Chinese Electric Car Company Expands EV Business in Southeast Asia
Chinese companies occupy the vast majority of China’s domestic market for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). However, their prospects abroad are complicated by geopolitical tensions and laws like the American National Security Act.
SGMW makes some of the country’s cheapest EVs, such as the $4,104 Wuling Hongguang mini EV microcar. Its deliveries ticked up in October, but not by much.
Geely
Geely has made investments in high-quality engineering, resulting in its vehicles ranking higher than the industry average in customer satisfaction ratings. It also invests above the industry average in R&D and initiates green policies. Its commitment to innovation has put it at the forefront of new energy, automotive intelligence, and autonomous drive technologies.
The company’s main brands include Geely Auto, Geometry, LYNK & Co, Zeekr, and Livan Auto. It also has a stake in Malaysian automaker Proton and American personal transport brand Terrafugia.
Its international design team is headed by Peter Horbury, who oversees four studios from Shanghai to Gothenburg and California to Coventry. Moreover, it has several foreign-based design centers and subsidiaries, including the chinese electric car company Mitime Education Group that has established nine universities and colleges, all specializing in automobile engineering and technology. Among these institutions are the Geely University of China, Xiangtan Institute of Technology, and Sanya Institute of Technology. The company has invested in these schools to train automotive industry talent. In addition, Geely has acquired a number of Western companies to enhance its product range and improve production quality.
GAC Aion
While GAC Aion may not be as well-known as the likes of XPeng, Li Auto and NIO in the “Wei Xiao Li” triumvirate of China’s clean-slate EV brands, it is nonetheless pushing hard to get into the top five of China’s EV sales table. In 2022, the Aion brand sold 273,757 units, putting it fifth behind BYD, SAIC-GM-Wuling with its mini EVs, Dongfeng Motors and Tesla.
Last year GAC Aion launched a second brand called Hyper that focuses on high-end electric sports cars. The company’s flagship model is the pure electric Hyper SSR, which boasts a gullwing door design and can go from 0 to 100 km/h in four seconds.
It’s also the only production car to use aviation tyre technology with low heat retention and 900V silicon carbide chips that work 2.5 times faster than traditional ones. The company also claims its new battery SUV has a range of 1,080km (620 miles). Last month, the company began shipping Aion Y Plus EVs to Thailand to establish a local presence before starting production there in June.
Changan
Changan, headquartered in Chongqing, is China’s fourth-largest state-owned automaker. It is focusing on EVs and smart driving technologies. It has also partnered with Ford and Mazda to produce cars in China. It also has a joint venture with PSA to develop a pickup truck, which is sold in South America under the Peugeot name.
The company plans to open a new production facility in Thailand this year. It will produce EVs and batteries and will export them to Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, England, and South Africa. This investment will help Changan compete with local rivals such as BYD, Great Wall Motor, and EV startup Hozon.
The UNI-T is powered by a 1.5-liter BlueCore turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It is capable of producing 179.5 horsepower and 300 Nm of torque. It also has a dual-clutch transmission and an all-wheel drive system. It also has a digital display that can show vehicle information, messages, and charging status. The company is planning to launch more models with this system in the future. It will also offer an electric SUV and pickup combo vehicle.
Hozon Auto
Known as Neta in China, Shanghai-based Hozon Auto has been grabbing market share in Thailand, where its Neta V pure electric vehicle accounted for 20 per cent of the country’s pure-EV sales in the first 10 months of this year. Now the firm has secured a round of crossover financing to propel its business in Southeast Asia.
The eight-year-old start-up has surprised many industry watchers by gaining ground in the crowded EV market. Its stripped-down electric SUVs are priced below 100,000 yuan for the underserved rural and small-town market. In February, it surpassed the EV sales of big-name local rivals XPeng and Nio.
The company has attracted big-name backers from the EV industry including Contemporary Amperex Technology, the world’s largest maker of electric car batteries. Tech giant Qihu 360 also invested in the firm and aims to collaborate with the startup on a wide range of technology areas, including in-vehicle visual perception technologies, intelligent driving data and platform construction. The company has also started work on its first Southeast Asian factory in Thailand. It will be used to produce and export right-hand drive EVs to countries in the region.
Leapmotor
The Chinese EV startup Leapmotor chinese electric car has taken an unexpected step forward, with the help of automotive megacorporation Stellantis. Stellantis has bought into Leapmotor and now has rights to market the company’s cars in Europe. The agreement aims to help Stellantis compete with Tesla in the high-volume segment.
The Leapmotor T03 mini car is one of the best-selling electric vehicles in China. It features a front-motor, front-wheel drive design that should be familiar to anyone who has ever driven a tiny EV like the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV or GM’s Baojun. The front uses a substantial MacPherson strut rather than some of the more ludicrous-looking skinny solid axles used on other cheap subcompact EVs.
Leapmotor has been able to attract big money from investors such as Sequoia Capital and the Chinese division of VW, which has invested in the brand and helped it grow. The firm is now preparing to produce more models. Its upcoming C10 global model will use a new technology platform with both BEV and range extender powertrain options. The car will be offered in two and four-wheel drive.
