[Text/Observer Network Pan Youchen Editor/Gao Shen] On May 15, the largest car roll-on/roll-off ship in the world owned by Anji Logistics of SAIC Group - the 9,500-car capacity methanol-ready ocean-going car carrier was named "Anji Ansheng" and set sail from the Haipeng Wharf of Waigaoqiao Port Area in Shanghai.
The SAIC "Anji Ansheng" has a capacity of 9,500 cars. SAIC Group
This new ship will carry nearly 5,000 self-developed SAIC models including MG3, MG HS, MG Cyberster, as well as Chinese brands such as Chery, BYD, Chang'an, and Great Wall to Europe. This ship also刷新ed the record of the largest roll-on/roll-off ship in the world held by BYD's "Shenzhen" (9,200-car capacity) which made its maiden voyage to Brazil from Taicang, Jiangsu Province in April this year.
As the largest roll-on/roll-off ship loading capacity records have been repeatedly broken by Chinese automobile manufacturers and shipbuilders, China's automotive export industry is entering a more autonomous new channel.
Chinese Automakers Breaking Through the Capacity Bottleneck
As the largest auto exporter in the world, China's auto exports reached 5.859 million units in 2024, an increase of 19.3%. It is no easy feat to achieve this accomplishment against the backdrop of turbulent global trade conditions in recent years. From January to April this year, China's new energy vehicle exports reached 642,000 units, an increase of 52.6%. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers expects that China's auto exports will reach 6.2 million units this year, an increase of 5.8%.
In the increasingly competitive domestic market environment, more and more Chinese automakers are viewing overseas markets as new channels for business expansion and profit growth. However, the roll-on/roll-off ship capacity used for automobile loading and transportation has become a critical factor constraining the overseas expansion of China's auto manufacturers.
According to statistics, as of May 2024, China owns 33 car transport ships, while Japan and South Korea, as major auto exporters, have scales of 283 and 72 ships respectively, most of which serve their own companies, further squeezing the transportation space for Chinese automakers.
And the imbalance between supply and demand has also led to a sharp increase in roll-on/roll-off ship rental rates. According to data from Vessels Value, a shipping commercial data provider, the daily rental rate for a 6,500-car capacity roll-on/roll-off ship was about $20,000 in 2020 and had risen to around $120,000 by 2024. Additionally, due to the influence of international geopolitical situations, global shipping faces higher risks, indirectly affecting transportation costs.
Facing the reality of insufficient export capacity and cost pressures, in May 2023, the Ministry of Commerce stated that it would work with relevant departments to strengthen transportation support, promote long-term strategic cooperation between auto companies and shipping companies, and encourage shipping companies to build roll-on/roll-off fleets and expand auto export capacity.
Moreover, leading Chinese auto manufacturers are accelerating the construction of their own fleets to gain more autonomy.
The SAIC "Anji Ansheng" is currently the largest roll-on/roll-off ship in the world. SAIC Group
Regarding the maiden voyage of the SAIC "Anji Ansheng," the ship type is 228 meters long and 37.8 meters wide. Its dimensions and layout are customized and optimized based on SAIC's main export models. The ship's decks adopt a long straight ramp design, significantly improving port loading efficiency; and integrates the application of aerodynamic bow designs and various advanced energy-saving technologies, with a service speed of up to 18.3 knots.
More importantly, after the new ship joins the fleet, SAIC Anji Logistics' entire vehicle logistics transportation self-operated fleet has expanded to 35 ships (including 11 river ships, 9 domestic sea ships, and 15 foreign trade sea ships), increasing annual capacity by 30,000 vehicles.
According to plans, by 2026, SAIC Anji Logistics' foreign trade ocean-going fleet will reach 22 ships, with route resources covering Western Europe and the Mediterranean region, Mexico, West South America, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the Middle East, where Chinese automakers mainly export. A 600,000-unit annual capacity ocean-going transport fleet will be built.
In addition to SAIC Group, BYD, Chery, and other leading Chinese automakers have recently been laying out roll-on/roll-off ship businesses.
As the world's largest new energy vehicle manufacturer, BYD ordered six roll-on/roll-off ships from domestic shipyards at the end of 2022, with a total value of nearly $600 million. Since 2024, BYD has gradually put four roll-on/roll-off ships into operation. Just recently, BYD's 9,200-car "Shenzhen" made its maiden voyage from Taicang, Jiangsu Province, previously the largest roll-on/roll-off ship before SAIC's "Anji Ansheng"; and BYD's next 9,200-car "Changsha" is planned for delivery in May, with the sixth "Xi'an" expected to be operational this year.
Statistics show that after building its own roll-on/roll-off fleet, in the first quarter of this year, BYD transported over 25,000 new energy vehicles through roll-on/roll-off ships to more than 100 countries and regions worldwide, and over 400 cities, shortening the transportation cycle by 15% and reducing logistics costs by 20%.
