Chinese automaker Geely is planning to step up its EV game to make up for lost ground from leading EV makers such as Tesla and BYD. The company announced the launch of a new sub-brand called Geely Galaxy, which will produce high-end electric vehicles. Geely, which also owns Swedish auto giant Volvo Cars, has taken the wraps off at least two concept electric vehicles. The new sub-brand will launch at least seven new models over the next two years, including three pure electric vehicles, the company said.
Geely is expected to be the first to launch the Galaxy L7. It’s a plug-in hybrid SUV that could be coming soon. Geely said it will start shipping the L7 SUV in the second quarter. The second model Geely Galaxy will launch is likely to be a plug-in hybrid sedan called the L6. By the end of this year, Geely Galaxy also plans to launch its first electric vehicle, the Galaxy E8. It will be based on a dedicated intelligent electric platform, which is also used in other electric models such as the Zeekr 001.
Zeekr is another EV brand that Geely is launching in 2021. Last year, Zeekr sold more than 70,000 of its 001 models.
Geely also announced that it is developing electric vehicles and electric vehicle battery technology. The company says the Aegis battery safety system can extend battery life by 20%. It also developed the Nordthor 8848 hybrid powertrain, which it claims can improve fuel economy by up to 15 percent. Geely’s Galaxy N operating system software, which will use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 to connect its vehicles to 72 satellites for cloud operations, is expected to be launched within the next two years.
Geely recently launched a new electric vehicle brand after BYD and Tesla widened the gap with other Chinese manufacturers. Besides the new Geely Galaxy and Zeekr, Geely also owns several EV brands including Lotus and Polestar. However, it lags rivals such as BYD, SAIC and Tesla in fourth place in China in terms of market share.
First published date: Feb 24, 2023 at 09:17 AM CST
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