For the Chinese automotive industry, May 28, 2026 is a memorable day.

With the "Global 100 Millionth User Handover Ceremony" held at the Shanghai North Bund World Living Room, SAIC Motor Chairman Wang Xiaoqiu handed the 100 millionth vehicle IM LS9 Hyper to Momenta CEO Cao Xudong, marking the birth of the first Chinese automotive group with cumulative production and sales exceeding 100 million units!

This is not only a milestone moment for SAIC, but also a glory belonging to Made in China and the Chinese automotive industry. Looking back at the journey of China's first 100-million-level car manufacturer, SAIC's success is traceable.

Over 70 years of deep cultivation: SAIC achieved a "small goal" of one hundred million

Success never happens overnight. From 0 to "one hundred million", SAIC Group experienced over 70 years of deep cultivation, with generations exerting huge efforts. In 1955, the Shanghai Internal Combustion Engine Parts Manufacturing Company was established, and Shanghai's automotive industry started from there. In 1958, workers knocked out the first "Phoenix Brand" sedan with hammers, achieving a "zero breakthrough" for Shanghai sedan manufacturing.

Then in 1983, the Shanghai Volkswagen Santana came off the line, opening the door for joint venture cooperation; in 1997, Shanghai GM was established, creating the "Shanghai Speed" of 23 months to build a factory and produce vehicles; in 2006, the independent brand Roewe was born, and in 2016, the world's first Internet car Roewe RX5 was launched; in 2020, the high-end smart electric brand IM Motors was established.

From the Santana localization community to joint venture 2.0 technology co-creation, from Internet cars to full wire-controlled chassis, solid-state/semi-solid-state batteries, and AI large models on vehicles. In fact, every leap was an advancement in "knowing cars" capability, a inheritance of the original intention to "know you". SAIC's "Knows Cars, Knows You Better" user philosophy has been consistent throughout.

The 100 Millionth Delivery Vehicle, IM LS9 Hyper!

As SAIC's 100 millionth delivery vehicle, the IM LS9 Hyper's status cannot be underestimated. It is the masterpiece of SAIC's 70 years of technology accumulation, opening a new era for the "New Three Major Components" of new energy vehicles. The IM LS9 Hyper is equipped with next-generation chassis technology, featuring the industry-first full wire-controlled four-wheel steering; next-generation intelligent driving hardware, 520-line ultra-view LiDAR + NVIDIA Thor chip; next-generation three-electric system -- Full-domain 800V high-voltage platform and Star Super Extended Range. It comprehensively pre-embedded redundant capabilities for continuous evolution towards L3 and above advanced intelligent driving. Meanwhile, the IM LS9 Hyper is the first to be equipped with SAIC's Gold Label Hurricane Three-Motor, effortlessly joining the Performance 3-second Club; it also collaborated with Purple Mountain Laboratories to launch the world-first "Endogenous Security" technology, expanding the car safety boundary from "Physical Security" to "Information and System Security", making it an essential security cornerstone of the AI era.

It is worth mentioning that SAIC's 100 millionth user was just Momenta CEO Cao Xudong! Momenta is SAIC's core strategic partner in the intelligent driving field. The intelligent driving technology deeply co-created by both parties has empowered multiple independent and joint venture brands. From partner to car owner, this is a two-way journey between the manufacturer and the user, and even a deep resonance among smart car ecosystem partners.

Global relay delivery staged, SAIC Motor departs for the next 100 million

The 100 millionth delivery is just the beginning. Departing from the Shanghai main venue, relay deliveries took place in multiple domestic cities such as Nanjing, Liuzhou, Taiyuan, as well as countries like the UK, Indonesia, and Singapore. SAIC's full brand and full product matrix worked in synergy, creating a new narrative mode for Chinese car brands.

Among them, independent brands went all out: Shangjie Z7, Huajing S, Roewe M7, MG4 Semi-solid-state Battery Version, Wuling Starlight 560, Maxus eDeliver5, Hongyan Heavy Truck, Yuejin Danan T1, Sunwin Pure Electric Bus, Iveco Juxing EV, etc., were delivered successively, covering diverse scenarios such as personal travel, family life, commercial operations, and logistics transportation. Joint venture brands concentrated on showcasing the achievements of "Joint Venture 2.0": Volkswagen ID. ERA 9X, Audi E7X, Buick Zhijing E7, Cadillac Kaiweide, etc.

