SAIC Motor, the Chinese automaker with the largest fleet of car carriers, has recently added a new cargo ship to its lineup. Anji Logistics, a subsidiary of SAIC, announced the delivery of its 36th self-operated roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel, the Anji Soundness. This vessel, built by a shipyard under China Merchants Group, is the second ro-ro vessel in Anji’s fleet with a capacity to hold 9,500 vehicles.
The Anji Soundness embarked on its maiden voyage today and is set to load Chinese-brand passenger vehicles and construction machinery at ports in Shanghai, Lianyungang, and Yantai. From there, it will sail to European countries including the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. The entire voyage covers approximately 16,000 nautical miles and is expected to last around 40 days.
This new cargo ship is equipped with advanced technology, including an intelligent ship system that monitors over 1,300 data points across the vessel. It also features a methanol fuel system, which supports future carbon-neutral operations. These features make the Anji Soundness one of the most advanced next-generation ultra-Panamax car carriers in the world.
The addition of the Anji Soundness to Anji’s fleet comes at a time when Chinese automobile companies are ramping up their car carrier fleets to meet the increasing demand for automobile exports. Companies like Geely Auto and BYD have also recently launched their own self-operated car carriers to transport vehicles to European markets.
With its state-of-the-art technology and large capacity, the Anji Soundness is poised to play a key role in transporting vehicles from China to Europe efficiently and effectively. Its maiden voyage marks the beginning of a new chapter in Anji Logistics’ operations and reinforces SAIC’s position as a leader in the automotive logistics industry.
