By Jin Lu

Ningbo's automotive industry reached a new milestone in 2025, emerging as the city's largest industrial sector and a major engine of manufacturing growth.

Total output value from automobile manufacturing rose to 433 billion yuan ($62.15 billion) in 2025, the highest on record and a 70% increase from 2020. The sector now accounts for 16.2% of Ningbo's industrial output among enterprises above the designated size.

Vehicle production also expanded sharply. A total of 865,000 vehicles rolled off assembly lines last year—equivalent to about 1.6 vehicles per minute assuming round-the-clock production. Electric vehicles accounted for 398,000 units, or 38% of Zhejiang province's total electric car output.

Geely remains a key pillar of the auto industry in Ningbo, with brands such as Zeekr, Lynk & Co and Galaxy spanning fuel, hybrid and electric models. Zeekr recorded monthly sales of more than 30,000 units for the first time in December, bringing cumulative sales to over 650,000 vehicles. Under a strategic cooperation agreement signed with the Ningbo Municipal Government last October, Geely plans to raise its annual production capacity in the city to more than 700,000 vehicles by 2027.

International automaker Volkswagen also anchors the local industry. Its plant in the Qianwan New Area—Volkswagen's second-largest production base worldwide—has a planned annual capacity of 600,000 vehicles.

The broader automotive ecosystem in Ningbo continues to expand. The city's auto sector is now home to 911 companies, 170 more than in 2020. These include 62 listed companies and 39 national-level sector champions in single-product manufacturing.