Jimo district in Qingdao aims to build a major national automobile industry base with an output value of over 100 billion yuan ($14.95 billion), said local authorities.

The automobile industrial park in Jimo, which has a total area of 93 square kilometers, is home to more than 130 vehicle and auto parts-related projects, including the FAW-Volkswagen (Qingdao) East China production base, FAW Jiefang commercial vehicle production base and FAW Jiefang new energy vehicle production center.

Vehicles produced by the Qingdao branch of FAW-Volkswagen are shipped across the country through a special transportation line. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]

The output value of the automobile industrial park exceeded 80 billion yuan last year.

At the final assembly workshop of FAW Jiefang Qingdao Automobile Co, it takes just 20 seconds to install the front window glass of the cab and 30 seconds to install the tires. On average, cars roll off the assembly line in less than 2 minutes, and the workshop has a daily production capacity of nearly 1,000 vehicles.

The newest Audi A3 Sportback rolled off the production line at the Qingdao branch of FAW-Volkswagen on Sept 9, becoming the first luxury car brand ever produced in Shandong province.

The newest Audi A3 Sportback rolls off the production line at the Qingdao branch of FAW-Volkswagen Automotive on Sept 9. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Since the beginning of this year, the automobile sector has been met with unprecedented challenges due to the continuous downward trend of the market and the impact of COVID-19.

Automobile and parts enterprises in Jimo have adopted an innovation-driven strategy to overcome difficulties and achieve growth. 

From January to September this year, FAW Jiefang's output grew by 44.4 percent year-on-year, while sales were up by 47.6 percent.

Jimo district has also launched supportive measures to help local auto and parts companies get through this challenging period.

Industrial robots perform welding operations on the intelligent production line at the FAW Jiefang Qingdao Automobile Co. [Photo/qingdaonews.com]