Behind the 100 millionth unit lies SAIC's full value chain closed loop covering six sectors: whole vehicles, parts, mobility, services, finance, international operations, and innovative technology. From January to April 2026, SAIC's cumulative sales reached 1.302 million vehicles, ranking as the sales champion of Chinese car companies for four consecutive months. Among them, independent brand sales were 910,000 vehicles, accounting for nearly 70%; New Energy Vehicle sales were 412,000 vehicles; Overseas market sales were 459,000 vehicles, surging by 50.2% year-on-year.

Final Thoughts

After a long run of the real economy spanning over 70 years, SAIC's vehicle manufacturing journey has ushered in a phased victory. As a microcosm and witness of the Chinese automotive industry going from nothing to something, from weakness to strength, SAIC has experienced the transition from scale leadership to quality leadership and technology guidance. Now standing at the new starting point of "100 million units", SAIC is starting a "Second Startup" for the smart electric future, continuing to write the brilliant new chapter for Chinese car companies! (Written by MANGO)

May 28, 2026, a date worth mentioning repeatedly in the history of China's automotive industry.

SAIC Group delivered an IM LS9 Hyper to the world's 100 millionth user—Momenta CEO Cao Xudong—at the North Bund World Welcome Hall in Shanghai. This is not an ordinary delivery. At the same time, more than a dozen brands under SAIC and 19 car models relayed deliveries in multiple locations around the world. From Shanghai to Nanjing, Liuzhou, and Taiyuan, from the UK to Indonesia and Singapore, a cross-continental "delivery relay" announced a fact: The first automotive group in China to exceed 100 million cumulative production and sales was born.

100 million vehicles. This number used to belong only to Toyota, Volkswagen, and GM. Today, it belongs to a Chinese enterprise.

Many might say: So what if it's 100 million vehicles? It's just "large volume". But I exactly think, the most worth savoring in these 100 million vehicles is not "quantity", but "change".

First Layer of Change: From "Hammering Cars" to "Building Cars", From "Trading Market for Technology" to "Technology Defining the Market"

In 1958, Shanghai workers hammered out the first "Phoenix" brand sedan with hammers. That was the infancy of China's automotive industry, clumsy and primitive, but full of longing.

In 1983, the Santana came off the line, China's auto industry entered the joint venture era. The logic of that stage was: trade market for technology. We provide the market, the foreign party provides technology. The biggest gain for SAIC in this process was not only learning to build cars, but constructing a full industry chain capability from components to whole vehicles, from R&D to manufacturing. Many people don't know that the Santana localization consortium was once China's automotive industry's most solid "Whampoa Military Academy".

In 2016, the Roewe RX5 was launched, claiming to be the "World's First Internet-connected Car". At that time, many people thought it was a gimmick. Looking back, that was actually SAIC's first signal: The initiative of intelligence should be ours.

In 2020, IM Motors was founded, leading up to today's 100 millionth vehicle—the IM LS9 Hyper, equipped with full-by-wire four-wheel steering, full-domain 800V high-voltage platform, Star Super Extended Range, L3-level intelligent driving redundancy capability, and even co-launched "Endogenous Security" technology with Zijinshan Laboratory, pulling safety from the physical world into the information world.

The evolutionary trajectory of these 100 million vehicles is very clear: From "I Can Build Cars", to "I Can Build Good Cars", to "I Can Define the Standards for the Next Generation of Cars".

Second Layer of Change: From "Product Going Global" to "Value Chain Going Global"

Among SAIC's 100 million vehicles, cumulative overseas sales have exceeded 7 million. MG won the European sales champion for Chinese brands for 11 consecutive years. In 2025, annual European sales exceeded 300,000 vehicles, becoming the first Chinese brand to exceed one million cumulative sales in Europe and the UK.

What is more worth noting is SAIC's released "Glocal Strategy" (Global + Local) last year. What does it mean? No longer simply shipping cars from domestic to foreign to sell, but building R&D centers and production bases locally, and even reverse-engineering technology for the local market. Semi-solid-state batteries, Hybrid+ hybrid technology, were all premiered first at overseas Tech Days, then fed back to the global market.

This is the true "Value Chain Going Global". Brands, technology, standards, ecosystems, all go out together.

Third Layer of Change: From "I Understand Cars" to "I Understand You"

The detail that moved me most about this SAIC delivery ceremony was not those cool technical parameters, but that they invited various real users: Luo Zhenyu, Yang Chen, Cao Kailiang, public welfare barber Liu Jia... Behind every user is a story of "Why This Car Suits Me".

