GAC Group at a Glance: Guangzhou's State-Owned Auto Giant

Guangzhou Automobile Group, better known as GAC, is a state-owned carmaker headquartered in Guangzhou and controlled by the Guangdong provincial government. Its origins trace back to a machining plant set up in 1948, with the modern holding structure taking shape in 2005. The company ranked as China's fifth-largest automaker as of 2021 on sales of 2.14 million vehicles, and reported output of roughly 1.92 million units for 2025.

GAC's lineup spans several homegrown marques: Trumpchi, sold overseas under the GAC name, the electric-focused Aion and Hyptec, plus bus and commercial vehicle units. It also runs 50-50 joint ventures with Toyota and Honda, while earlier tie-ups with Isuzu, Peugeot, Fiat Chrysler, Mitsubishi, Hino and BYD have all ended. Expansion came partly through acquisitions — SUV maker Changfeng between 2009 and 2011, and a 51% stake in Gonow in 2010 — and the group listed in Hong Kong in 2010, followed by Shanghai in 2012.

Electrification and new technology have become central to its strategy. In 2021 GAC was the country's fourth-largest plug-in electric vehicle maker with a 4% market share, selling 123,660 EVs that year. In late 2023 it announced in-house development of all-solid-state, cobalt-free, low-cobalt and sodium-ion batteries, targeting solid-state cells in cars by 2026, and said it had built what it called the first ammonia-powered engine for cars.

The partnership with Huawei has been the most visible recent move. After a 2023 cooperation agreement, GAC formed Huawang Automotive in March 2025 to develop a premium electric brand built on Huawei's driving software, cockpit systems and vehicle control solutions. GAC Aion injected 600 million yuan into the venture, leaving the group with a 71.43% direct stake, and the resulting Qijing brand launched in September 2025. GAC also relocated its headquarters to Panyu Auto City in November 2024.