, increasing investment in R&D and production. On April 23, 2018, Changan Automobile officially renamed the "Changan Light Vehicle" brand to "Changan Kaicene," establishing it as one of Changan Automobile's four independent brands. On July 27, 2020, following a brand strategy reorganization, Changan Automobile invested to establish Chongqing Changan Kaicene Automotive Technology Co., Ltd., marking the official entry of Changan's commercial vehicle business into a new stage of independent company and systematic operation.
On July 29, 2025, Changan Automobile Group was officially established in China, with Changan Kaicene designated as the sole bearer of Changan Automobile's commercial vehicle business, facing the future with a clearer racing line positioning. In response to the wave of new energy and digital intelligence sweeping the commercial vehicle industry, Changan Kaicene released its third entrepreneurship plan in the same year, clearly defining "Electrification, Intelligence, Pickupization, and Globalization" as its core strategies and accelerating its transformation into a "Digital Intelligence New Energy Commercial Vehicle Tech Brand." The year 2026, as a year of strategic deepening, saw Changan Kaicene launch the unmanned logistics vehicle Robovan at the Beijing Auto Show, opening a new chapter in fully dimensional unmanned logistics operations.
Changan Kaicene has a comprehensive commercial vehicle product spectrum and has successfully launched eight major product series to meet market needs, including micro-vans, light vans, micro-trucks, light trucks, pickups, commercial MPVs, and medium/large buses as well as school buses. The brand has also created core product lines such as the Changan Kaicene, Changan Ruixing, Changan Shenqi, Changan Ouno, Changan Zhixing, and Changan Xingka.
Fuel-Powered Vehicles:
These cover the economy logistics and short-distance delivery markets. Core models include the Changan Zhixing series, the Changan Xingka micro-truck series, the Changan Shenqi T10 and other micro-truck series, the Changan Ruixing M60 and other multi-purpose cargo micro-van models, the Changan Ouno S and other business and home MPVs, as well as school buses and medium/large buses.
New Energy Vehicles:
This is currently the focus of Changan Kaicene's new product launches.
Changan Kaicene V919: Built on the K01 native digital architecture, this model is positioned as the "Digital Intelligence Big VAN" for new energy light buses. It is offered in various versions, including long wheelbase, short wheelbase, high roof, and low roof, with a CLTC range of up to 470km and a price range of 89,900 RMB to 225,900 RMB.
Changan Hunter and Changan Hunter K50: These are electrified pickup products focused on the extended-range technology route and multi-scenario modification expansion, with an emphasis on overseas pickup markets. The K50 has already been launched in Southeast Asian markets such as Thailand and is positioned as the "World's First Super Extended-Range Digital Pickup."
Changan Lantuozhe: A new energy intelligent electric pickup aimed at the mid-to-high-end new energy pickup market.
Changan Shenqi T30EV: A pure electric micro-truck focused on urban distribution logistics.
Unmanned Logistics: In February 2026, Changan Kaicene officially unveiled the global autonomous unmanned logistics vehicle Robovan at the Beijing Auto Show and signed a bulk delivery agreement with JD Logistics. Equipped with CATL customized batteries and globally first technologies such as a dual redundant brake-by-wire system and a double wishbone front suspension developed specifically for unmanned logistics scenarios, the Robovan is the first scaled commercial operation-level unmanned logistics vehicle launched by a central state-owned enterprise independent brand in China.
In recent years, while maintaining growth in its traditional fuel commercial vehicle base volume, Changan Kaicene has achieved breakthroughs in both new energy and overseas markets. In 2025, Changan Kaicene sold 261,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 17.8%. Among them, fuel commercial vehicles continue to hold their advantages, with flagship products such as the Changan Zhixing series and the Shenqi series micro-trucks maintaining a leading share in the domestic micro-car market. New energy models recorded 49,000 units sold in 2025, an increase of 80.5% year-on-year. Exports reached 87,000 units for the year, up 31.1%, with the overseas market contribution rate steadily increasing.