SAIC proposed a concept called "Understand Cars, Understand You Even More". In the past, when car companies said "Understand Cars", it was boasting engineering capabilities; now saying "Understand You", it means translating technology into human language, turning it into the peace of mind, convenience, and fun you can feel when driving every day.

100 million vehicles is not a cold factory cumulative number. It is 100 million specific people, 100 million different travel lives. Enterprises that can reach this magnitude must not only have built cars well, but have taken good care of "people".

Finally, let me share a bit of my exclusive observation

Many view "100 million vehicles" as the coming-of-age ceremony of China's automotive industry. I don't see it that way. I believe this is the watershed where China's auto industry enters "ecosystem competition" from "scale competition".

In the past, we compared whose capacity was larger, who was cheaper, who sold more. In the future, it's about who can build a complete ecosystem including energy networks, intelligent driving systems, data closed-loops, and user communities on a global scale. SAIC's 100 million vehicles exactly proves it has sufficient user base, product breadth, and technical depth to support the establishment of this ecosystem.

The 100 millionth vehicle delivered to Momenta's CEO, this detail is very symbolic—the relationship between the OEM and the intelligent driving supplier has changed from "procurement" to "co-creation".

This is not a delivery, but a confirmation of an alliance.

From 1955 to 2026, 71 years, 100 million vehicles. The next 100 million vehicles will not need another 71 years. But the key to the next 100 million vehicles is not speed, but height.

China's automotive industry finally has a truly "100 million-level calling card". What is written on this card is not "World Factory", but "Global Co-creation".

On May 28, 2026, SAIC Group held the "World's First 100 Millionth User Delivery Ceremony" at the World Living Room of Shanghai North Bund, becoming the first automotive group in the history of China's automotive industry to exceed 100 million cumulative production and sales. Previously, only the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea, etc. had "100-million-level automakers." SAIC's breakthrough marks a new historical step for China's automotive industry.

Over 70 Years, From Hand-Built to Leading

SAIC's starting point was the Shanghai Internal Combustion Engine Parts Manufacturing Company, established in 1955. In 1958, workers hammered out the first "Phoenix" sedan in an alley factory, achieving the "zero breakthrough" for Shanghai's sedan manufacturing.

Subsequent key milestones: The first Santana rolled off the line in 1983,开启 a new era of joint cooperation; Shanghai GM was established in 1997, creating the "Shanghai Speed" of 23 months from factory construction to vehicle launch; In 2006, the independent brand Roewe was born; In 2016, the world's first Internet car Roewe RX5 was launched; In 2020, the high-end smart electric brand IM Motors was established. Over 70 years, SAIC has experienced and driven the entire process of China's automotive industry from nothing to something, from weak to strong.

IM LS9 Hyper, SAIC's Culmination of Technology

The 100 millionth vehicle delivery model is IM LS9 Hyper, known as the culmination of SAIC's technical strength. It is equipped with three major core technologies:

Full Steer-by-Wire Four-Wheel Steering: The first fully steer-by-wire steering technology in China verified by the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, pre-installed with redundancy capabilities for L3 and higher-level intelligent driving.

Maximized Intelligent Driving Hardware: 520-line super-vision LiDAR + NVIDIA Thor chip, paired with Momenta end-to-end reinforcement learning large model.

Three-Electric Systems: Global 800V high-voltage platform + Star Super Range Extender, with comprehensive range exceeding 1400 km; First equipped with SAIC Golden Label Hurricane Three-Motor, joining the "3-Second Club".

It is worth mentioning that IM LS9 Hyper launched the "Endogenous Security" technology jointly with Purple Mountain Labs globally, expanding the automotive safety boundary from physical security to information and system security.

The 100 millionth user is Cao Xudong, CEO of Momenta — SAIC's core strategic partner in the intelligent driving field. "Partner becomes owner" is a microcosm of deep technological co-creation.

January to April Sales 1.302 Million Vehicles, Four Consecutive Months Champion

The foundation of 100 million vehicles is solid market performance. From January to April 2026, SAIC Group cumulatively sold 1.302 million vehicles, ranking first among Chinese automakers for four consecutive months. Among them, independent brand sales were 910,000, accounting for nearly 70%; New energy vehicle sales were 412,000; Overseas market sales were 459,000, a year-on-year surge of 50.2%.

Regarding R&D investment, in the past decade, SAIC has cumulatively invested over 150 billion yuan in new energy and intelligent connected fields, forming nearly 26,000 valid patents. In 2014, the sales proportion of SAIC new energy vehicles was less than 0.1%, while in 2025, this proportion exceeded one-third.

