The Chinese carmaker Chery creates new brands
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The Chinese carmaker Chery creates new brands
- The Chinese carmaker Chery has experienced a strong growth over the past two years, becoming the fourth carmaker in China (excluding JV) in 2022. Stimulated by its successes in China, but also in Russia, Turkey and Italy, three countries in which Chery has become the leading Chinese brand in terms of sales, Chery has created new brands to further extend its influence in China and abroad. Thus, the Omoda, Jaecoo, Luxeed and Icar brands were created in 2022 and 2023, in addition to Chery's traditional brands, such as Jetour, Exeed, Riich, Karry and Yibin Kaiyi.
- Omoda is a luxury brand created in 2022 only available outside China. Chery said the Omoda brand would be a “valid alternative” to Japanese and German brands that have suspended operations in Russia. In 2023, 45,000 Omoda were sold in Russia. Figures for 2024 are not yet available.
- Jaecoo is a brand created in 2023 only available outside China. It produces SUVs based on Chery SUVs but with a more premium position. In 2023, 4,500 Jaecoos were sold in Russia. Figures for 2024 are not yet available.
- Luxeed was created at the end of 2023 in partnership with smartphone producer Huawei to launch a new range of battery electric vehicles. The first model resulting from this partnership is the Luxeed S7, a large battery electric sedan which intends to compete with the Tesla Model S in the electric premium sedan segment. 700 are sold per month in China. No exports at the moment.
- ICar, which was created in 2023, is a battery electric vehicle brand targeting young Chinese customers. 1,000 are sold per month in China. No exports at the moment.
Beijing Motor Show 2024: The most important auto event in the world ?
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Beijing Motor Show 2024: The most important auto event in the world ?
- The Beijing Motor Show takes place from April 25 to May 4, 2024. This show takes place every two years alternating with Shanghai. The Beijing Motor Show did not take place in 2020 or 2022 due to the coronavirus crisis but it will return in force in 2024. This show is not only important for Beijing, but also for the entire China, as it serves as a platform to showcase Chinese advancements in automotive technology and as a meeting place for international cooperation.
- In 2018, 900,000 visitors attended the Beijing Auto Show. Many new products should be exhibited at the 2024 edition and it is impossible to list them all here because there are more than 150 Chinese brands, around a hundred of which have been created over the last two years and all the new products which will be presented at the show are not yet known. We can just give an overview of the new products that have already been announced.
- Changan: Changan, CATL and the smartphone carmaker Huawei have joined forces to create the Avatr 12, a new BEV, a high-end sedan which completes the Avatr range currently made up of the SUV 11.
- BMW: BMW presents the Neue Klasse SUV, a BEV concept car which announces the design of future BMW SUVs.
- BYD: the BEV and PHEV carmaker wants to invest in the pick-up market with this BEV or PHEV model.
- Great Wall: Within Great Wall, Ora is the brand of BEV while Wey is the brand of plug-in hybrid cars (PHEV). It will display The Ora 07 is a 4.87 m long E-segment luxury sedan, already displayed in Paris.
- Mercedes: the German carmaker presents
§ the EQG, a battery electric version of the Mercedes G-Class SUV,
§ the production version of the electric CLA, the concept car was unveiled at the Munich Motor Show in September 2023.
§ the facelifted EQS: the limousine should already receive a restyling after only two years of service.
- Mini: the production version of the Aceman will be presented in Beijing. This model will be produced in China before also being produced in Europe in 2026.
- Fangcheng: this brand from the BYD group presents the BAO 8, a large plug-in hybrid SUV measuring 5 meters in length.
- Baojun: the Yep Plus, a small 2-door SUV, 3.40 m long, is transformed this year into a 4-door SUV, 4.00 m long.
- Changan: the Qiyuan NEVO A05 / Q05, a sedan and SUV equipped with a 1.5 liter and an electric motor (PHEV).
- Luxeed: the S7, a large battery electric sedan resulting from a partnership between Chery and Huawei which intends to compete with the Tesla Model S in the electric luxury sedan segment.
- Smart: the #5 completes the Smart range in the upper segments with an SUV the size of a VW Tiguan (4.54 m). The 66 kWh battery powering a 268 hp front-mounted electric motor is the same as #1 and #2.
- Zeekr: Geely is launching a battery electric hatchback minivan, the Mix, under the luxury brand Zeekr, competing with the VW ID Buzz equipped with an 86 kWh battery.
The Leapmotor T03 will be produced in Poland at Stellantis
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The Leapmotor T03 will be produced in Poland at Stellantis
- The Stellantis group acquired 20% last year of the Chinese carmaker Leapmotor born in 2020 which produced 145,000 cars in China in 2023, compared to 114,000 in 2022, 45,000 in 2021 and 11,000 in 2020.
