Leading EV Makers and Their Electric Cars in 2019
Tightening emission regulations to combat the pollutions have pushed forward the rapid development of new energy vehicles around the world. At the Shanghai Auto Show 2019, mainstream automakers as well as EV startups released new electric vehicles in the Chinese market. Here are some of the leading EV makers and their new electric cars ready for purchase in 2019.
Geely
Founded: in 1986
Founder/CEO: Li Shufu
Funding round: IPO
Latest product: Geometry A
Geely Auto is a leading automobile manufacturer based in Hangzhou, China. The company was founded in 1997. In 2010 it purchased the Swedish brand Volvo, which unveiled its electric Polestar 1 model in Shanghai in 2018 to compete with Tesla.
Geely unveiled its PREFACE Concept
During the Shanghai Auto 2019, Geely Auto debuted its PREFACE Concept sedan, which is its first electric car built on the “Compact Modular Architecture” that Geely developed jointly with Volvo. However, the sedan is still at its concept stage, with detailed specs and price yet to be released.
An all-electric sedan – Geometry A
Besides, the company also showcased Geometry A, which is the first all-electric sedan under Geely’s new pure electric brand, Geometry. The car, recently launched in Singapore, is now available in China with two versions: one with a range of 250 miles and another with a range of 310 miles.
NIO
Founded: in 2014
Founder/CEO: Li Bin
Funding round: IPO
Latest product: ET Preview
NIO is a Chinese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Shanghai, specialized in designing and developing electric autonomous vehicles. The company designs and sells smart and interconnected electric vehicles and conducts research on autonomous driving and artificial intelligence.
SEE ALSO: Ep. 22: NIO – The Road Ahead for “China’s Tesla”
NIO’s first sedan – ET Preview concept
NIO took opportunity of the Shanghai Auto Show to preview its first sedan, the ET Preview concept. According to NIO, the new concept car has Level 4 autonomous driving capability and takes full advantage of its NIO Power comprehensive charging solution. With the NIO Power, EV owners will be able to charge up their car with the “One Click For Power” service.
Besides, NIO presented almost everything it has at the show, such as the seven-seater ES8 flagship, the smaller five-seater ES6 SUV, its first vehicle EP 9, and its other products.
XPeng Motor
Founded: in 2014
Founder: He Xiaopeng
Funding round: Series B
Latest product: XPeng P7
XPeng Motors is an intelligent electric vehicle startup founded by He Xiaopeng in 2014. XPeng Motors is not only dedicated to serving every family with technology, but also to producing cars that equal companions that truly understands you.
XPeng Motors Unveils Xpeng P7 At Auto Shanghai 2019
XPeng Motors revealed a new all-electric coupe dubbed P7, a medium-to-large EV, claiming to be able to reach 100 km/h in 4 seconds and have a 600 km NEDC range. The model, powered by Xavier, also uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820A chip and aims to offer a L3 autonomous driving experience. Pre-orders have started and delivery is expected to start in Q2 next year.
SEE ALSO: XPeng Motors Hosts AI Vehicle Design Salon, Shares the Design Thinking behind the G3 EV
BYD Auto
Founded: in 2003
Founder/CEO: Wang Chuanfu
Funding round: IPO
Latest product: BYD E-SEED GT
BYD Auto Co., Ltd. is the automotive subsidiary of the Chinese BYD Company. It was founded in January 2003, following BYD Company’s acquisition of Tsinchuan Automobile Company in 2002. BYD is dedicated to providing zero-emission energy solutions.
BYD E-SEED GT Concept
BYD introduced the E-SEED GT concept, an electric vehicle, and Song Pro SUV alongside its all-new e-series models on April 16 at the Shanghai Auto Show. According to BYD, the concept car uses the “Dragon Face” design language, successfully playing with the elements of a Chinese dragon into a super car design, such as headlights resembling “dragon whiskers”, a “dragon ridge” on its roof, tail and seats and “dragon-scale” features on its door panels. It also boasts a three-screen interconnection, a retractable steering wheel plus a “BYD heart” and other technologies.
Leading Ideal
Founded: in 2015
Founder/CEO: LI Xiang
Funding round: Series B
Latest product: Leading Ideal ONE
Leading Ideal (aka CHJ Automotive) was established in July 2015 by Chinese entrepreneur Li Xiang, who also founded New York-listed information service provider Autohome Inc. The company is committed to building new intelligent electric vehicles that change the traditional travel experience of users.
Leading Ideal ONE
On April 10, 2019, the company announced its first model Leading Ideal ONE. It is a luxury medium to large SUV, available in 6- and 7-seat versions. The Leading Ideal ONE has a battery capacity equivalent to 160kWh supported by a 40.5kWh battery pack and a 45 liter fuel tank. After continuous optimization of the extended-range electric system, NEDC’s comprehensive cruising range has been upgraded to over 800 kilometers. It also provides a variety of modes which the driver can choose from according to their needs such as extended range mode, pure electricity mode, winter mode or mountain mode.
WM Motor
Founded: in 2015
Founder/CEO: Freeman Shen Hui
Funding round: Series C
Latest product: EX 5 pro
China’s WM Motor Technology is an electric car start-up founded by the former China head of Volvo Car Corporation in 2015. It is committed to becoming a popularizer of intelligent electric vehicles and determined to grow into a service provider for the new ecology of intelligent mobility with the development of intelligent hardware efficiently driven by data.
EX 5 pro by WM Motor
The new model EX5 Pro of WM Motor, a high-class vehicle based on the EX5, was officially launched at the Shanghai Auto Show. The front face of the new vehicle adopts the closed net shape, the volume of fog light area increases, and the edge is surrounded by a circle of LED lights. The new model is equipped with a 19-inch dedicated low-drag hub and aerodynamic sports kit, which reduces the vehicle’s wind drag coefficient to less than 0.3 and supplemented by the Pro version’s exclusive gentian blue color palette.
