SAIC buys two vessels for vehicle exports

China's largest carmaker SAIC Motor is introducing two vessels into its fleet as its vehicles are gaining popularity in overseas markets.

SAIC was the country's largest car exporter last year, with 598,000 units sold in overseas markets.

They helped spur China's auto exports to hit 2.015 million in the year, double the figure from 2020, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

The two vessels, which will be built by China State Shipbuilding's Jiangnan Shipyard, will each load 7,600 vehicles when they are ready by 2024, said SAIC on Monday.

They will be delivered to SAIC's logistics arm Anji Logistics, which now runs a fleet of 31 vessels, including river vessels and sea-tankers in China and ocean-going carriers for overseas routes.

Powered by liquified natural gas, the vessels can sail for 70 days without refueling, enough to last the round trip between China and Europe, SAIC said.

Guan Yizhong, a SAIC executive in charge of public relations, said the company's exports in developed markets including Europe are mainly from SAIC's indigenous brands, in particular new energy vehicles.

SAIC has built a global sales network covering over 70 countries and regions, ranking first for six years in a row among Chinese carmakers in terms of overseas sales.

Wang Zemin, president of Anji Logistics, said the company is the world's largest logistics service provider in the auto industry, with routes to Europe, the Middle East, Oceania, North America and South America.