(Yicai) Aug. 12 -- Changan Automobile said 19 senior executives and the Chinese carmaker's indirect controlling shareholder Changan Automobile Group plan to collectively buy no less than CNY5.7 million (USD793,000) of its shares within the next six months.

Chairman Zhu Huarong, General Manager Zhao Fei, 17 other executives, and Changan Automobile Group will increase their shareholdings via call auctions, Changan Auto announced late yesterday.

On July 29, Changan Automobile Group was established as a standalone central state-owned enterprise in Chongqing, making it China's third centrally owned automaker after FAW Group and Dongfeng Motor.

Changan Automobile Group would firmly continue its dual-track strategy of developing proprietary and cooperative brands, it said on July 30. On the partnership front, the firm will deepen ties with global automakers, such as Stellantis, Ford Motor, and Mazda Motor, while enhancing cross-sector collaboration with information and communication tech giants, including Huawei Technologies and Tencent Holdings, to build a large-scale ecosystem with significant traffic and fanbase engagement, Chairman Zhu Huarong noted.

Over the next five years, Changan Automobile Group will launch more than 50 new energy vehicle models globally, including at least seven blockbusters priced above CNY300,000 (USD41,500), Zhu noted. The firm will continue to develop its three major brands -- Avatr, Deepal, and Changan -- and its Chenzhi auto parts brand, he added.

"We believe the future of automobiles lies in evolving intelligent robotic vehicles," Zhu said, noting that the carmaker will focus on cutting-edge fields, such as artificial intelligence vertical models, photonic quantum computing, flying cars, and humanoid robots.

Changan Auto's sales rose 4.1 percent to 1.57 million units in the seven months ended July 31 from a year earlier. Deepal sold 170,400 units and Avatr 69,100 units, accounting for only 34 percent and 35 percent of their respective annual goals.

The market closely monitors which areas Changan Auto will strengthen resource integration and synergistic effects after the establishment of the new Changan Automobile Group, as well as what strategies Deepal and Avatr will employ to ensure they meet sales targets.

Shares of Changan Auto [SHE: 000625] climbed 0.7 percent to CNY13.04 (USD1.86) each as of 2.45 p.m. in Shenzhen today.

Editor: Martin Kadiev