At the Chery Automobile Dalian base in the Dalian Free Trade Zone, new cars that have just rolled off the assembly line are driving out of the assembly workshop one by one.
Relying on the location advantage of “front port and back factory”, the finished vehicles here can be quickly transported to the port and cleared to go to sea after rolling off the assembly line.
The reporter followed the reporting team to visit many automobile and parts companies in Dalian to decode the advanced path of the city’s automobile and parts industry.
Chery Dalian Base: From ‘Export Carrier’ to ‘Delivery Hub’
‘Our position has never been a single factory, but the core fulcrum of the group’s global exports.
’ Gao Yong, manufacturing director of Chery Automobile Co., Ltd.’s Dalian base, said that since the base was established in 2009, it has relied on the port and policy advantages of Dalian Free Trade Zone to transform ‘export carriers’ into ‘delivery advantages’.
Through technological transformation in recent years, the current annual output can reach 300,000 units; the cumulative exports of a certain A0-class SUV produced have exceeded one million units and are sold to mainstream markets such as Europe, South America, and the Middle East.
‘Overseas markets have strict quality requirements. We adhere to global unified standards and make special optimizations for different regional climates, road conditions, and user habits to make products more suitable for local needs and make ‘Made in Dalian’ Chery vehicles recognized by global users.
’ Gao Yong said.
Today, Chery’s Dalian base has been upgraded from a single production factory to a comprehensive industrial base integrating R&D adaptation, intelligent manufacturing, global exports, and industrial chain collaboration, becoming the core node of automobile manufacturing in the Bohai Rim and Northeast regions.
Demax: Using intelligence as a ‘moat’ for enterprise development
The resilience of the automobile and parts industry is not only written on the nameplate of the OEM, but also hidden in the key ‘small parts’.
In the workshop of Dalian Demax Precision Technology Co., Ltd. in Lushunkou District, amid the steady roar of metal cutting, General Manager He Jianping walked from the workbench.
‘Don’t underestimate this precision shaft. In the past, this type of high-precision auto parts relied on imports. We have struggled with hard technical problems for many years. Now we have not only achieved domestic substitution, but also entered the supply system of international car companies such as BBA and Volkswagen.
‘
Demax’s output value in 2025 will be approximately 650 million yuan, and its main products are used in the automotive industry.
He Jianping attributes the company’s sustained and stable development to intelligent transformation: “It’s not about buying a few robots to pose for photos, but about reconstructing the entire process of technology, equipment, logistics, and loading and unloading.”
’ In recent years, the company has promoted automation upgrades—the introduction of internationally advanced combination machine lathes in key processes.
‘Eighteen knives and composite tools are cutting one part at the same time, and the processing can be completed in more than ten seconds.
’ He Jianping said that the manufacturing of this part previously took at least 4 minutes, and it became the norm for ‘one person to watch multiple machine tools’.
Relying on equipment innovation and intelligent transformation, the company has achieved comprehensive upgrades in processing accuracy and product quality. The entire production process is controllable and traceable, and production flexibility and delivery responsiveness have been greatly enhanced.
Neusoft Intelligent: Seizing the “car body” intelligent highland
As the entire vehicle becomes stronger and the parts become more sophisticated, another piece of the puzzle of Dalian’s automobile industry – ‘automotive electronics’ – is also being accelerated.
At the Dalian Neusoft Software Park, Li Chunlin, director of the Neusoft Automotive Electronics Research Institute, pointed to the smart cockpit prototype in the laboratory: ‘The focus of competition in the industry is now shifting from ‘whether the chassis engine can run’ to ‘whether the user experience is good on the body’.
Smart cockpits, human-computer interaction, communication interconnection, regional control… these are the main battlefields for differentiated competition among car companies.
’
In the second half of 2025, Neusoft Intelligent Technology successively won two large orders totaling nearly 10 billion yuan, once again confirming its strength as a core member of the mass production supply chain of many mainstream car companies.
‘Customers choose us because we not only provide hardware ‘boxes’, but also because our technical capabilities, mass production experience and service quality can help them avoid pitfalls and rework, and speed up the pace of new car launches.
’ Li Chunlin said.
The reporter learned that in Dalian, the automobile and parts industry has formed a relatively complete cluster.
Data shows that Dalian currently has passenger vehicle companies such as Chery Automobile Dalian Branch and Dongfeng Nissan Dalian Branch, as well as more than 150 parts companies above designated size such as Volkswagen FAW Engine, FAW Dachai Engine, and Panasonic Automotive Electronics. Their products cover key areas such as engines, transmissions, electrical systems, car audio, and tires.
In 2025, Dalian’s automobile industry cluster will maintain steady development, producing 387,000 complete vehicles throughout the year, including 121,000 new energy vehicles, ranking first in the province in new energy vehicle production.
