The output value of automobiles in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong province, surged 3.3 percent year-on-year to 538.3 billion yuan ($84.57 billion) during the first 11 months of 2021, according to Guo Yonghang, acting mayor of Guangzhou.

The southern Chinese city has strengthened its leading position in China's automobile industry as it stepped up efforts to develop intelligently-connected and new energy vehicles, Guo said during the World Intelligent Vehicle Conference, which was held in the city's Nansha district on Thursday.

According to Guo, Guangzhou has developed 13 national and provincial-level automobile technology and innovation centers, having already opened some roads for tests of intelligently-driving vehicles.

"Electrification, intelligence, Internet connection and sharing of automobiles are accelerating the transformation of the automobile industry's next generation," said Dong Ke, the district head of Nansha.

According to Dong, the production capacity of automobiles in Nansha has exceeded 800,000 units per year, with output value surpassing 100 billion yuan.

"In the future, automobiles will change from simple means of transportation to mobile space and application terminals, and become an important carrier of emerging industries," Dong said.

qiuquanlin@chinadaily.com.cn