Changan Automobile: the group, its brands and who controls it
Facts checked
- State-owned (central)
- Shenzhen Stock Exchange 000625
Listing: 35.04% in total — 14.23% directly and 20.81% through Chenzhi Group and Zhonghui Futong Investment, as reported in July 2025
Changan is the carmaker of Chongqing and, since July 2025, a central state-owned enterprise in its own right. The listed company, Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd., trades in Shenzhen under the code 000625. Above it sits China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd., which the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission inaugurated on 29 July 2025 with registered capital of 20 billion yuan and 117 subsidiaries and branches.
That restructuring separated the car business from China South Industries Group, the defence group that had been Changan's parent. The change had been approved by the State Council in June 2025, after a proposed merger with Dongfeng was abandoned. The new group is the third central state-owned carmaker after FAW and Dongfeng, and the first central enterprise headquartered in Chongqing. The old intermediate holding company kept the shareholding but was renamed ChenZhi Automotive Technology Group in June 2025, freeing the China Changan name for the new parent.
The company traces its history to the Shanghai Foreign Gun Bureau of 1862, an arms works that moved inland to Chongqing in 1937. It began building vehicles in 1959 and civilian ones from 15 November 1984, under licence from Suzuki. In December 2025 it announced its 30 millionth vehicle.
Today Changan sells under five brands: Changan for mainstream cars and SUVs, Deepal and Changan Nevo for electric and range-extended models, Avatr at the premium end with CATL as a shareholder and Huawei as a technology supplier, and Kaicene for vans and light trucks. Its 2025 sales were 2.913 million vehicles, of which 1.11 million were new-energy models and 637,000 went abroad.
Key facts
| Chinese name | 长安汽车 “chahng-AHN CHEE-chuh” 长安 means 'lasting peace'; 汽车 means 'automobile' |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. |
| Ownership | State-owned (central) |
| Founded | 1862 |
| Headquarters | Chongqing, Chongqing, China |
| Vehicles | Cars, Commercial vehicles and Motorcycles |
| Listings | Shenzhen Stock Exchange 000625 |
| 2025 vehicle sales | 2.913 million, up 8.5% on 2024 |
| 2025 new-energy vehicle sales | 1.11 million, up 51.1% — the first year above one million |
| 2025 overseas sales | 637,000 vehicles, up 18.9%, or 21.9% of the total |
| 2025 revenue and profit | revenue 164 billion yuan (up 2.67%); net profit 4.075 billion yuan (down 44.34%) |
| 2025 sales by new-energy brand | Changan Nevo more than 410,000; Deepal 325,000; Avatr more than 120,000 |
| Became a central SOE | China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd. inaugurated 29 July 2025 in Chongqing, with 117 subsidiaries and branches and registered capital of 20 billion yuan |
| Group holding in the listed company | 35.04% in total — 14.23% directly and 20.81% through Chenzhi Group and Zhonghui Futong Investment, as reported in July 2025 |
| Global footprint | products sold in 129 countries and regions, 93 plants, more than 14,000 dealers and over 24,000 engineers, as stated by Changan in 2026 |
| Lineage | traces to the Shanghai Foreign Gun Bureau founded in 1862; the works moved to Chongqing in 1937, built its first vehicle in 1959 and its first Changan-badged cars on 15 November 1984 |
Ownership tree
- Changan Automobile (group)
- Nanchang Jiangling Investment Co., Ltd. (company) Held at 50%
- JMC (Jiangling Motors) (group) Held at 41.03%
- Avatr (brand) Held at 40.99%
- Changan (brand) Held at 100%
- Changan Nevo (brand) Held at 100%
- Deepal (brand) Held at 51%
- Kaicene (brand) Held at 100%
Who controls Changan Automobile?
State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council owns China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd. at 100% since 29 July 2025.
The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council inaugurated China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd. as a central state-owned enterprise on 29 July 2025, with registered capital of 20 billion yuan and 117 subsidiaries and branches.
China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd. owns Changan Automobile at 35.04% since July 2025.
The new central SOE holds 14.23% of the listed Chongqing Changan Automobile directly and a further 20.81% through Chenzhi Group and Zhonghui Futong Investment, for 35.04% in total, as reported in July 2025.
Former owners
Holdings that have ended. They are here because the story needs them and are never part of the current tree.
China South Industries Group Corporation formerly held Changan Automobile until 29 July 2025.
