China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) industry is developing rapidly. In 2025, China sold about 27 million vehicles globally through its automakers, surpassing Japan to become the world’s largest vehicle exporter for the first time. Of that total, NEVs accounted for 47.9% of new vehicle sales in China.
On June 25, 35 Chinese and American university students continued into the third day of the 2026 China-US Youth Future Climate Leadership Exchange Program in the Greater Bay Area, touring GAC Aion, an NEV company in Guangzhou, and gaining firsthand insights into Guangdong’s integrated approach to NEV tech and green transportation.
GAC Aion, a strategic core subsidiary of GAC Group focused on intelligent connected NEVs, has built China’s first dedicated pure electric production facility and ranks among the world’s top three NEV manufacturers in production and sales.
Katherine Grace Wilcox, an economics undergraduate from Ball State University, was impressed by the company’s ability to produce affordable electric cars.
“They found a sustainable way to make electric cars, and they’ve made them affordable too, which is really good for environmental progress,” she noted.
After learning about the pricing, she observed that these models would be affordable for many Americans, noting, “I think that is something we should aim for in the U.S.—making electric cars more affordable to help the environment.”
Elizabeth Corryn DeFrance, a Ph.D. student in chemical and environmental engineering from UC Riverside who had visited a power substation the previous day, found the EV factory particularly relevant to her research.
“I do automotive research in the U.S., so I found this tour very informative. It was really cool to see how China has advanced with electric vehicles,” she said. “And there are things that they’re doing that I haven’t seen in the U.S. I thought all of that was really cool.”
In the afternoon, the group visited the Lijiao Sewage Treatment Plant, a facility operated by Guangzhou Water Investment Group that represents a new model of underground wastewater treatment combined with public green spaces.
Sophia Olivia Moser-Smith, an environmental engineering undergraduate from UC Riverside, was struck by the plant’s aesthetic integration with nature. “It’s a beautiful facility. They have a lot of nice greenery, so I enjoyed the tour, and we got to go into the basement and then around where they have the man-made waterfall area,” she said.
She emphasized the public benefit: “It’s great for the public to have spaces like these. The public can come to the park and can also benefit from the purified water processed there.”
Reflecting on the broader impact, she added, “It’s good to know that you can take the sewage water and make something beautiful out of it that improves the surrounding community.”
Guangzhou now operates eight such underground plants, making it a national leader in this field, with the earliest adoption, the most facilities, and the largest treatment capacity for underground wastewater systems.
Reporter | Guo Chuhua
Photo | Guo Chuhua