Ships loaded with 10,000 MG4 electric vehicles left Shanghai’s Haitong port for Europe on September 13, marking China’s largest single shipment of EVs bound for overseas markets. In the fourth quarter, the hatchback is expected to be sold in around 20 major nations on the continent. By 2023, it will be available in some 80 countries around the world, said SAIC President Wang Xiaoqiu at the model’s launch ceremony in Shanghai. The MG4 EV is the first model that SAIC built using its dedicated electric platform. It was developed by SAIC’s Chinese and British teams and is based on new car quality standards in different countries. Fu Bingfeng, Executive Vice President of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), called it the first global model by Chinese automakers. “It opens a new chapter for SAIC and also for China’s automotive industry,” Fu said.
China’s vehicle exports had been low compared with its production as the world’s largest vehicle maker. The situation started to change in 2021, when overseas sales doubled to 2.01 million units, ranking only behind Japan and Germany. The surge was mainly driven by China’s sufficient car supplies and a wide choice of electric and plug-in hybrid models, according to the CAAM. The growing momentum has continued well into this year. The Association said vehicle exports between January and August hit a record 1.82 million units, up 52.8% year-on-year, with over 340,000 being new electric vehicles. Wang expects China will overtake Germany this year in vehicle exports as Chinese companies are at the forefront of the industry’s new trends like electrification and connectivity. “We are charging ahead to overtake traditional giants like Europe, the U.S. and Japan, and we are likely to become the world’s second-largest vehicle exporter this year,” he said.
Last month, SAIC’s overseas sales exceeded 100,000 units for the first time, up 65.7% year-on-year, bringing its total exports so far this year to 580,000 units. Its major markets include Europe and Oceania. Now with the arrival of the MG4 EV, SAIC said Europe will become the first overseas market where its annual sales will reach 100,000 units this year. According to an earlier plan, SAIC aimed to sell at least 240,000 NEVs annually in Europe by 2025 as part of its goal to deliver 1.5 million vehicles to overseas markets that year. Last year, NEV sales in Europe reached 2.3 million units, accounting for 19% of total vehicle sales for the year, the China Daily reports.
