Global fourth-largest automaker CEO visits Wuhan, specially takes a ride in Robocar

Today, Lantu Motors officially went public.

A question was raised: Why did the first flagship state-owned new energy vehicle company emerge in Wuhan?

Let’s not answer that question for now, and instead look at a widely circulated online image.

Recently, Stellantis Group Vice Chairman Robert Peugeot visited Wuhan and specifically took a ride on “Radish Express.”

Robert Peugeot test riding Radish Express. Photo provided by correspondent

Who is he?

Stellantis is the fourth-largest automaker in the world, owning brands such as Maserati, Jeep, Peugeot, Citroën, Chrysler, and Fiat. Stellantis has over 30 manufacturing bases worldwide, with operations in more than 130 countries.

Such a leader of the fourth-largest global automaker, owning Maserati and Jeep, after experiencing a Chinese autonomous vehicle, said on camera, “An excellent experience.”

This isn’t the first time Stellantis has sent executives to Wuhan. Since July last year, Stellantis has visited Wuhan nine times over eight months.

Stellantis Group Vice Chairman Robert Peugeot (far left) and team conducting research at Shenlong Auto. Photo provided by correspondent

Why are they visiting Wuhan so frequently?

Two different scenarios point to the same question.

Wuhan is one of the most concentrated automotive industry regions in the country.

In 2003, Dongfeng’s headquarters moved from Shiyan to Wuhan. Since then, along Dongfeng Avenue, 11 vehicle manufacturers, 15 complete vehicle plants, and over 1,000 auto parts companies have gathered here.

This means that most aspects of vehicle production—from parts to complete vehicles—can be completed within this city.

Dongfeng has a complete fully automated production chain. Photo provided by correspondent

In 2017, Wuhan’s passenger car production reached a peak of 1.866 million units, ranking fifth nationwide. Wuhan has become a major automotive hub, with the auto industry remaining the city’s top pillar industry for many years.

Subsequently, as the global wave of electrification and intelligent vehicles surged, Wuhan reshaped its industrial landscape, building an “Automotive+” industrial ecosystem.

Lantu was born in this context. It introduced new technologies such as AI quality inspection, robotic assembly, 5G+ industrial internet, transforming flexible and digitalized new energy vehicle production lines, upgrading traditional fuel vehicle capacity to new energy vehicle capacity.

Wuhan also introduced Lotus sports cars and built and put into operation MENGSHI Technology Industrial Park, Dongfeng Honda New Energy Factory, and five other new energy vehicle plants.

Lotus Cars’ global smart factory. (Image source: Wuhan Economic Development Zone Media Center)

By 2025, Wuhan’s new energy vehicle production is expected to reach 524,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 56.7%, accounting for 55% of total vehicle production. This ratio remains stably above the national average. Wuhan has formed a development pattern of “central enterprises, joint ventures, independent brands, and emerging forces” competing in smart connected new energy vehicles.

Not only complete vehicles, but Wuhan also places equal importance on parts. It has successively introduced core component companies such as Zhongchuang Hang, APTIV, and ZF, raising the automotive parts-to-vehicle ratio to 0.8:1.

Focusing on “Automotive + Software and Hardware,” Wuhan has an intelligent vehicle software park, with over 200 core industry chain companies like Yika Tong Technology, XinQing Technology, and Neusoft, solving the industry’s “chip shortage and lack of core” issues.

Focusing on “Automotive + New Energy,” Wuhan has gathered over 20 leading hydrogen energy companies, including China Power Investment, XiongTao Hydrogen, and LiGong Hydrogen.

Focusing on “Automotive + New Materials,” Wuhan relies on Dinglong Holdings, Jinfab Technology, Wuhan Advanced Institute, and more than 90 other new material companies, filling domestic gaps in batteries, integrated circuits, and alloy components.

Focusing on “Automotive + Artificial Intelligence,” Wuhan has built an AI industry park, nurturing nearly 100 AI companies such as China Electronics, iFlytek, Dongfeng Yueshang, and Radish Express.

Overlooking Wuhan Economic Development Zone AI Science and Technology Park.

Wuhan is not strong because of a single enterprise but because it has compressed an entire automotive industry chain into one city.

Shi Guangyou, Executive President of Wuhan New Energy Vehicle Industry Association, said that in Wuhan, from leading complete vehicle manufacturers to diverse brands, from power batteries and electric drive controls to intelligent connectivity and vehicle lightweighting, almost all segments of the new energy vehicle industry chain are interconnected.

Industry insider Tang Liuyang said, “Many cities are adding new energy vehicles, but Wuhan is more about structural replacement.”

Many places can produce new energy vehicles, but not necessarily high-end.

Wuhan, however, has successfully taken this step and made it happen.

Taking Lantu as an example, it has adopted a full-stack self-research approach from the platform architecture to software systems and user ecosystems, striving to keep everything in its own hands.

Cars are no longer just products manufactured; they are systems capable of continuous evolution.

Based on this foundation, Lantu became one of the first brands in the central state-owned enterprise system to reach the high-end new energy track, becoming the first to go public.

Lantu Automotive leadership team taking a group photo in front of JINLUO.

Looking back over 30 years, there’s a more meaningful comparison.

Back then, Stellantis’ predecessor—PSA Peugeot Citroën—jointly established Shenlong with Dongfeng, bringing Fokker into Chinese households and starting the era of “market for technology.”

Today, from “bringing in” to “going out,” from “market for technology” to “technology winning the market,” a new “reverse joint venture” logic is emerging.

Lü Haitao, General Manager of Shenlong Auto, said, “In the past, we longed for technology; now, technology has become a business card.”

In this context, a person who makes luxury cars would sit in an autonomous vehicle and exclaim, “Very impressive.”

So, returning to the initial question: Why Wuhan?

The answer is already written in these ongoing facts.

That phrase, “very impressive experience,” seems to be about evaluating a vehicle, but actually, it’s about evaluating a city.

(Changjiang Daily Reporter Wang Su, Zhang Weina)

【Source: Enshi News Network_Domestic and International】