China South Industries Group, the central defence and equipment group, was Changan's parent until the State Council approved carving out the car business in June 2025 and SASAC inaugurated the separate group on 29 July 2025.
| Holder | What it is | Share | Since | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChenZhi Automotive Technology Group Co., Ltd. | holds a stake in | not published | not published | ChenZhi holds part of the group's indirect stake in the listed company. It was reported as holding 40.65% under its old name in June 2025, before the July restructuring redistributed the holdings; no post-restructuring figure for ChenZhi alone could be confirmed, so the stake is left null. |
Stakes and ventures Changan Automobile holds
These are holdings that are not outright ownership, so they are not in the tree above. A joint venture is a third company the two parents built together: the percentage is a share of that venture, never a holding in the partner.
| Holding | What it is | Share | Since | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Changan Ford Automobile Co., Ltd. | runs a joint venture with | 50% of the joint venture | April 2001 | Changan's half of the Chongqing venture that builds Ford vehicles for China, established in April 2001. |
| Changan Mazda Automobile Co., Ltd. | runs a joint venture with | 47.5% of the joint venture | December 2012 | Changan Mazda was split out of Changan Ford Mazda in December 2012 as a 50/50 company in Nanjing. Changan's share fell to 47.5% in the 2021 capital increase that brought FAW in as a 5% shareholder. |
Brands
| Brand | Held | Origin | Founded | Models | Markets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 长安Changan | directly | China | 1984 | 0 | 9 |
| 深蓝Deepal | directly | China | 2022 | 3 | 11 |
| 阿维塔Avatr | directly | China | 2021 | 2 | 1 |
| 启源Changan Nevo | directly | China | 2023 | 1 | 1 |
| 凯程Kaicene | directly | China | 2018 | 0 | 1 |
Joint ventures
| Venture | Partner | Since | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Changan Ford | Ford Motor Company | April 2001 | 50/50 venture in Chongqing. Between 2006 and December 2012 it also built Mazda vehicles, as Changan Ford Mazda. |
| Changan Mazda | Mazda Motor Corporation | December 2012 | Split out of Changan Ford Mazda in December 2012 as a 50/50 company in Nanjing. Since the 2021 capital increase the shareholders are Mazda 47.5%, Changan 47.5% and FAW 5%. |
| Avatr Technology | Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited | May 2021 | CATL is Avatr's second-largest shareholder with 14.1% as of December 2024; Changan holds about 41%. |
| Avatr Technology | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | May 2021 | Huawei supplies Avatr's driver-assistance and cockpit technology. It holds no shares in Avatr; in 2024 the traffic went the other way, with Avatr buying 10% of Huawei's automotive parts unit. |
Changan Automobile: questions people ask
- Who owns Changan?
- The Chinese central government. Since 29 July 2025 the listed Chongqing Changan Automobile has been controlled by China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd., a central state-owned enterprise held directly by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.
- Why did Changan leave China South Industries Group?
- The State Council approved a plan in June 2025 to carve the car business out of the defence group and run it as a separate central state-owned enterprise. SASAC inaugurated the new company in Chongqing on 29 July 2025.
- What does Changan mean?
- 长安 (Cháng'ān) means 'lasting peace'. It is also the classical name of the city now called Xi'an, which was China's imperial capital for several dynasties.
- Which brands does Changan own?
- Changan, Deepal, Changan Nevo and Kaicene are its own; Avatr is majority-held by Changan with CATL as a large minority shareholder. It also has joint ventures with Ford and Mazda that build those brands' cars for China.
- Are Changan cars sold in the United States?
- No. Changan sells in 129 countries and regions but the United States is not one of them, and it has announced no plans to enter.
Related
Sources for Changan Automobile
- State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, China Inaugurates Changan as Central SOE. Read . SASAC's own notice: 29 July 2025 inauguration, restructuring of China South Industries Group, 117 subsidiaries, business scope including motorcycles.
- iChongqing, Changan Powering Chongqing's Rise as a Global Motor City. Read . Registered capital of 20 billion yuan and the 14.23% direct / 20.81% indirect shareholding.
- Changan Automobile, About Us. Read . Changan's own figures for countries, plants, dealers, engineers and the 30 millionth vehicle in December 2025.
- Gasgoo, Changan Automobile 2025 Financial Report: Record Sales and Profit Structure Adjustment. Read . Summary of the listed company's 2025 annual report, published 15 April 2026.
- Wikipedia, Changan Automobile. Read . Finding aid for the 1862 lineage, the 1959 first vehicle and the 1984 Suzuki licence.
- China Daily, Changan Automobile to restructure as independent central SOE. Read . 5 June 2025 report of the State Council approval and the abandoned Dongfeng merger.
- ChinaEVHome, Changan Automobile Group Renamed to ChenZhi Automotive Technology Group. Read . The June 2025 renaming of the old intermediate holding company.