Liuzhou柳州
Tier 3 - Medium CityGuangxi's industrial powerhouse and one of China's top NEV production bases. Home to SAIC-GM-Wuling (maker of the Wuling Mini EV phenomenon), Liuzhou produced 76万+ new energy vehicles in 2024 — a 75.6% surge. The city is pivoting from traditional auto manufacturing toward NEVs, humanoid robots (UBTECH's mega-factory), and batteries.
GDP
$41B
2024
Population
4.16M
residents
Industry Output
¥257B
all sectors combined
Sectors Active
4
frontier tech sectors
Key Facts
- 76.38万 NEVs produced in 2024 (+75.6% YoY), cumulative NEV production exceeds 3 million
- Home to SAIC-GM-Wuling, whose Mini EV became China's best-selling micro electric car
- Strategic emerging industries grew from 10.8% of industrial output (2020) to 29% (2024)
- UBTECH opened a humanoid robot "super smart factory" — robots manufacturing robots
- Targeting ¥500B industrial output by 2027 and national new industrialization demonstration zone
Industrial Development Timeline
Industrial foundations
Liuzhou Tractor Factory (later LiuGong) established, marking the city's emergence as a heavy industry base in southwest China.
Auto industry begins
Liuzhou Auto Factory founded, later becoming the predecessor of the Wuling brand and Guangxi Auto Group.
SAIC-GM-Wuling JV formed
SAIC, GM, and Wuling form a joint venture that would make Liuzhou one of China's largest auto production cities.
Liudong New Area launched
Liudong New Area (Liuzhou High-tech Zone) designated as a national high-tech development zone, becoming the city's main industrial platform.
Mini EV phenomenon
Wuling Hongguang Mini EV launches at under ¥30,000 and becomes China's best-selling electric vehicle, catalyzing Liuzhou's NEV pivot.
NEV production surges
NEV production hits 76.38万 vehicles (+75.6%), strategic emerging industries reach 29% of industrial output. UBTECH robot factory opens.
Industrialization target
Target: ¥500B industrial output, national new industrialization demonstration zone, 2,000 PFlops AI computing network, 100+ AI enterprises.
Manufacturing Sectors
EVs & NEVs
新能源汽车
Mass-market NEV assembly (SAIC-GM-Wuling, Dongfeng Liuqi, Guangxi Auto Group), micro/mini EV pioneer, complete auto supply chain
Humanoid Robots
人形机器人
Humanoid robot manufacturing (UBTECH mega-factory), service robots, intelligent terminal equipment
Batteries & Energy Storage
电池与储能
Power battery production supporting local NEV assembly, energy storage systems
New Energy (Solar, Hydrogen)
新能源
New energy equipment manufacturing, wind power components, energy storage systems
Major Companies
SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW)
上汽通用五菱
Three-way joint venture behind the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, China's best-selling micro-EV. Produced 42.73万 NEVs in 2024 (+87%). Baojun brand also manufactured here.
Founded 2002
Dongfeng Liuqi
东风柳汽
Dongfeng Motor subsidiary producing commercial and passenger vehicles in Liuzhou, transitioning to NEV production lines.
Founded 1954
Guangxi Auto Group
广西汽车集团
Provincial state-owned auto group producing new energy vehicles and components, a key node in Liuzhou's auto ecosystem.
Founded 1958
UBTECH (Liuzhou)
优必选(柳州)
UBTECH's humanoid robot "super smart factory" in Yanghe New Area — achieving "robots manufacturing robots." A flagship project for Liuzhou's Southwest Smart Valley initiative.
Founded 2024
Guoxuan Hi-Tech's Liuzhou production base for power batteries, supporting the local NEV supply chain.
Founded 2019
History & Context
Liuzhou's industrial DNA dates to the 1950s when it was designated as one of China's key industrial cities, developing heavy machinery and automotive manufacturing. The founding of Liuzhou Tractor Factory (later LiuGong) and Liuzhou Auto Factory laid the groundwork. The 2002 formation of the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture was transformative, making Liuzhou a major auto production hub. The real breakthrough came in 2020 when the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV launched at under ¥30,000 and became China's best-selling electric vehicle, proving that affordable EVs could achieve massive scale. By 2024, NEV production hit 76万+ units with 75.6% growth, and the city's strategic emerging industries surged from 10.8% to 29% of industrial output. The arrival of UBTECH's humanoid robot mega-factory in the Yanghe/Northern Ecological New Area signals Liuzhou's next chapter: from "China's auto city" to a hub for intelligent manufacturing and robotics.