Changsha turned?in?a good annual report on its automobile manufacturing industry in 2017 with its economic and technological zone recorded production value of 101.16 billion yuan ($15.66 billion),?a year-on-year increase of 42.3 percent.

This marks Hunan province's first automobile industrial cluster whose output value hit 100 million yuan.

An aerial view of the administrative committee of Changsha Economic and Technological Development Zone. [Photo by Zheng Jun/rednet.cn]

Established in 1992, Changsha Economic and Technological Development Zone has been experiencing a leapfrogged development in recent years through introducing a raft of policies and measures to attract major automobile projects.

A number of automakers, such as Shanghai Volkswagen, GAC FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles), GMMC, Zotye Automotive and Beiqi Foton Motor, have settled in the economic zone and made great contributions to the rapid development of the city.

Workers assemble a car in a workshop of Shanghai Volkswagen, based in Changsha Economic and Technological Development Zone. [Photo by Jiang Lian/rednet.cn]

By the end of 2017, one national pilot demonstration enterprise in smart manufacturing, four province-level smart manufacturing enterprises, three province-level smart manufacturing workshop and 43 city-level pilot demonstration enterprises in the field were built.

It has now grown to be a bellwether of automobile making and spare parts manufacturing industry across the province.

Throughout 2017, automobile manufacturers generate 78.96 billion yuan, up by 46.7 percent while the enterprises committed to parts and components reaped 2.2 billion yuan, up by 28.5 percent.

Rows of Zotye automobiles. [Photo/rednet.com]