CHONGQING, Jan. 22 -- Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, a key hub of the country's auto industry, registered a rapid growth in new energy vehicle (NEV) production in 2023.

More than 500,000 NEVs rolled off the production lines in Chongqing last year, up 30.3 percent from the previous year, according to a recent press conference.

Chongqing is home to over 1,000 enterprises engaged in auto and auto parts production, each with an annual main business turnover of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.8 million U.S. dollars). The city boasts a complete auto industrial chain, enabling it to manufacture 4 million vehicles a year. In 2023, the annual auto output in Chongqing was 2.32 million vehicles.

Auto manufacturing in Chongqing is accelerating at a pace leaning towards it becoming electric and smart. From 2018 to 2022, the city registered an average annual increase of 98 percent in NEV production. Last year, 100,000 new charging piles were built in the city, lifting the total number to 210,000.

At present, autos made in Chongqing are sold to more than 80 countries and regions. Last year, the city exported 368,000 vehicles, raking in 33.17 billion yuan in revenue, up 29.8 percent and 51.9 percent year on year, respectively.