Chinese Electric Car Brands

BYD 比亚迪

BYD Co., Ltd., known as BYD, was established in February 1995 and is headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. The company employs over 220,000 people and spans across four major industries: automobiles, rail transit, new energy, and electronics. BYD is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, with revenues and market value both exceeding 100 billion RMB.

In the automotive field, BYD has mastered core technologies for new energy car, including batteries, motors, and electronic controls. BYD’s new energy car have formed two major product series, covering seven conventional fields and four special fields (“7+4” strategy), achieving full coverage across all areas.

In the passenger vehicle market, BYD has been involved in both fuel car and new energy car. Since launching the world’s first mass-produced plug-in hybrid vehicle in 2008, BYD has introduced several new energy car models such as the e6, Qin, Tang, and Song, which have been highly recognized by the market, helping the company to win the global new energy passenger car annual sales championship for three consecutive years from 2015 to 2017.

GEELY 吉利

Geely Auto is a brand under the Geely Auto Group, which is part of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The company’s headquarters are located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Geely has manufacturing bases for complete car and powertrains in locations such as Taizhou/Ningbo in Zhejiang, Xi’an in Shaanxi, Xiangtan in Hunan, Chengdu in Sichuan, Baoji in Shaanxi, and Jinzhong in Shanxi. It also has overseas factories in countries and regions including Belarus.

Geely Automobile Group is one of China’s leading automakers and aspires to be the most competitive and respected Chinese automotive brand. The group currently owns the Geely Auto brand, as well as Lynk & Co and Geometry brands, holds 49.9% of the shares and all management rights of Proton Cars, and 51% of the shares of the luxury sports car brand Lotus. In a key year for Geely’s advancement to “brand and technology leadership” in 2020, Geely Automobile declared the start of the “Geely Technology 4.0 era,” transitioning from the previous “3.0 era of refined cars” to the “era of comprehensive modular architecture.” As of October 2020, Geely Automobile’s global cumulative sales exceeded 10 million car, making it the first Chinese brand car company to achieve this milestone in passenger car production and sales.

NIO 蔚来

NIO is a chinese electric car brand that was registered on November 25, 2014, in Shanghai. NIO’s global headquarters are in Shanghai, China, with its China headquarters in Hefei, Anhui. NIO is committed to creating a pleasant lifestyle for users by providing high-performance smart electric car and an ultimate user experience. Its main products include the NIO ES8, ES7, ES6, EC7, EC6, ET7, ET5, ET5T, EP9, and EVE. On September 12, 2018, NIO was successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

As of April 2024, NIO has delivered a total of 479,647 new cars. In March 2024, NIO delivered 11,866 new cars, a year-on-year increase of 14.3% and a month-on-month increase of 45.9%. The tail badge of NIO’s new cars has changed from “Jianghuai Automobile” to “NIO,” indicating that NIO has obtained the qualification to manufacture cars and has completed the production line switch. NIO is no longer using Jianghuai’s production qualification and has begun to deliver products under its own name.

LI AUTO 理想

Li Auto is a Chinese new energy car manufacturer that designs, develops, manufactures, and sells luxury intelligent electric vehicles. Founded in July 2015 and headquartered in Beijing, Li Auto focuses on product innovation and technological development to provide safe and convenient products and services for family users. The founder, Li Xiang, is a well-known serial entrepreneur in China, having previously established Autohome, the world’s most visited auto website.

Li Auto went public on the NASDAQ stock market on July 30, 2020, under the ticker symbol “LI”. The brand’s first product, the Li ONE, is a smart electric mid-to-large size SUV that offers a comfortable six-seat space and is equipped with advanced range-extending electric technology and intelligent tech features. It was released in October 2018 and has since become a champion in China’s new energy SUV market and the sales leader among domestic vehicles priced over 300,000 yuan.As of the end of June 2022, the cumulative delivery of Li ONE had reached 184,491 units.

XIAOMI 小米

Xiaomi Auto is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xiaomi Group, focusing on the smart electric car business. The company was established in September 2021 with a registered capital of 10 billion RMB. Xiaomi Auto’s factory is located in the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area, covering an area of 718,000 square meters. The facilities include an R&D testing base, six workshops dedicated to the creation of new energy car, and a test track that is 2.5km long.Lei Jun, the founder of Xiaomi Motors and also the founder of Xiaomi phones, claims that Xiaomi Motors is the last venture in his life.

In the first half of 2024, Xiaomi Automobile announced that the 10,000th mass-produced car officially rolled off the production line, marking Xiaomi Automobile’s production capacity has entered a new stage.

