Battery company empowers Guanshanhu's new energy vehicle development

Guiyang Shanju Battery Co, a subsidiary of Geely Auto Group, has emerged as a critical player in Guiyang's rapidly growing new energy vehicle (NEV) supply chain, offering high-speed battery delivery and smart manufacturing to power Geely's latest models.

In 2024, Geely's Guiyang manufacturing base achieved an annual vehicle output of 130,000 units and surpassed 13 billion yuan ($1.81 billion) in production value, making it the first enterprise in Guiyang's Guanshanhu district to exceed 10 billion yuan.

The success of Geely's operations has attracted a wave of upstream and downstream suppliers to Guiyang, strengthening the region's NEV industrial ecosystem.

To meet the surging demand for power and energy storage batteries, Geely established its battery company in Guiyang in 2023. The new subsidiary focuses on manufacturing high-voltage batteries for the Geely Galaxy E5 model.

The project progressed at a remarkable speed. It was approved in April 2023, broke ground in August, completed factory construction by January 2024, and rolled out its first battery pack in February. By June, it had passed PPAP validation and reached full capacity by September.

"The project timeline from approval to first battery output was incredibly fast," said Zhang Jiaxin, quality head at the battery company. "Following the launch, we spent four months optimizing equipment and training personnel to rapidly enhance production maturity.”

While raw materials such as battery cells and casings are still mainly sourced from eastern China, efforts are underway to localize the supply chain. "Guiyang is rich in lithium resources, has competitive electricity prices, and is home to a maturing NEV ecosystem," Zhang said. "We've started sourcing from Chongqing and Guangxi, cutting delivery times from two days to under three hours.”

Inside the Shanju factory, 132 automated guided vehicle(AGV) robots efficiently transport materials and battery packs across the floor. Despite the heavy load, each AGV moves with precision, adjusting seamlessly to turns and production flow.

Robots dominate the production lines, which include three module lines and one battery pack assembly line. From the outset, Shanju prioritized intelligent manufacturing. Robots handle critical production steps, while human staff oversee flexible tasks unsuitable for automation.

At full capacity, the plant can produce 600 battery packs per day, amounting to around 200,000 units annually. Each pack takes six hours from assembly to final output, passing over 10 rigorous inspections along the way.

One key checkpoint is surface cleanliness testing. A "PASS" mark in green indicates a compliant battery. Any deviation triggers a red alert for immediate staff intervention.

As the "heart" of an NEV, battery safety is paramount. Shanju utilizes big data and AI to ensure top-tier quality. Advanced visual guidance systems and AI-powered inspections conduct 105 safety tests on each battery pack. These technologies have pushed product pass rates above 99 percent.

Once qualified, battery packs pass through a "quality gate" and are transported by AGVs to the finished goods warehouse. When needed, they are delivered via an overhead corridor directly to Geely's assembly floor – often within a minute.

In addition to digital innovation, Shanju maintains strict quality protocols. Internally, it enforces layered audits and cleanliness standards. Externally, it has passed the IATF16949 certification, ensuring compliance with global automotive quality standards.

Looking ahead, the company plans to deepen its integration of AI and smart technologies, further enhancing its digital manufacturing capabilities and precision. Through these efforts, Shanju is poised to remain a vital force powering the future of new energy vehicles.