Giant Anji Ansheng with thousands of vehicles set off on its maiden voyage: Car prices may change

According to Xinhua, the ship, manufactured for SAIC Anji Logistics, the logistics subsidiary of state-owned automotive company SAIC Motor, set sail from Shanghai, China, yesterday to depart for Europe.

The ship, which is 228 meters long and 37.8 meters wide, is the "world's largest automobile ship" with a carrying capacity of 9,500 vehicles.

China, which has been the world's largest automobile exporter in the last two years, has recently been making major investments in automobile-carrying ships, also known as "Ro-Ro ships".

Last month, the BYD Shenzhen ship, with a capacity of 9,200 vehicles and belonging to the Chinese private automotive company BYD, set off from China to Brazil for its maiden voyage.

Apart from large shipping companies such as Cosco, automotive companies such as SAIC, BYD and Chery are building their own carrier ship fleets.

China, which exported 6.4 million cars in 2024, maintained its position as the "world's top automobile exporter", which it achieved for the first time in 2023.

During this period, SAIC became China's largest exporter company, delivering 5.5 million cars to international markets.

SAIC Anji Logistics currently has a fleet of 35 car carriers, including 15 ocean-going vessels. The company plans to increase the number of ocean-going vessels to 22 by 2026.