Monthly data for 2026 has shown some fluctuations, but the overall trend remains stable and progressive. In January 2026, Changan Kaicene's terminal sales, based on the narrow market statistics from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), stood at 564 units, ranking 95th among all brands. However, demand in its new energy and overseas markets remains robust, and actual overall sales for the commercial vehicle sector in January far exceeded this narrow definition. In February, Kaicene's total sales (covering all commercial vehicle categories) reached 14,400 units, a month-on-month increase of 52%, indicating a relatively strong month-on-month growth trend.
Relying on Changan Automobile's "Third Entrepreneurship" plan and technology platforms such as Shangri-La and Beidou Tianshu, Changan Kaicene has achieved breakthroughs in multiple core technologies, focusing on three major technical directions: electrification, intelligence, and big data empowerment. Its core product platforms and technical achievements are considered industry-leading.
K01 New Energy Commercial Vehicle Architecture: Independently developed by Changan Kaicene, this is the world's first native digital commercial vehicle exclusive architecture. The architecture features core characteristics such as "top-bottom decoupling, software-hardware separation, and vehicle-cloud integration," and can support diverse powertrain solutions including pure electric, extended-range, and hydrogen energy. Products developed on the K01 architecture can shorten the development cycle by one year, reduce R&D costs by 40%, and improve manufacturing efficiency by 30%.
Intelligence and Safety: The Changan Kaicene V919 is equipped with Level 2 assisted driving, a 540° panoramic imaging system, driver fatigue monitoring, and intelligent cargo vehicle monitoring, among other smart functions. The unmanned logistics vehicle Robovan integrates the SDA Tianshu intelligent architecture and features industry-leading sparse 4D plus end-to-end intelligent driving technology, increasing the intelligence ceiling by 30% and data utilization efficiency by 300%, while covering over 95% of complex edge scenarios. It is also equipped with CATL customized batteries and an IBCU+RBM dual redundant brake-by-wire system, enabling braking switching within 150 milliseconds after a single point failure.
Lightweight Materials: Bio-based nylon composite materials are used in mass production for the first time on the Robovan, reducing weight by 50% while achieving tensile strength two to three times that of metal.
Power Battery Technology: The vehicles adopt CATL customized power batteries, supporting 30-minute fast charging (from 30% to 80%). The battery pack's high-voltage safety and low-temperature operating performance meet the highest national and industry standards.
Changan Kaicene is a steadfast practitioner of Changan Automobile's global "Inclusive" strategy in the commercial vehicle sector, having achieved multi-regional presence and rapid growth worldwide. In 2025, Changan Kaicene's overseas sales reached 47,485 units, an increase of 24% year-on-year, and it newly entered 11 previously untapped markets including Thailand, South Africa, and Armenia, with its products now present in 59 countries and regions. Changan Kaicene has become deeply integrated into Changan Automobile's global industrial layout, relying on core hub markets such as Brazil, Thailand, and Mexico for deeper production and channel penetration. The Brazil factory officially commenced production in 2026, significantly enhancing regional reach and local market share.
The flagship model, the Changan Hunter (HUNTER E) electric pickup, has been launched in Mexico, while the Changan Hunter K50 has been introduced in Thailand and won the "Most Anticipated Product" award at the Bangkok Auto Show. At the same time, Changan Kaicene is collaborating closely with JD to deploy the unmanned logistics vehicle Robovan, providing valuable experience for globalized smart logistics solutions.
Looking ahead, Changan Kaicene has set its sights on becoming a "Top-tier Commercial Vehicle Tech Brand" and has developed a clear, multi-layered global roadmap. The company has completed over 2 billion RMB in Series A financing and aims to achieve total sales of 600,000 units by 2030, with overseas sales accounting for 50% of that total. It will continue to pursue equity financing and an IPO listing to optimize its capital structure and scale up R&D investment. The brand will further its core strategy of "Electrification, Intelligence, Pickupization, and Globalization," with a focus on developing new energy commercial vehicle platforms—shifting from simply exporting products to exporting technology, systems, and services. Through the commercial iteration and overseas expansion of its unmanned logistics vehicle, Robovan, Changan Kaicene will build a complete value chain that integrates "domestic leadership, overseas local manufacturing, and systematic global growth." The company is committed to becoming a key player and technology innovation leader in the global low-carbon smart logistics sector.
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