Chinese shipyards are constructing several large car transport vessels to strengthen the country’s grip on global shipping and support electric vehicle manufacturers in expanding their reach to international markets.
The latest ship, with a capacity to transport 8,600 cars, was reportedly built and completed within 200 days by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
The nearly 200-meter-long roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel will be managed by a subsidiary of COSCO, a state-owned conglomerate. The ship’s first voyage will carry Chinese cars from Shanghai to Europe. The initiative is part of China’s broader plan to develop its shipping fleet, facilitating the global transport of vehicles and ensuring reliable logistics for carmakers to boost exports.
The car carrier, built at ‘China speed,’ has achieved a new industry milestone for the shortest construction cycle, according to Shanghai Waigaoqiao. It also represents the next generation of large Chinese transport vessels capable of running on both liquefied natural gas and conventional marine fuel.
The ship will transport over 5,700 vehicles, including cars and construction equipment, from Shanghai to key European ports such as Bristol in the United Kingdom, Zeebrugge in Belgium, and Bremerhaven in Germany. It intends to ease the shortage of shipping capacity on European routes, providing substantial support from China’s manufacturing industry to the global automotive market.
China has become the leading global car exporter in recent years, with auto exports rising by 23% year-on-year to 6.41 million units in 2024, as revealed by Chinese customs data. The surge has resulted in a shortage of ro-ro ships, the primary means of transportation for the automotive sector.
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