From Ford Savior to Key Position in the Group, Changan Zhao Fei Takes Up the Oil-Electric Battle

It has been two months since the new leadership team of the new state-owned enterprise "China Chang'an Automobile Group" was established. Recently, Zhu Huarong and Zhao Fei jointly attended an important cooperation agreement signing event.

Zhu Huaron, leading Changan Automobile to overcome numerous difficulties, is currently the general manager of Changan Automobile, Zhao Fei, who is also an impressive figure.

From his background in engine technology to leading Ford in strategic adjustments, Zhao Fei's management abilities have not been overshadowed by formal training. Currently, the issue facing Zhao is the transformation of Changan into new energy.

Unlike managing such a large group now, Zhao Fei's background and education were somewhat specialized. Graduating from Dalian University of Technology with a major in internal combustion engines, Zhao has led the localization projects for several engines of Changan Ford and Changan Mazda.

However, the opportunity to first showcase management and strategic vision was during Zhao's tenure at Changan Ford.

In 2018, Zhao Fei was appointed Executive Vice President of Changan Ford, but this change can only be described as "taking on a challenge in a time of crisis."

In the same year, Chang'an Ford opened the floodgates to a sharp decline in sales, with annual sales halving to 377,000 units, and in 2019, sales halved again to 183,900 units. Under pressure, Zhao proposed the "Ford China 2.0" strategy.

Readers who understand the background story should know that the strategy, although aggressive, was effective. In 2021, Changan Ford's sales rebounded, and after the mission was completed, Zhao returned to Changan headquarters in 2022.

With a background in technology, Zhao has finally transitioned to strategy; if Zhao were an athlete, it would be akin to switching from playing table tennis to playing chess.

After this campaign, Zhao Fei's strategic vision and organizational capabilities were recognized. Upon returning to the headquarters in Chang'an, Zhao's main responsibility was to lead the formation of the ChenZhi Technology Group and integrate the resources of the ordnance system components.

As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Zhao's second major position change has also been entrusted with significant responsibilities.

Reviewing the financial reports from the past two years, in 2024, new energy vehicles accounted for 27.4% of Changan Automobile's sales. In the first half of 2025, Changan sold 1.355 million vehicles, marking an eight-year high for the same period. However, the proportion of new energy vehicles only slightly increased by 6% compared to the previous year, reaching 33.2%, which is significantly below the industry average.

Overall, in August, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in China's auto market reached 55.3%, with one week surpassing 60% for the first time; looking at competitors, BYD has already ceased production of fuel vehicles, and even Geely had a penetration rate of 40.8% last year.

Due to the relatively low proportion of new energy, Changan is being driven by the entire automotive market's demand while watching its competitors accelerate beside it.

Throughout Zhao Fei's career, two major appointments stand out: first, the setback of Changan Ford in the wave of new energy, and later, the challenge of the entire Changan Automobile's transition to new energy.

For the past seven years, the competition between oil and electric vehicles has remained a sore point for Zhu Huarong.

Exactly, Zhao Fei's technical background and strategic vision make him a suitable candidate for the general in the "oil-electric war."

At the Munich Auto Show, Zhao Fei was promoting electric cars to foreigners on site. A week or two ago, Zhao also created personal accounts on various social media platforms, appearing in videos to get closer to the current marketing techniques of new energy brands.

After Zhu Huarong formed a new team with seven members born in the 1970s, Zhao Fei became the most important member among the "young faction". Whether this group can successfully fight this battle for prosperity remains to be seen.