China's auto exports abroad require transportation capacity just as much as product competitiveness.

In 2023, China's automobile exports surged by 5.221 million vehicles compared to the previous year, surpassing Japan to become the world's largest auto-exporting nation. At this year's Beijing Auto Show, overseas dealers flocked in droves, while Chinese automotive brands unveiled a flurry of global models, accelerating their expansion into international markets. For automakers, both overseas shipping capabilities and product competitiveness are equally crucial. However, the global automotive shipping market remains fiercely competitive, with car carrier rental rates skyrocketing—increasing tenfold over the past four years. As a result, many regions worldwide are grappling with severe capacity shortages, posing a real challenge for China's rapidly growing auto export brands.
Jörg Mosolf, Chairman and CEO of the Mosolf Group, stated in an interview with media outlets such as Interface News that automotive overseas shipping logistics require a comprehensive, integrated plan—one that includes solutions to seamlessly manage vehicle transport by sea, efficient unloading at ports, and timely delivery to final sales destinations. As one of Europe's largest locally-based logistics service providers, the Mosolf Group handles over 3 million vehicles annually. Their partnerships with Chinese automakers include MG, NIO, Great Wall Motors, and BYD, among others. In 2023, Mosolf transported 11,000 SAIC MG vehicles into the German market, with plans to increase this number to 24,000 units in 2024.

MG's parent company, SAIC Motor, is one of China's leading automakers expanding overseas. In 2023, its global sales reached 1.208 million vehicles, with MG itself accounting for over 840,000 units sold worldwide. SAIC was also among the first domestic automakers to establish its own dedicated shipping fleet for international operations; its subsidiary, Anji Logistics, has now built what is currently China's largest automotive enterprise-owned fleet.

Currently, in addition to SAIC, BYD's car carrier ships have also been put into operation. Chery and GAC have already begun making strategic moves in this area, aiming to ensure the stability and cost-effectiveness of their export logistics. A key advantage of Chinese automotive products when going global is their excellent value for money. However, if ocean shipping costs remain excessively high, it could push up the final retail prices, ultimately weakening their competitiveness in local markets. Jörg Moser believes that by partnering with domestic shipping companies to establish a robust maritime export network, Chinese automakers can maintain control over their transport capacity—free from external disruptions—allowing them to accurately forecast demand, adjust operations accordingly, and guarantee timely delivery of their products, thereby safeguarding both business stability and customer satisfaction.
Logistics groups with heavy assets may have a distinct advantage in local resource integration and operations. Once vehicles arrive at the port, ensuring smooth unloading and timely delivery to their destinations—rather than being stranded at the port—depends crucially on collaboration between logistics companies and port operators, as well as the efficient allocation of their own resources, such as trucks, port facilities, and automotive terminals. Take the Mosolf Group as an example: it owns large-scale automotive terminals at Germany’s four major ports, equipped with over 1,000 trucks and two Ro-Ro vessels, 80% of which are company-owned. This significant investment in physical assets allows the group to avoid renting external resources, giving it a competitive edge in cost control and operational efficiency. Sea freight remains the primary mode for exporting new energy vehicles, yet safety concerns during transportation have drawn considerable attention over the past two years. New energy vehicles rely on lithium-ion batteries, which, under extreme conditions or improper handling, can spontaneously ignite or even explode. This inherent risk has led to extremely stringent maritime shipping requirements for electric vehicles, placing high demands on the expertise of automotive logistics companies. Typically, during transit, advanced software-controlled systems are employed to continuously monitor battery conditions, ensuring safe transportation. In the event of an incident, robust emergency protocols are in place—for instance, specialized fire-extinguishing blankets are used to swiftly contain any potential blaze.
According to Jörg Moser, all process information—from the vehicle’s loading location to its unloading point—is meticulously recorded in a database and remains under continuous monitoring throughout the entire transportation cycle. The European market has historically been the region with the highest regulatory and standardization barriers for automotive products, backed by a robust traditional automotive industry infrastructure. In the past, Chinese car brands—whether exporting their vehicles or establishing manufacturing plants—tended to focus more on markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, making it challenging for them to penetrate Europe. However, today, Chinese automakers are increasingly viewing Europe as a pivotal new milestone in their global expansion strategies. Companies like Chery and BYD have already set up local production facilities in Europe, while SAIC is currently in the process of selecting an ideal site. Meanwhile, Great Wall Motors plans to cover most of the European market by 2025. Jörg Moser notes that, given the varying stages of development and market positions among different Chinese automakers entering overseas markets, newcomers to Europe will initially encounter a particularly competitive and demanding business environment. "MG is rapidly scaling up its operations, so it won’t face significant inventory buildup," he explains. "On the other hand, newly established companies will need to carefully price their products, build comprehensive sales networks, and establish reliable after-sales service systems. Currently, electric vehicles in Europe still tend to carry relatively high price tags." Moser also highlights that local European logistics providers, leveraging their extensive resource networks, deep understanding of regulatory frameworks, and strong partnerships with regional institutions, can play a crucial role in helping these emerging Chinese brands successfully tap into and gain traction within the European market.

Translated from Sina Auto

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