In the golden month of September, the season of bountiful harvests, the production lines at Aotecar’s Chuzhou manufacturing base—specifically at Plant No. 8—were humming with activity as usual. As the countdown on the large screen reached zero, a lifting platform slowly raised a silver-gray automotive air conditioning compressor—marking the official roll-off of Aotecar’s 100-millionth product. Representatives from local government, Yangtze River Industry Group, and the China EV100 Research Institute, alongside partners from suppliers and major automakers—including Geely, Dongfeng, Chery, NIO, Ford, and BAIC—gathered to witness this historic milestone.
One hundred million units—a journey spanning twenty-six years.
The story begins in 2000 with the founding of Nanjing Aotecar Refrigeration Co., Ltd.; a year later, the company’s first independently developed automotive air conditioning compressor rolled off the production line. At that time, the Chinese automotive components market was dominated by foreign brands, making “independent R&D” an uphill battle at every step.
In 2009, the Nanjing Xiangyun plant commenced production, and the company achieved an annual output of one million units. It took Aotecar eight years to go from the first unit to the millionth, and another seventeen years to reach the 100-million mark. During those seventeen years, the Chinese automotive industry underwent a profound transformation—shifting from joint-venture dominance to the rise of domestic brands—while the wave of new energy vehicles swept through the sector, propelling thermal management from a supporting role to the core of the system. Aotecar moved in sync with this transformation, capitalizing on the momentum to forge ahead.
Today, an average of 14 vehicles equipped with Aotecar compressors roll off production lines for global markets every minute. The company’s product portfolio spans automotive A/C compressors, A/C systems, and thermal management solutions for batteries and equipment, supported by a global network of 22 production bases. As the core hub for electric compressors, Aotecar’s Anhui base consistently ranks among the nation’s leaders in shipment volume; annual sales of electric compressors have surged from several hundred thousand units to 3 million, with projections exceeding 3.1 million units this year.
China’s automotive thermal management industry long trailed behind global peers, relying on foreign capital for core components and adhering to standards set by others. Aotecar’s milestone of 100 million units signifies that a Chinese enterprise has mastered the full spectrum of capabilities—from R&D and manufacturing to quality control and mass production—within the specialized sector of automotive A/C compressors.
Two years of transformative growth mark a pivotal stage since joining the Yangtze River Industry Group.
Twenty-six years of accumulated experience laid a solid foundation, while joining the Yangtze River Industry Group propelled Aotecar into a critical phase of accelerated growth. On July 30, 2024, Aotecar officially became part of the Yangtze River Industry Group. Over the past two years, this enterprise—deeply rooted in the automotive thermal management sector for over two decades—has gained greater clarity regarding its development trajectory and advanced with renewed determination.
Strategic Integration and Clear Direction. The Group issued the “Opinions on Supporting the High-Quality Development of Aotecar,” providing support across ten key dimensions. At the Group’s inaugural automotive sector seminar, the automotive industry was designated as the “primary industry,” with Aotecar positioned at the forefront of this sector. The “Aotecar 2030 Development Strategy” was officially released, establishing the vision of becoming a “world-leading automotive thermal management supplier with top-tier technology.” A private placement raising 500 million yuan was successfully completed, alongside a strategic investment in Botemon Motor and the establishment of a joint venture.
Organizational Restructuring and Management Innovation. Aotecar established a management framework comprising “one integrated core, four functional centers, two supporting wings, and multiple platforms” (1-4-2-N) and built a governance system centered on eight major committees. Management shifted from a decentralized model to a centralized one, moving from fragmented operations to systematic, unified coordination.
Internal Reform and Revitalization. A “100-Day Action Plan for Inventory Management Optimization” was launched, reducing inventory turnover time to 80 days. Centralized fund management led to a cumulative reduction in borrowing by 1.7 billion yuan, while the debt-to-asset ratio dropped by 12 percentage points to 42%.