Global Layout, Products Spanning Over 170 Countries and Regions

SAIC is a pioneer in China's automotive industry "going global." Currently, it has over 100 parts production bases and over 3,000 dealer networks overseas, with 3 major R&D innovation centers including London, and 4 production centers in Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Pakistan. SAIC Logistics owns 42 roll-on/roll-off ships, with 8 international routes covering Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

As of now, SAIC's products and services cover over 170 countries and regions, with cumulative overseas sales exceeding 7 million units. MG has won the champion of European sales for Chinese brands for 11 consecutive years; in 2025, European annual sales exceeded 300,000, becoming the first Chinese automotive brand to accumulate over one million sales in Europe and the UK.

In 2025, SAIC released the overseas "Glocal Strategy" (Global + Local), accelerating the shift from "Product Going Global" to "Value Chain Going Global".

Final Thoughts

100 million vehicles is not the end point, but a new starting line for SAIC to "start a second entrepreneurship" towards the future of smart electricity. From 1955 to 2026, from the first user to the 100 millionth user, from "hand-built" manufacturing to global technology leadership, SAIC's development history is itself a condensed history of the rise of China's automotive industry. SAIC has already proved the depth and resilience of China's automotive industry with 100 million vehicles. Who will be the next 100-million-level automaker?

On May 28, 2026, SAIC Group became the first automobile group in China to achieve cumulative production and sales exceeding 100 million vehicles.

From the Phoenix brand forged by hammers in 1958 to the IM LS9 Hyper delivered to Momenta CEO Cao Xudong, over seventy years, 100 million vehicles.

This result holds extremely significant meaning in the history of the Chinese automotive industry.

However, today we not only look at the numbers but also study the three assets hidden behind these 100 million vehicles: Time, Space, and Future.

These three assets correspond exactly to the two core concepts in the "I Ching" — Time and Position.

Time is "Time", Space is "Position". Whether a person or a company can succeed depends on two points: is the timing right, is the position stable.

And Future is the dynamic combination of "Time" and "Position", doing the right things continuously within the correct spatio-temporal coordinates.

We use the 13th Hexagram of the "I Ching", "Heaven and Fire: Fellowship", to break it down. The Fellowship hexagram talks about gathering hearts and breaking through obstacles. The judgment says: "Fellowship in the open, success. Beneficial to cross the great water."

Holding the triple assets of Time, Position, and Future, how does SAIC aggregate them to play the real breaking card?

First Asset: Time — Proof of Crossing the Cycle

Time is not worn down by waiting, it is forged through testing

100 million vehicles are, first and foremost, an accumulation of time. But time itself does not represent value; true value is demonstrated within time.

SAIC's history is extremely glorious.

In 1958, workers hammered out the first Phoenix brand sedan, achieving a "zero breakthrough" in Shanghai car manufacturing. In 1983, the Santana went off the line, opening a new phase of Sino-foreign joint cooperation in the Chinese automotive industry. In 1997, Shanghai General Motors was established. In 23 months, a factory was built and cars produced, creating the "Shanghai Speed".

In 2006, the independent brand Roewe was born. In 2016, the world's first Internet car Roewe RX5 was launched. In 2020, the high-end smart electric brand IM Motors was established.

These time nodes indicate that SAIC did not survive by relying on a single trend. In the fuel vehicle era, it set a benchmark for localization; in the Internet car era, it was the first to define smart connectivity; in the smart electric era, it presented all-electronic chassis and endogenous safety technology.

With every technological change and every round of market reshuffling, SAIC kept up and even led. Crossing the cycle is not luck; it is capability.

"Time" in the "I Ching": When the timing is right, effort is doubled with half the result

The "I Ching" emphasizes "Time" the most. Every hexagram, every line asks: Is this timing right?

SAIC's history proves this enterprise understands "Time". It seized the timing of joint venture opening with the Santana. It seized the timing of Internet cars with the Roewe RX5. It seized the timing of smart electrification with the layout of IM.

But "Time" is not static. The 100 million vehicles represent that at the gateway of every era, SAIC made the right choices; this is the true gold content of time assets.

Shanghai's geographical location represents not just "Position" but also hides a time dividend.

SAIC's products and services cover over 170 countries and regions, with cumulative overseas sales exceeding 7 million vehicles.

Why is it SAIC? Because it is in Shanghai. Shanghai is the window for opening up to the outside world earliest in China, a gathering point for finance, talent, and ports. Since its inception, SAIC has stood on the front line of connecting the Chinese automotive industry with the international community.

