Chinese Electric Car Company
Xpeng, China’s most famous EV startup, has some of the most advanced assisted driving technology available. However, the company is also racking up losses. Its monthly car deliveries have been below expectations, compared with competitors like BYD and Li Auto.
Changan, meanwhile, has seen its sales figures boosted by the sale of small EVs such as its T03 hatchback, which was the best-selling model in 2022.
Dongfeng
Dongfeng is a Chinese car company that manufactures commercial vehicles, passenger cars, auto parts and components. The company’s products include brake and intelligent driving systems, cockpit and body systems, thermal management systems, and powertrain component systems. Dongfeng is a public company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Dongfeng also manufactures foreign-branded vehicles through joint ventures with Nissan, Renault and PSA Peugeot Citroen. These vehicles are sold under the brands Venucia, Fengdu and Voyah. For more information on these models, see Just-Auto’s OEM future model reports.
Chang’an
In China, where car license plates are rationed and can take years to get, electric cars offer a convenient way around this problem. The government has encouraged this trend by offering subsidies and other tax breaks to owners of EVs.
Changan has also partnered with technology companies to develop smart EV technologies. Its Xpeng brand is backed by Alibaba and its founder’s namesake He Xiaopeng, while senior executives have experience working at tech giants like Ford, BMW, and Tesla.
Changan’s new UNI-K IDD electric SUV features the latest advancements in EV technology and remarkable performance. It is designed to meet the needs of today’s drivers while fostering sustainable mobility.
Guangzhou Automobile Group
Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd manufactures and sells automobiles, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, and auto parts. The Company also offers automotive leasing, logistics services, automobile disassembling, credit and insurance brokerage, and financial investment businesses. Guangzhou Automobile Group serves customers in Mainland China and Hong Kong.
The Company’s performance score is based on a well below 2-degree pathway. However, the Company lacks transparency around its manufacturing greenhouse gas emissions and has no low-carbon transition plan in place. In addition, GAC does not disclose its EV sales figures or target. The Company has established a joint venture with Hayashi Telempu to produce interior products.
FAW
FAW, known for its Red Flag sedans driven by state leaders, is building an electric car factory in China. The company plans to produce vehicles based Electric Utility Vehicle on its new iCAR platform, which is powered by lithium batteries from CATL.
The plant will open in 2024 and have a production capacity of 150,000 cars per year. It will manufacture Audi’s Premium Platform Electric, including the e-tron SUV.
Silk-FAW, a start-up from US firm Silk EV and Chinese automaker FAW, has received reassurances from officials in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region that its plan to make high-performance electric and hybrid luxury vehicles in Italy will go ahead.
BYD
BYD stands for “Build Your Dreams,” and the company certainly has a lot of ambition. It’s one of the largest producers of lithium batteries, a key component of EVs, and counts Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway investment fund among its investors.
It’s also building its own power stations and charging networks to expand the availability of EVs. In the meantime, it continues to benefit from government subsidies, which are unlikely to continue indefinitely.
The company’s flagship model, the e6, boasts a range of 300 kilometers and recharges 80% in 30 minutes using a fast charger. Nonetheless, it still needs to lower its prices to make the vehicles more appealing to buyers.
Geely
Geely is a major player in the electric car world, with its Volvo and Polestar brands offering premium models. Its chinese electric car company Geometry sub-brand, which was established in 2019, also focuses exclusively on electric cars and already has its first production model. The Geometry A is a sleek SUV that targets the Tesla Model 3, and Car and Driver recently drove a prototype.
The firm’s other brands include Radar, an upscale pick-up truck brand, and Farizon, which offers cargo and panel vans. It also owns the Malaysian car company Proton and has a stake in British automaker Lotus. Geely also operates a joint venture with Baidu, which provides EV-related technology.
GAC Aion
GAC Aion is one of the most prolific Chinese EV brands. It’s an affiliate of GAC Group and focuses on electric vehicle technology, including battery development, motor drive and aerodynamic design. Its Hyper (Hao Bo in Chinese) brand produces high-end sports cars with gullwing doors.
The company’s LX Plus SUV claims to have a 1000km range using China’s CLTC standard. Its batteries use sponge silicon technology to reduce size and weight and improve energy density.
Its autonomous driving system is said to feature second generation intelligent zoom lidar and aerospace-grade satellite-based positioning. It can also detect obstacles at night or in bad weather.
Zhiji Auto
A joint venture of SAIC Motor, internet giant Alibaba and Shanghai Pudong New Area, Zhiji Auto has raised over $1 billion and has already previewed a sedan and an SUV. Its first two models are expected to go on sale this year.
The company’s IM L7 promises a sub-4-second 0-60 time and autonomous driving. It’s equipped with Nvidia’s Drive AGX Orin computer chip and a host of hardware, including 15 cameras, 12 ultrasonic radars, and five millimeter-wave radars. It’s included in 1 Expert Collection.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi is one of the most successful Chinese companies to date. The company has a unique business model and has achieved impressive growth in the past few years. Its success is based on selling a wide range of products that work as platforms for online services. These include branded scooters, chargers, suitcases, and smartphones.
Its low profit margins allow it to offer lower prices than its competitors. It also makes use of a data-mining program to understand consumer behavior and improve its products. This has helped the company become one of the most valuable tech startups in the world.