--- title: "Inside the Chinese auto-glass maker whose chairman sat beside Elon Musk" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/287335197.md" description: "Fuyao Glass Industry Group's new automated plant in Anhui, China, showcases its commitment to robotics and AI, aiming to solidify its position as a key supplier for major automakers like Tesla. The plant, which is 90% automated, reflects the company's evolution since its founding in 1987. Despite its success, Fuyao faces geopolitical challenges, with potential plans to adjust its US operations depending on market demand and political climate." datetime: "2026-05-22T09:01:59.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/287335197.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287335197.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/287335197.md) generator: "portal-rs" --- # Inside the Chinese auto-glass maker whose chairman sat beside Elon Musk Inside Fuyao Glass Industry Group’s sprawling new plant in eastern China’s Anhui province, ranks of bright orange robotic arms and a fleet of automated carriers transport heavy, fragile panes of automotive glass through a production process that the company claims is 90 per cent automated. The smart factory represents the technological blueprint for the Chinese manufacturing giant, which shot to fame as the subject of the 2019 Oscar-winning documentary American Factory. The company made waves again last week when chairman Cao Hui sat next to Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the US-China state banquet, joining a select group of Chinese tech elites including the chiefs of Lenovo, Xiaomi and ByteDance. Located in Hefei city, the plant is a world away from the glitz of the diplomatic dinner. Yet it underscores how the manufacturer is betting on robotics and artificial intelligence to cement its role as a critical supplier to the world’s top carmakers, including Tesla. The plant, which started construction in 2024 and began producing automotive glass just a year later, now serves as the model for Fuyao’s road map. “Every time we build a new factory, we summarise and build upon our past experiences,” Huang Xianqian, vice-president of Fuyao, said during a media briefing on Tuesday. “This Anhui plant is superior to our older facilities in terms of automation and intelligence. Our next step is to take the lessons learned here and feed them back into our existing factories to continuously boost productivity.” The plant’s 90 per cent automation rate meant it had reached full automation aside from one intermediate step, he said. Founded in 1987, Fuyao has spent decades refining the production of automotive glass. This dedication has propelled it into the top echelon of the world’s auto glass makers, commanding an estimated 35 per cent of the global market and supplying industry heavyweights like General Motors, Ford and BMW. “Because Fuyao has only ever made auto glass, we have spent years continuously researching how to perfect the manufacturing process,” Huang said. The company itself designed and built many of the complex machines in the Anhui plant, which gave Fuyao “a tremendous advantage” in constructing smart plants, Huang added. With an average of 700 robotic arms deployed per 10,000 workers, the smart factory had reduced the number of workers on the production line by 20 per cent compared with traditional lines, according to the company. The ratio is above the average in China, which in 2023 was 470 robots per 10,000 employees, third highest in the world behind South Korea and Singapore. Founder Cao Dewang, Cao Hui’s father, was so poor at age 14 that he had to drop out of school to sell fruit and fix bicycles on the streets. The company’s success made him one of China’s richest men. Despite its manufacturing prowess, Fuyao must still navigate an increasingly fraught geopolitical landscape. When asked about the firm’s plans in the US, Huang said on Tuesday that it would “certainly consider” expanding its capacity there if demand continued to surge. That came after Cao Dewang cautioned investors last month that the company could also scale back its US presence amid geopolitical tensions. “How much in duties you want to impose is your business,” said the billionaire, who turned 80 this month. “If we encounter unreasonable situations, we’ll simply shut down the \[US\] factories.” ### Related Stocks - [600660.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/600660.CN.md) - [TSL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSL.US.md) - [03606.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/03606.HK.md) - [TSLR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLR.US.md) - [TSLL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLL.US.md) - [TESL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TESL.US.md) - [159306.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/159306.CN.md) - [516110.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/516110.CN.md) - [562260.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/562260.CN.md) - [562700.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/562700.CN.md) - [159565.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/159565.CN.md) - [TSLT.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLT.US.md) - [TSLG.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLG.US.md) - [TSLA.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLA.US.md) - [00992.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/00992.HK.md) - [LNVGY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/LNVGY.US.md) - [01810.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/01810.HK.md) - [GM.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/GM.US.md) - [F.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/F.US.md) - [BMW.DE](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BMW.DE.md) - [80992.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/80992.HK.md) - [XIACY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/XIACY.US.md) - [81810.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/81810.HK.md) - [HXXD.SG](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/HXXD.SG.md) - [F-B.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/F-B.US.md) - [F-C.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/F-C.US.md) - [F-D.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/F-D.US.md) - [BMWYY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BMWYY.US.md) - [BMW3.DE](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BMW3.DE.md) ## Related News & Research - [Wawa-branded EV chargers are expanding beyond Tesla](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296404986.md) - [Fuyao Glass Industry Group: Revenue up 2.44% but net profit down 17.37% on exchange losses; 65.73% payout dividend](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296203022.md) - [FUYAO GLASS 1H26 Net Profit Falls 17.37% YoY to RMB3.97 Billion; Interim DPS Raised to RMB1](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296204957.md) - [Einride: H1 2026 revenue up 26% year-over-year, with Tesla partnership set to triple fleet and accelerate growth](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296241645.md) - [Tesla Robotaxi gets a massive upgrade in Nevada](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296571868.md) --- > **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**