Shanghai (ZXZC)- On August 19, Yanfeng International Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. (Yanfeng International), a Shanghai-based manufacturer of automotive interior components, and Lin-gang Special Area Administration signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the launch of an intelligent cockpit project, according to a post on “Shanghai Lin-gang” WeChat account.

MoU sigining ceremony for Yanfeng International's Lin-gang smart cockpit project; photo credit: Lin-gang Special Area Administration

Under the MoU, Yanfeng International plans to build in Shanghai's Lin-gang Special Area a R&D and export base for its automotive interior and seating components and intelligent cockpits, which will be larger than any of relevant bases Yanfeng has so far constructed.

Yanfeng International is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems Co.,Ltd. (Yanfeng), which is entirely controlled by SAIC Motor-backed HUAYU Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. (HASCO), according to the business information provider Tianyancha. With over 55,000 staff members and more than 240 R&D and manufacturing bases around the world, Yanfeng focuses on automotive fields like interior, exterior, seating, electronics and passive safety. It was included in the Automotive News 2021 list of the industry's top suppliers, ranking 17th worldwide and 1st in China with its 2020 sales reaching $12.183 billion.

Last year, Lin-gang Special Area saw its annual production value of its intelligent new energy vehicle (NEV) industry surge 141.6% to 75.8 billion yuan ($11.702 billion). The full-year value is expected to exceed 150 billion yuan ($23.157 billion) in 2021 and surpass 300 billion yuan ($46.315 billion) in 2025. Besides, local smart NEV outputs and export volume are anticipated to hit 600,000 units and 100,000 units respectively this year.

Currently, Lin-gang Special Area has gathered over 100 automotive companies, including Tesla, SAIC Motor, CATL, Joyson Electronics, Horizon Robotics, and Tusimple, with products covering such domains as complete vehicle, engine, power battery, exterior & interior, automotive chip, and autonomous driving system.  

On August 18, Lin-gang Special Area Administration and Lingang Group, the largest industrial park developer in Shanghai, signed an agreement with CATL for building of the latter's high-end manufacturing base.