“Electrification is the first half of the race, and intelligence is the second half.” Entering 2025, marked by the widespread adoption of advanced driver-assistance systems, the automotive industry’s shift toward intelligence has entered a new historical phase.

In the first half of this year, Anhui surged to become the leading province in China for automobile production, new energy vehicle (NEV) output, and vehicle exports, with figures reaching 1.4995 million units, 730,900 units, and 461,000 units (including exported chassis), respectively.

The development of Anhui’s automotive industry stands as a prime example of China’s automotive structural adjustment, regional economic rebalancing, and the comprehensive rise of domestic brands. It also demonstrates that Anhui has reached a new height in terms of automotive industry chain layout and technological integration capabilities.

Having reached new heights, what lies ahead?

At this year’s China EV 100 Forum, Wang Chuanfu, Chairman and President of BYD Group, stated, “If electrification in the first half is incremental, intelligence in the second half is disruptive.”

While the breakthrough in the first half relied on the penetration rate of NEVs, the second half will likely compete based on the adoption rate of advanced intelligent driving.

The “Playbook” for the Second Half

With Anhui’s record production moving into the second half, can past roadmaps still guide the way?

Another pressing question is: everyone talks about a bright future for automobiles, but the industry is indeed facing real and substantial challenges. Where exactly will Anhui’s automotive sector go from here? What will it rely on to win the second half?

Recently, Anhui provincial leaders emphasized during a survey of the NEV industry development in Hefei City that it is crucial to respect market and industrial laws, adhere to long-term technological commitment, continuously increase R&D investment intensity, and maintain a competitive advantage in the NEV sector through innovation-driven growth.

Undoubtedly, the second half of Anhui’s automotive industry must represent new quality productive forces, focusing on building an internationally influential innovation center for NEVs. While the scale and quantity of the industry are important, improving quality and efficiency is even more critical. Ultimately, Anhui must develop an automotive industry with distinctive brand identity and global influence.

Three New Logics

It is foreseeable that after reaching record production, Anhui’s reassessment and rebalancing of its automotive industry will extend beyond products to influence policy regulation, regional coordination, industrial structure optimization, and market adjustments.

Standing at a new starting point after record production, Anhui must break free from traditional investment attraction logic and introduce new logics and ways of thinking:

Service-First Logic: “Anhui must aspire to become the benchmark for government services in the Yangtze River Delta region.”

Automobile-Society Logic: “Anhui should leverage the automotive industry to drive and promote related social consumption upgrades.”

Innovation-Ecology Logic: “Anhui should guide car companies to leverage comparative advantages, build synergy, and empower enterprises through innovation.”

Looking back at the magnificent history of Anhui’s automotive industry, it has truly grown from nothing to something, from weak to strong. Anhui’s automotive sector must continue to forge ahead, swimming in the red ocean until the waters turn blue, embracing a vast and open sky...

Source: Anhui Business Daily