XPENG 小鹏

XPENG, is a leading Chinese smart electric vehicle company that was established in 2014 and is headquartered in Guangzhou. The brand is under the umbrella of Guangzhou Orange Smart Automobile Technology Co., Ltd. and was founded by He Xiaopeng, Xia Heng, and He Tao. On January 29, 2018, XPENG announced the initiation of a 2.2 billion yuan Series B financing round. Xpeng went public on the New York Stock Exchange on August 27, 2020, under the ticker symbol “XPEV”, and later listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 7, 2021, with the stock code "9868". XPENG has been expanding its global presence, with recent announcements including its official entry into the German market on March 28, 2024, and its expansion into the Hong Kong and Macau markets on April 10, 2024.

XPENG aims to develop smart electric vehicles for young people in first-tier cities, with its first mass-produced vehicle being a stylish, crossover electric SUV. The company has achieved several milestones, including the delivery of 39 new vehicles in January 2018, making it the first internet car-making enterprise to enter the new energy vehicle sales list of the China Passenger Car Association.

NEZHA AUTO 哪吒

Nezha Auto is a brand under Hozon New Energy Auto Co., Ltd. Established on June 1, 2018, Nezha Auto is dedicated to creating high-quality, cost-effective intelligent electric car for consumers. Unlike some electric car brands that target the mid-to-high-end market, Nezha Auto focuses on providing accessible intelligent electric car with a high price-performance ratio.

Nezha Auto has a diverse product lineup, including models like Nezha N01, Nezha U, Nezha V, and the upgraded versions Nezha U Pro and Nezha V Pro, among others. The company has been actively involved in technological innovation, factory expansion, and operational funding, with its D3 round of financing closing at over 3 billion yuan. This funding will support ongoing product development, technological innovation, and other business areas.

ARCFOX 极狐

ARCFOX, also known as Jihu in Chinese, is a high-end intelligent electric car brand that pursues the ultimate in performance and innovative design. Established on August 3, 2016, ARCFOX is a brand under BAIC Group’s new energy division, BAIC BluePark New Energy Technology. The brand’s positioning is to embody the spirit of “Arc”, representing the realm of the impossible and symbolizing perseverance, challenge, and breakthrough, while “Fox” reflects wisdom, elegance, and agility, indicating a brand rich in creativity and aesthetic sense.

ARCFOX has partnered with global top-tier resources such as Daimler, Magna, and Huawei to create vehicles equipped with cutting-edge technologies like the world’s first commercial 5G technology platform—IMC intelligent modular standard architecture. The brand aims to build a product matrix that includes high-performance sports cars, mid-to-high-end intelligent family cars, and autonomous driving intelligent terminals.The launch of the new generation luxury pure electric sedan, Alpha S, on April 17, 2021.

LEAPMOTOR 零跑

Leapmotor is a technology-oriented chinese electric car brand under Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co., Ltd., established on December 24, 2015. Since its inception, Leapmotor has consistently focused on the independent research and development of core technologies. It has successfully developed its own intelligent power, intelligent connectivity, and intelligent driving technologies, making it a complete vehicle manufacturer with comprehensive independent R&D capabilities and control over core technologies.

On March 15, 2024, Leapmotor held a HarmonyOS cooperation signing ceremony with Huawei and announced the development of a native HarmonyOS app for Leapmotor vehicles based on HarmonyOS NEXT1. On April 25, Leapmotor announced the presale of the Leapmotor C16, expected to be priced under 200,000 yuan, with market availability and deliveries starting in June.

AION 广汽埃安

GAC Aion, formerly known as GAC New Energy, is a chinese electric car brand under the Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC Group). The brand was officially established on July 28, 2017, as GAC New Energy and has since initiated the construction of a factory with an initial investment of 4.697 billion yuan and an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles. In collaboration with partners, the brand plans to invest over 45 billion yuan to build the GAC Intelligent New Energy Vehicle Industrial Park.

At the 2020 Guangzhou Auto Show, GAC Aion announced its independence from GAC New Energy and unveiled its new name. On September 15, 2022, GAC Aion held a brand launch event where it introduced a new logo and simultaneously launched the high-end brand Hyper, in partnership with China Aerospace. The first vehicle showcased was the Hyper SSR supercar. GAC Aion’s product lineup includes models such as the Aion LX Plus, Aion V Plus, Aion S Plus, and Aion Y. The brand aims to accelerate the creation of new energy and intelligent vehicle products and seeks to break through as a high-end intelligent electric car brand.

WEY 魏牌

WEY, is a luxury SUV brand established in November 2016 by the Chinese SUV manufacturer Great Wall Motors. The brand was created by a global R&D team of over 1600 members and took four years to develop, reflecting the founder’s dream and determination to pioneer luxury SUVs in China.The brand’s name, WEY, is derived from the surname of its founder, Mr. Wei Jianjun, and symbolizes the brand’s commitment to becoming a global leader in luxury SUVs and elevating Chinese brands.