- Leapmotor sells nearly 75% of battery electric cars across its entire range, including its most popular model, the T03 A-segment sedan (3.62 m long) which has recorded 150,000 sales in China since its launch. since 2020, or half of the brand's sales since its creation.
- It is precisely this battery electric model that the Stellantis group wants to assemble in Europe, in one of its factories (through the joint venture Leapmotor International). This may be the Polish Gliwice factory (former Opel factory) which currently produces N1-3 segment vans (Fiat Ducato, Opel Movano, Citroën Jumper, Peugeot Boxer) or the Tichy site (in Poland) which already produces the Fiat 500 and which is a former Fiat factory.
- Initially, it seems that the Leapmotor T03 assembled in Europe will be in SKD (Semi Knock Down). With this model, the Stellantis group seems to want to complete its range of electric cars in the lower segments with the Citroën e-C3, the Leapmotor T03 A-segment sold in Europe being priced at 26,000 euros compared to 23,000 euros for the Citroën e-C3.
- It remains to be seen whether the Leapmotor in Europe could benefit from the ecological bonus, meaning, to lower its price to 23,000 euros in France for example, after deduction of the ecological bonus. France is currently the first market where the T03 made in China are already sold (500 sales in 2023 and 150 in the first quarter of 2024).
Stellantis “Smart Car” platform will be used by 7 different models in Europe
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Stellantis “Smart Car” platform will be used by 7 different models in Europe
- Stellantis' "Smart Car" platform joins the STLA-Small (small cars), STLA-Medium (medium cars), STLA-Large (large cars), STLA-Frame (large SUV and large pick-up) platforms that we have already talked about in our previous Auto-Analyses.
- Stellantis' "Smart Car" platform, derived from the PSA group's former CMP platform, is intended for all of the Stellantis group's price models (excluding Leapmotor), to compete with the Renault group's Dacia models.
- This platform offering both the possibility of using a thermal engine or a an electric engine was inaugurated on the recent Citroën C3 (segment B sedan) extrapolated from the Indian version of the C3 launched in September 2021. Six other entry-level models (B-segment) marketed in Europe will use this specific platform between 2024 and 2027: the Citroën C3 Aircross, the Fiat Panda, the Fiat Multipla, the Fiat Strada, the Fiat Fastback and the Opel Frontera (successor to the Opel Crossland).
- But the Stellantis group does not refrain from launching other models on this platform for non-European markets. Citroën has announced the imminent launch of the Basalt, a B-segment coupe SUV for the Indian and South American markets which will be produced locally. All Fiat models produced in South America will at some point also have to move to this “Smart Car” platform. In fact, the Citroën and Fiat brands will increasingly be positioned as the entry level of the Stellantis group and will be the main users of this low-cost platform.
The new Chinese carmaker Li Auto has produced 380,000 cars in 2023
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The new Chinese carmaker Li Auto has produced 380,000 cars in 2023
- The Chinese carmaker Li Auto, created in 2015, launched its first vehicle on the Chinese market in 2021. Named Li One, the vehicle which adopts the style of a large SUV is powered by a plug-in hybrid gasoline engine (PHEV) and not by a pure electric engine as with most of the new Chinese carmakers that have appeared since 2015.
- Sold at 90,491 units in China in 2021, the Li One ended its commercial career in July 2023, following problems linked to its design. But new SUVs have taken over in 2022 and 2023: the L7, L8 and L9. These models, very close to each other, differ by their length (from 5.05 m to 5.22 m) and their wheelbase (from 3.00 m to 3.10 m) but their engine is common: it is a 1,500 cc turbo petrol delivering 152 hp (113 kW). The electric motor coupled to it can develop a total of 440 hp (330 kW). The empty weight of these three models each exceeds 2.5 tonnes.
- These models allowed the brand to sell 133,000 vehicles in China in 2022 and 376,000 in 2023, proof that Li Auto has managed to find its place in the Chinese market, more quickly than NIO or Leapmotor for example. Over the first two months of 2024, Li Auto sold 52,000 vehicles in China, representing a potential of 312,000 units for the whole year. In terms of production, Li Auto produced 380,000 vehicles in 2023 compared to 146,000 in 2022.
- Li Auto occupies 13.5% of the Chinese PHEV market in 2023, second behind BYD which represents 47.5% of the Chinese PHEV market. If Li Auto wants to increase its market share in China, it would need to complete its range with battery electric models. A large, battery electric minivan is reportedly about to be launched.
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