This is not accidental; the geographical location gave SAIC a time-based first-mover advantage. When other car companies were still learning how to make cars, SAIC was already negotiating joint ventures with Volkswagen and GM. When other car companies began going overseas, SAIC's MG had already ranked first among Chinese brands in Europe for 11 consecutive years.

Time assets are SAIC's first moat.

Second Asset: Space — Deep Accumulation of Industry Chain and Users

Space is not just a venue, but the breadth and depth of layout

100 million vehicles are not just a number, but a huge net. This net has two dimensions: Industry Chain Space and User Space.

First, industry chain space. SAIC does not just make cars; it covers six major sectors: Vehicles, Parts, Mobility and Services, Finance, International Operations, and Innovation Technology, forming a full value chain closed loop.

Among them, Anji Logistics owns 42 Ro-Ro vessels of various types, with 8 international routes covering Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Overseas, there are over 100 parts production bases, over 3,000 dealer networks, 3 major R&D innovation centers including London, and 4 production and manufacturing centers in Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Pakistan.

This full industry chain layout is far ahead domestically. From R&D to production, logistics to sales, finance to services, SAIC can run the entire link itself.

"Position" in the "I Ching": When the position is right, potential energy comes naturally

The "I Ching" also emphasizes "Position". Where each line is located determines its function and risk.

Where is SAIC's "Position"? First, Shanghai as a global coordinate; second, the full industry chain as an industry coordinate. Shanghai gave it the advantage of openness, and the full industry chain gave it risk resistance capabilities.

From January to April 2026, SAIC cumulative sales reached 1.302 million vehicles, ranking first among Chinese car companies for four consecutive months. Independent brands accounted for nearly 70%. This shows that SAIC's growth has switched from joint venture-driven to the three-horse carriage of Independent + New Energy + Overseas.

This "Position" has changed. In the past, SAIC's position was "Joint Venture Leader"; now it is "Independent + Overseas Leader". The conversion of position determines the conversion of tactics.

User Space: Behind 100 Million Vehicles is 100 Million Trusts

Next, user space.

100 million vehicles mean 100 million car owners. Behind each owner is a family, friends, and social circle.

SAIC has many user stories: Dedao APP founder Luo Zhenyu became the 001st Experience Officer for Huajing S; former German player Yang Chen chose the ID.ERA 9X; Cao Kailiang's family booked a car and found out their idol Jay Chou happened to be a Buick spokesperson; public welfare blogger Liu Jia was moved by Buick Zhijing E7's "Full Score Cockpit".

These stories explain one thing: Users are not cold numbers. 100 million deliveries are 100 million trust establishments.

Trust is a fusion asset of space and time. It cannot be bought with money; it is saved bit by bit over more than seventy years. In a crowded market, prices can be copied, configurations can be stacked, but trust cannot be copied.

Third Asset: Future — Continuous Investment Led by Innovation

Future is not waited for; it is a grand plan laid out in advance.

100 million vehicles are the past; SAIC is not resting on its laurels. Future assets are reflected in the layout done today.

IM LS9 Hyper is equipped with next-generation chassis technology, first-in-class all-electronic four-wheel steering. 520-line super-vision LiDAR, Nvidia Thor chip. Full-domain 800V high-voltage platform, Star Super Range Extender.

There is also the "Endogenous Safety" technology jointly launched globally by Purple Mountain Laboratories, extending the safety boundary from "Physical Safety" to "Information and System Safety".

These designs are not concepts; they are configurations already in mass production, comprehensively pre-installed with redundant capabilities for continuous evolution towards L3 and above advanced intelligent driving.

The combination of "Time" and "Position" is the future "Time-Position"

The "I Ching" speaks of "Time" and "Position", but the highest realm is the unity of "Time-Position" — standing in the right position at the right time, then doing the right thing.

SAIC's future layout is exactly "Time-Position" thinking. In timing, smart electrification has entered the second half, and competition is shifting from electrification to intelligence. In position, SAIC has full industry chain support, overseas channels, user base, and co-creation capability with joint venture partners.

SAIC actively implemented the important instruction "Developing new energy vehicles is the only way for China to move from a large automotive country to a powerful automotive country" as early as 2014. Twelve years later, it evolved from "Leading the charge" in smart electrification transformation to "Thousands of horses galloping" in independent and joint ventures, passenger and commercial vehicles, domestic and overseas markets.