WEY’s product lineup includes models such as VV5, VV6, VV7, and new energy vehicles like WEY Latte, WEY Mocha, WEY Blue Mountain, and WEY High Mountain. On April 25, 2024, WEY launched a new model, the Blue Mountain Intelligent Drive Edition, equipped with Great Wall Motors’ latest generation intelligent driving system capable of high-speed, urban, and rural area navigation without maps.

HYCAN 合创

HYCAN, is a forward-thinking chinese electric car brand co-invested by GAC Group and NIO, established in April 2018. The brand is committed to creating the best mobile intelligent third space for users, fully linking a pure electric smart living ecosystem. HYCAN insists on self-developing core technologies and is based in the Greater Bay Area, with a strategic industrial layout driven by dual cores in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta, aiming to build a world-class intelligent manufacturing benchmark factory.

The brand’s main products include the HYCAN V09, HYCAN A06, HYCAN Z03, and HYCAN 007, among others. HYCAN focuses on the R&D, sales, and service of new energy vehicles, striving to provide users with a delightful and smart travel experience. The brand fully integrates the advantageous resources of its shareholders, collaborates with leading cutting-edge technology companies, and infuses elements of e-sports and national trends, aiming to make intelligent electric vehicles the hub that connects various scenarios and the best entry point into the intelligent ecosystem.

ORA 欧拉

ORA, is an chinese electric car brand under Great Wall Motors, and it is the first independent electric car brand among mainstream Chinese auto enterprises. The name “ORA” stands for Open, Reliable, and Alternative, reflecting the brand’s commitment to openness, reliability, and non-traditional values. The brand’s logo, derived from an exclamation mark, is a tribute to the famous mathematician Euler and signifies ORA’s greeting to users and the world.ORA was officially launched by Great Wall Motors on August 20, 2018, with its first model, the ORA iQ, debuting at the Chengdu Auto Show that year.

ORA’s product lineup includes models like the Good Cat, Black Cat, White Cat, and ORA iQ. The brand integrates advanced intelligent connected technologies, from the chassis to the interior and exterior design, achieving substantial breakthroughs in space, safety, and efficiency.

HIPHI 高合

HiPhi is a luxury intelligent pure electric car brand under Human Horizons, officially launched on July 31, 2019. It aims to redefine the smart vehicle category with a fresh perspective and framework.The brand name HiPhi represents a combination of high standards, high quality, and high compatibility, while Phi corresponds to the golden ratio, symbolizing symmetry, unity, and perfect integration. On the same day, the first mass-produced model, HiPhi 1, made its global debut, positioned as a luxury intelligent pure electric super SUV1. On August 11, 2020, Human Horizons announced the global launch of the “world’s first evolvable super SUV” HiPhi X at the Beijing Auto Show.

HiPhi’s main models include HiPhi X, HiPhi Y, HiPhi Z, and HiPhi A1. The HiPhi Y, for instance, inherits the luxurious space and unique entry experience of the HiPhi X, combined with the ultimate control and performance of the HiPhi Z. It offers a range of over 800 kilometers on a single charge, which is outstanding in the luxury pure electric SUV segment.

BAIC 北汽新能源

BAIC New Energy is a Chinese automotive brand established in 2010, specializing in the production of clean energy-powered vehicles. The full name of the company is Beijing New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd., abbreviated as BAIC New Energy. It operates independently as a brand and enterprise, at the same level as Beijing Automobile, and is under the BAIC Group. BAIC New Energy’s product lineup includes the BAIC EV series, which encompasses a variety of clean energy-powered vehicles. Over the years, BAIC New Energy has mastered three key core technologies: whole vehicle system integration and matching, vehicle control systems, and electric drive systems.

With its mastery of new energy core technologies, it has launched more than ten pure electric passenger vehicle models across five series: EH, EU, EX, EV, and EC. These models have made BAIC New Energy one of the new energy vehicle companies with the longest product line in China’s new energy market. From 2013 to 2016, BAIC New Energy consecutively won the title of China’s pure electric vehicle market sales champion for four years. The cumulative market holdings of BAIC New Energy vehicles have approached 100,000 units, ranking first in the country and soon becoming the first new energy vehicle company in China to enter the “100,000 Club.”