Talent Support and Synergistic Strength. The proportion of employees with a bachelor’s degree or higher increased by 7 percentage points; the number of employees with master’s degrees rose from 157 to 245, and those with doctoral degrees grew from 6 to 13. The “Fledgling Eagle Program” recruited 66 fresh graduates, while 60 high-level management and core technical professionals were brought on board through market-based recruitment.
Integrating R&D with Application for Synergistic Growth. R&D spending reached RMB 366 million in 2025, with the successive launch of core products such as integrated heat exchange modules, novel thermal management systems for commercial vehicles, and thermal control systems for power batteries. A three-tier R&D structure has been established, with the Central Research Institute independently undertaking cutting-edge projects, including those for flying cars.
Digital and Intelligent Empowerment for Quality and Efficiency. The “Jingzhi” (Precision & Intelligence) system has been fully implemented; cost reductions totaling RMB 149 million were achieved across the entire process this year. Digital-intelligent demonstration bases were pioneered at the Chuzhou Plant No. 8, the Ma’anshan casting facility, and the new Wuhan plant.
Unified Marketing to Consolidate Competitive Strength. A dedicated domestic marketing company was formally established in March 2026, followed by the launch of the Overseas Business Division in June, creating a “3+1” marketing framework covering the Asia-Pacific, Americas, and Europe-Africa regions. The company secured multiple platform-level contracts for new vehicle models and achieved market breakthroughs for several core products.
Venturing Overseas and Expanding Globally. Three major platforms—including the “Changjiang Auto International Business Center”—were inaugurated at Aotecar. Joint venture cooperation with India’s Tata Motors has been comprehensively deepened. Construction of the Thailand plant has commenced; the Morocco plant supplies components for key Ford models; and the Malaysia project has been implemented using an asset-light model.
Optimizing Assets and Investing in New Ventures to Build Momentum. Long-term asset investments totaling RMB 467 million were initiated in 2025, with the investment budget for 2026 exceeding RMB 1 billion.
100 million units—a milestone, and the start of a new journey.
Reaching the 100-million-unit mark represents both a milestone and a new starting point.
From supplying components for internal combustion engine vehicles to establishing a comprehensive footprint in thermal management for new energy vehicles, this achievement powerfully demonstrates that “Made in China” can achieve not only scale but also superior strength. However, the competitive landscape of the global automotive industry is undergoing profound changes; the race for thermal management solutions in new energy and energy storage is just getting underway, the pace of technological iteration is accelerating, and customer expectations are rising.
In his address, Lyu Xiaohua, Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager of the Group, charted a course for Aotecar: “With Chuzhou as its foundation and technology as its driving force, the company should deeply cultivate the two major sectors of new energy and energy storage thermal management, forging ahead to become a global leader in automotive thermal management systems. The Group will continue to empower Aotecar, supporting the Chuzhou base in expanding production capacity and deploying next-generation core technologies, thereby establishing the base as a global strategic pivot for Aotecar and a key node in the Yangtze River Delta’s new energy vehicle industry chain.”
Qian Yonggui, founder of Nanjing Aotecar and the company’s lifelong advisor, took the stage to deliver an address. He distilled Aotecar’s twenty-six-year journey—past and future—into four core missions: driving industry progress, serving local development, cultivating talent and ensuring continuity, and sharing benefits with colleagues. “Aotecar aims to contribute new momentum to the industry’s development on this new track,” he stated. These words reflect the founder’s aspirations for the company’s next chapter and serve as a retrospective look at the original vision that has guided Aotecar for twenty-six years.
In his remarks, Pu Dongcheng, Deputy Secretary of the Nanqiao District Party Committee and Head of the District, responded to this founding mission. He stated that Nanqiao District would continue to step up efforts regarding policy support, resource guarantees, and the alignment of production with demand, thereby supporting Aotecar in deepening its presence in the thermal management sector and securing a leading position in intelligent manufacturing.
Wang Zhenkun, Party Secretary and Chairman of Aotecar, stated that standing at the new starting point marked by the production of the 100-millionth unit, the company will transform the experience and capabilities accumulated over the past two years into momentum for the next stage of its journey, advancing with even greater determination toward the goal of becoming a world-leading supplier of automotive thermal management systems.