Starting the layout twelve years ago is the judgment of "Time". Collaborative promotion of the full industry chain is the control of "Position".

Overseas Strategy: Future Space is Globalization

In SAIC's future assets, overseas is the main focus.

Several key figures are: cumulative overseas sales exceeded 7 million vehicles, MG ranked first among Chinese brands in Europe for 11 consecutive years, 2025 European annual sales exceeded 300,000 vehicles, becoming the first Chinese automotive brand to break one million cumulative sales in Europe and the UK.

In March this year, MG held a technology day in Frankfurt, Germany, globally launching semi-solid-state batteries and Hybrid+ hybrid technology. The Hybrid+ family's overseas monthly sales have exceeded 20,000 vehicles.

In 2025, SAIC released the overseas "Glocal Strategy" (Global + Local), accelerating the shift from "Product Going Overseas" to "Value Chain Going Overseas".

Domestic market is crowded; overseas is incremental. SAIC has ships, factories, channels, and technology in hand; the future "Time-Position" is not only in China but globally.

"Heaven and Fire: Fellowship": How to Aggregate and Empower Three Assets

The core of the Fellowship hexagram is "Aggregation". SAIC holds the triple assets of Time, Space, and Future, but they cannot be used scatteredly; integration is the hard truth.

Step 1: Internal Aggregation. IM's high-end technology is downgraded to Roewe and MG. Joint venture quality control experience feeds back into independent brands. Overseas channels are connected and shared, letting over a dozen brands stop fighting alone.

Step 2: Ecosystem Openness. The first hundred-millionth user is Momenta CEO; this is no coincidence. SAIC needs to turn partners into users and users into partners. Let suppliers, developers, and dealers merge in, becoming a net.

Step 3: Global Deepening. After maintaining stability in the domestic market, treat overseas as a new growth point. Europe has tariffs, but SAIC has localization. Southeast Asia has Thailand and Indonesia bases. Space assets must be realized globally.

100 million vehicles are proof of Time-Position, not the end point.

Time proves SAIC can cross the cycle. Space is the deep industry chain and user base; Future relies on continuous innovation and global layout.

Time corresponds to "Time", Space corresponds to "Position", Future is the dynamic unity of "Time-Position". The true meaning of SAIC's 100 million vehicles is not the number itself, but that it proves — this enterprise knows at what time, in what position, to do what thing.

Involution asks not about origins, but direction. The last sentence of the Fellowship hexagram says: "Only the Gentleman can connect the will of the world." Can SAIC become that Gentleman who gathers hearts? Let's see if it can hit these three assets at the same point next.

Welcome to watch "Reading I Ching while Driving Cars".

On the afternoon of May 28, 2026, the 100,000,000th vehicle of SAIC Motor — an IM LS9 Hyper — was delivered at the Shanghai North Bund World Living Room to SAIC's 100 millionth user, Momenta CEO Cao Xudong.

The delivery list provided by SAIC Motor shows that the 99,999,999th user is Yang Chen, a former Chinese national football team player who played in Germany; the delivered model is SAIC Volkswagen ID. ERA 9X, and the delivery location is Shanghai Anting. In addition, for users from the 99,999,996th to the 100,001,100th, apart from the majority of users from China, there were also users from London, UK; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Singapore, and models included multiple models from multiple brands such as Shangjie Z7, Huajing S, MG4 EV Urban, AUDI E7X, Buick Zhijing Shijia, Sunwin Series 10 Pure Electric Bus, and Jiyue Danaka T1.

Sales data from January to May this year shows that SAIC Motor has cumulatively sold 1.651 million new vehicles, of which overseas cumulative sales reached 589,000 units, accounting for a proportion of up to 35% of the group's sales. Among them, in Australia and New Zealand, the MG3 and MG4 led, with market share shares of 21.1% and 12.8% respectively, ranking TOP 1 and TOP 3 in the CAR-B segment market; in Belgium, MG sales doubled directly; in the UK, the MG brand ranked in the top six; in Chile, MG ZS successfully took the top spot in the local SUV market. Especially in SAIC's largest overseas regional market — Europe, the global car brand MG cumulatively sold 150,000 units from January to May, a year-on-year increase of 20%, continuing to claim the title of "Chinese Brand Europe Sales Champion".

Data from 2025 shows that SAIC Motor's cumulative sales reached 4.507 million units, ranking 7th among global automotive groups, leading world-established automotive groups such as Ford and Honda. This means that today's SAIC Motor has transformed from the "handcraft workshops" of those years into a global automotive enterprise.

