90 percent of the vehicles were delivered to the port by rail; intermodal logistics and streamlined customs clearance accelerate Chinese brands’ global expansion

As reported by CCTV+, on Sunday, a large roll-on/roll-off vessel departed from Nantong Port in eastern China, carrying 7,273 electric vehicles bound for Europe. This marked the opening of a new sea route for Chinese EVs heading overseas.

The vessel, loaded with EVs from Chinese giant BYD, sailed from the Luxi port area in Nantong and will head directly to European countries including Italy and Spain.

This is the largest single-voyage export of a single automotive brand from China in the past decade, and the first time Nantong Port has handled a large-scale commercial batch of vehicles, opening new pathways for Chinese products to enter global markets.

The latest batch of exported vehicles came from various production bases across China. Ninety percent of them were delivered to Luxi Port by rail. This rail-sea intermodal service has provided substantial support for Chinese automakers to further expand their overseas presence.

Simplified customs clearance for export goods has also been an added boost. To ensure the smooth launch of the first voyage on the new route, port authorities, including border inspection, customs and maritime agencies, worked closely together to guarantee efficient vehicle loading and hassle-free customs processing.

Note: A roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel is designed to carry wheeled cargo, which drives on and off the ship on its own wheels, making it ideal for mass vehicle transport.

Chinese electric vehicles are no longer heading to Europe one by one. 7,273 BYD cars — in a single voyage. This is not just exports. It is a demonstration of logistics power. Trains deliver the cars to the port, ships carry them across the ocean, customs clears them without delays. Chinese brands have ceased to be the “cheap option”. They have become global players. The question is not whether Europeans will buy Chinese EVs. They are already buying them. The question is how quickly local manufacturers can respond to this challenge. While they are thinking, the ships are already on their way. And on each — thousands of cars.