VOYAH 岚图

Lantu, also known as VOYAH, is a high-end intelligent electric car brand that originated from Dongfeng Motor Corporation. As a new force in China’s automotive industry, Lantu fully integrates over 54 years of Dongfeng’s car manufacturing technology and resources to provide users with reliable and luxurious travel experiences. In June 2021, Lantu’s first model, the “performance-level intelligent electric SUV” Lantu FREE, officially went on sale, and deliveries began in August of the same year, covering over 300 cities nationwide. On April 26, 2022, the Lantu FREE won the “Judges’ Award” at the 2021 China Automotive Fengyun Awards, achieving first place in 11 evaluation categories.

Lantu’s name embodies the concepts of high standards, high quality, and high compatibility. The brand’s mission is to “drive dreams with cars and empower a beautiful life.” The brand personality is described as “subtle, serene, and elegant,” with its headquarters located in Wuhan, China.

CHANGAN 长安

Changan Automobile is one of the top four automobile groups in China, with a history that spans over 160 years. The company has developed significantly over time and now boasts a diverse range of automotive brands under its umbrella. Changan Automobile is the core business of the Changan Company and has been the origin of its growth. The brand has launched popular product series such as the CS series, the Eado series, and the UNI series. Changan Automobile has also been proactive in expanding its joint venture and cooperation business in the automotive industry.

As of 2022, Changan Automobile has implemented strategic initiatives like the “Beidou Tianshu Plan” for intelligent vehicles and the “Shangri-La Plan” for new energy vehicles. The company has set four major strategic actions and plans to fully stop the sale of traditional fuel vehicles by 2025, aiming to electrify its entire product range..

CHERY 奇瑞

Chery Automobile Co., Ltd., commonly known as Chery, was established on January 8, 1997, with its headquarters located in Wuhu, Anhui Province, China. The company has grown to become one of China’s largest automakers, focusing on passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and minicars. Chery Group comprises four major brands: Chery, Jetour, Exeed, and iCAR. On March 4, 2024, Chery Group announced a lifetime warranty for all new and used vehicles across all its brands, becoming the first automotive enterprise in the industry to offer such a comprehensive warranty. On April 19, 2024, Chery Automobile signed an agreement with Spanish automotive company Ebro-EV Motors to establish a joint venture in Barcelona, Spain, for the production of new electric vehicles.

Chery’s product line includes the Tiggo series, Arrizo series, new energy series, and Discovery series. The company has established itself as a leader in innovation, with a production capacity of 900,000 vehicles, 900,000 engines, and 800,000 transmissions per year. Chery has developed five major passenger vehicle platforms: A00, A0, A, B, and SUV, covering eleven series and twenty-one models.

DENZA 腾势

DENZA is a luxury electric car brand established in 2010 as a joint venture between BYD, China’s leading new energy vehicle company, and Daimler AG, the global giant in luxury car manufacturing. Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, DENZA is the country’s first automotive brand dedicated to new energy vehicles. The brand’s mission is to create a superior luxury travel experience for users by integrating products, services, and user ecosystems, thereby defining a new luxury travel experience that exceeds user expectations.

DENZA combines BYD’s mature electric power technology with Daimler’s rich experience in whole vehicle manufacturing. With advanced power battery technology and R&D capabilities as the foundation, DENZA infuses Mercedes-Benz’s widely recognized design and automotive aesthetics into its brand, creating high-end electric vehicles with more quality and style.

AVATR 阿维塔

AVATR is a high-end intelligent electric vehicle (SEV) global brand, co-created by Changan Automobile, Huawei, and CATL. AVATR represents a synergy of Changan Automobile’s expertise in whole vehicle R&D and manufacturing, Huawei’s intelligent automotive solutions, and CATL’s smart energy ecosystem. Together, they have created the CHN technology platform for a new generation of intelligent electric vehicles, featuring “new architecture, strong computing, and high-voltage charging” to establish a core competitive advantage.Headquartered in Chongqing, China, AVATR also has branches in Shanghai and Munich, Germany.

On May 1, 2024, AVATR announced that it delivered 5,247 vehicles in April, marking a 226% increase year-over-year. This reflects the brand’s rapid growth and its commitment to becoming a leader in the global high-end intelligent electric vehicle market by 2030.

AITO 问界

AITO is a luxury electric car brand established by Changan Automobile Group. It was jointly created with support from Huawei, a leading technology company. The brand’s Chinese name is 问界 (Wèn Jiè), which translates to “Asking the World.” The English name AITO stands for “Adding Intelligence to Auto.”

AITO aims to provide a superior travel experience by integrating cutting-edge technology, quality management, and user-centric design. The brand’s flagship models include the M5, M7, and M9. These vehicles combine advanced electric power technology with smart features, offering a harmonious blend of performance, comfort, and innovationAITO represents a new era of intelligent mobility, where technology meets elegance and environmental consciousness12.