From Hand Hammering to 18 Consecutive Years of Sales Champion, Haipai Culture is Key

SAIC Motor's growth history is basically a microcosm of the Shanghai automotive industry, and even the national automotive industry, going from 0 to 1, from weak to strong.

In 1955, the predecessor of SAIC Motor — Shanghai Internal Combustion Engine Parts Manufacturing Company — was established. This company consolidated a total of 274 original factories and workshops in the entire industry, the vast majority of which were alleyway handcraft workshops and small private repair and matching workshops. This illustrates the hardships of the start of China's automotive industry.

In 1958, workers hammered out the first "Phoenix" brand sedan with hammers, achieving a "zero breakthrough" in Shanghai sedan manufacturing.

Then in 1978, the state established the policy that "joint venture operations can be carried out", and Shanghai Volkswagen and Shanghai General Motors were established successively. As the earliest generation of joint venture enterprises in China, Shanghai Volkswagen's greatest contribution was "persisting in German Volkswagen's high standards, enabling the Chinese automotive standard system to span 30 years". "Shanghai General Motors established in the late 1990s also brought the full set of models for contemporary automotive marketization operations: network, brand, public relations, service, used cars, evolving from pure manufacturing to forming systemic competitiveness in the value chain". Li Anding described the contribution of joint venture enterprises under SAIC Motor to the entire Chinese automotive industry in this book "Car Diary".

In fact, not only joint venture enterprises, relying on the unique "Haipai Culture", SAIC Motor was the sales champion of Chinese car companies every year during the 18 years from 2006 to 2023. In these eighteen years, various parts enterprises, forward-looking technology research and development centers led and founded by SAIC Motor, the vast majority have become the leaders or market segment drivers of the entire Chinese automotive industry. China as a whole also established a highly complete and developed automotive supply chain. It was thanks to this highly developed and complete automotive supply chain that there were the magnificent new energy vehicles in the Chinese market later.

"A century of historical sedimentation has created the 'Haipai' connotation of Shanghai automobiles: open, market-oriented, integrity; exquisite craftsmanship, superior quality; inclusiveness, good at building bridges between East and West." Li Anding wrote so in the book "Car Diary". In fact, this openness, marketization, integrity, exquisite craftsmanship, and superior quality are also a true portrait of SAIC Motor.

From Joint Venture to Independent, SAIC Motor's Final "Butterfly Transformation"

If the "Phoenix" born in 1958 represents the original intention of China developing independent brands, IM Motors established by SAIC Motor in 2020 represents Chinese automotive professionals who have always stood at the forefront of China's automotive industry, experiencing decades of wind and rain, still not forgetting this original intention.

Shanghai has always been Shanghai, and SAIC has always been that SAIC.

In 2003, SAIC Motor launched the acquisition of the British century-old factory Rover, the acquisition target was only the intellectual property rights of two Rover 25 and Rover 75 models. This is completely different from the situation where most Chinese automotive enterprises acquire the brand itself along with the industrial M&A overseas. This means that from the beginning, SAIC Motor has chosen the road of fully developing independent brands.

In 2006, SAIC Motor launched the brand-new independent brand Roewe, the first car chosen was the mid-size car Roewe 750, hoping to break away from the old road of Chinese brands "poor quality and cheap price". In comparison, in the past era, most independent brands often chose to start from compact cars or even micro cars. SAIC Motor in 2006 was undoubtedly one step ahead. In 2016, SAIC Roewe launched the world's first mass-produced Internet car Roewe RX5, which further set off the development wave of Internet cars in the entire Chinese market later.

In 2020, SAIC Motor established the IM brand, the pricing and positioning of the new brand was clearly aimed at the high-end market. From the current trend that the market share of independent brands in China's automotive market is getting higher and higher, and independent high-end brands are beginning to occupy the BBA market share on a large scale, SAIC Motor's approach, its foresight, and determination to pursue brand elevation are obvious.

Latest data shows that in recent years, the proportion of independent brand sales of SAIC Motor in the group has been increasing, first breaking 50% in 2021, reaching 65% in 2025, and this year January-May even broke 70% for the first time, reaching 71.1%. SAIC Motor's striving upward has much to do with SAIC Motor's innate Haipai Culture.

Nowadays, not only SAIC's independent brands Roewe and IM, including overseas brands cooperating with SAIC, German Volkswagen and American General Motors, are all making use of SAIC Motor as an important innovation base, starting the development path of comprehensive transformation towards electrification and intelligence.