In addition, in early 2023, Chery Automobile ordered three 7,000-car LNG dual-fuel car carriers from Wuhu Shipyard; in January this year, Chery's first ocean-going car transport ship made its maiden voyage to Europe, the second car transport ship will be launched in June this year, and the third is under accelerated construction.
Huge Original Driving Force Driving Overseas Expansion
At the same time, continuous breakthroughs in overseas operations have also become the original driving force behind Chinese automakers establishing large-scale fleets.
As one of the earliest Chinese automakers to start overseas operations, SAIC Group achieved its first export of passenger cars in 2001; by 2013, SAIC Group established an auto factory in Thailand, initiating the overseas strategy 2.0 phase of local operations. By the end of 2024, SAIC Group has cumulatively delivered over 5.5 million vehicles overseas, ranking first in auto exports for eight consecutive years, becoming the Chinese automaker with the most exports, and achieving annual sales of over 1 million units overseas for three consecutive years, with sales in developed European countries accounting for 25%.
At the recently concluded 2025 Shanghai International Auto Show, SAIC Group released its overseas strategy 3.0 - the "Glocal Strategy," combining "global + local." Over the next three years, 17 new overseas models including SUVs, sedans, MPVs, and pickups will be launched. Models equipped with the new HEV hybrid powertrain system will cover the global mainstream market segments, and solid-state battery technology will also be implemented.
MG brand cars exported to Europe via SAIC's "Anji Ansheng" SAIC Group
In addition, SAIC Group's overseas operations are not just about automobile production and sales but are part of a full industrial chain going overseas. Currently, SAIC has established a global automotive industry chain encompassing R&D, marketing, logistics, components, manufacturing, finance, and used car services, with products and services entering more than 100 countries and regions worldwide.
As the world's largest new energy vehicle manufacturer, BYD exported 433,000 vehicles in 2024, growing by 71.8%, with the fastest growth rate among Chinese brands. Currently, BYD vehicles have reached 100 countries and regions across six continents, with products sold in more than 400 major cities worldwide.
Chery Automobile has ranked first in Chinese brand passenger car exports for 22 consecutive years. In 2024, it exported a total of 1.145 million vehicles, growing by 21.4%. Currently, Chery's business covers more than 110 countries and regions worldwide, with a cumulative user base of 15.72 million, including 4.5 million overseas users, making it the first Chinese brand to exceed 4 million cumulative export sales.
Bigger Scale, More Challenges
However, as China's automotive transport fleet grows stronger, more risks and challenges also arise.
China is the world's largest producer of new energy vehicles and also the world's largest exporter of new energy vehicles. In 2024, China's new energy vehicle exports reached 1.284 million units, growing by 6.7%, accounting for 22% of the total annual exports.
Compared to general goods and internal combustion engine vehicles, new energy vehicles impose more constraints on shipping during ocean transport. For example, to prevent battery charge loss during long-distance transportation, ships need charging facilities such as charging stations and sockets to maintain the battery charge between 20% and 50%, while also guarding against risks such as battery short circuits and fires.
Jin Qi, then General Manager of Anji Logistics, once said that considering the special risks associated with new energy vehicles, SAIC Group particularly strengthened closed-layer management when designing the first 7,600-car roll-on/roll-off ship, "Anji Shencheng," to avoid a whole-ship crisis caused by a single fire.
In addition, the "Anji Shencheng" also established an intelligent ship cabin management system, with 1,300 temperature measurement points on the entire ship, allowing real-time control of various zones through the central control room.
For this maiden voyage, the "Anji Ansheng" has a total of 13 vehicle decks, all meeting the loading requirements for new energy vehicles, with decks 11 to 13 capable of loading hydrogen fuel and natural gas-powered vehicles; deck 5 can meet the loading requirements for dangerous goods.
MG brand cars exported to Europe via SAIC's "Anji Ansheng" SAIC Group
On the other hand, ocean shipping also faces the risk of imbalanced import and export ratios. As the gap between China's auto export volume and import volume continues to grow, while China's roll-on/roll-off fleet expands, the risk of return voyages being empty becomes unavoidable.
According to previous calculations by SAIC Group, return voyages require more than 30% cargo volume to achieve marginal benefits, so finding international sources will be another major challenge. To address this, Anji Logistics adopts a multi-route layout and has already opened eight international self-operated routes including Southeast Asia, Mexico, West South America, and Europe.
According to Jin Qi's previous introduction, SAIC Group's construction of its self-operated fleet serves both the future export strategy of "national ships, national construction, national cars, national transportation" and supports other automakers' joint efforts to go overseas. Statistics show that in 2023, only 15% of the cars transported through Haipeng Wharf were from SAIC Group, with the remaining 85% being domestic vehicles.
To date, apart from serving SAIC Group's brands, Anji Logistics also provides transportation services for Chinese automakers such as BYD, Chery, Great Wall, Dongfeng, Seres, Li Auto, and XPeng. The pattern of Chinese automakers working together to go overseas is gradually taking shape.
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Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7504953776731488768/
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