On May 20, 2024, again at the World Living Room, SAIC Motor and Audi Cars officially signed a cooperation agreement to jointly develop multiple high-end intelligent electric new cars for SAIC Audi and jointly develop Advanced Digitized Platform intelligent digital platform. Audi Cars, for this cooperation, even went so far as to use the AUDI letter logo, a logo used when the Audi brand was established, as the brand logo for SAIC Audi. The last time this logo appeared independently as an Audi brand car logo can be traced back to 1994, 30 years ago.

"Audi Cars possesses powerful high-end model product definition, whole vehicle R&D and engineering technology capabilities; SAIC Motor's intelligent electric innovation technology is industry-leading, both sides will join hands through this cooperation to "technologically empower" SAIC Audi, fully support joint venture brands to sprint on new tracks and grasp new opportunities", both sides wrote so on the cooperation agreement. "SAIC Motor's intelligent electric innovation technology is industry-leading", for China's automotive industry, obtaining recognition from the German automotive industry which once led China's automotive industry significantly, and becoming a partner on equal footing with German cars, took China's automobiles a full 40 years. And for SAIC Motor established in 1955, it took a full 71 years.

Not only that, in April 2026, SAIC and Audi further cooperated to set up the Audi Innovation Technology Center in Shanghai Anting, forming the AUDI brand's technology home port in China, helping SAIC Audi continue R&D in China. This innovation technology center is even Audi's first "full value chain" R&D entity outside of Europe.

China R&D, China manufacturing luxury brand cars, re-exporting globally, this is SAIC Audi's new brand goal. Behind this brand goal, the underlying logic is precisely SAIC Motor's industry-leading intelligent electric innovation technology.

In fact, not only Volkswagen, but General Motors from the United States is also making use of SAIC Motor to build its intelligent electric vehicle whole vehicle R&D and manufacturing base in China. The brand-new high-end new energy sub-brand Zhijing of SAIC General Buick was established in such a context. Looking at the sales volume this year in May, Buick Zhijing terminal sales reached 12,253 vehicles, a month-on-month surge of 64.8%.

In fact, the first "Joint Venture" partner chosen by China's initial automotive industry was American General Motors, not German Volkswagen. And the concept of Joint Venture was also proposed by General Motors CEO Thomas Murphy at that time when he came to China to discuss cooperation in October 1978. Nowadays, SAIC Motor's cooperation with General Motors has also gone from the initial "Joint Venture", to later establishing the global R&D innovation base PanAsia Automotive Technical Center jointly by both sides, to now Zhijing brand focusing on new energy vehicles, SAIC Motor's technical weight in the entire Joint Venture system has been raised to a new height.

"The accumulation of a century of Haipai car culture has not only made Shanghai the backbone of China's car manufacturing industry, but also made Shanghai the earliest starting and most accomplished car R&D innovation base. This point, although the competent authorities and media have not paid sufficient attention, multinational corporations have already regarded it as a rare cooperative force." This is the observation given by Li Anding when writing the book "Car Diary" in 2010. More than ten years later, the constantly evolving cooperative relationship between SAIC Motor and Volkswagen, General Motors further confirmed Li Anding's observation.

Just on the afternoon of May 28, at the delivery ceremony of SAIC Motor's 100,000,000th new vehicle, a new car delivery ceremony originally worthy of being written extensively by enterprises and the entire industry "China's First 100-Million-Level Vehicle Enterprise", instead appeared restrained and low-key.

On the entire delivery ceremony, among the delivered car owners, there were former national team players and football stars like Yang Chen, current CEOs of top-tier enterprises like Momenta Cao Xudong, internet celebrities like Luo Zhenyu, Indonesian active national team players, DHL Senior Vice Presidents, and Village Party Secretaries, etc. Models also included multiple brands from passenger cars to commercial vehicles, from ordinary family sedans to luxury cars. But in this press conference, there were no leadership speeches popular in the industry, no parameter stacking that consumers found somewhat annoying, and no exaggerated and affected emotional performance. All temperature, height, breadth, and depth condensed into a string of numbers: 100,000,000.

From 0 to 1, from 1 to 100 million, it is less said that SAIC Motor is telling an "100-Million-Level Vehicle Enterprise" industry story, telling the era changes spanning a full 71 years, rather, it is telling the life legend of 100,000,000 users. Just as SAIC Motor's corporate Slogan says: Understand Cars, Understand You Better. This is what SAIC Motor wants to accomplish.