China’s car manufacturers start to gain international recognition for design and quality

Inside the Guangzhou Auto Show
https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/event/inside-the-guangzhou-auto-show-683249065#the-rear-view-of-the-trumpchi-enlight-concept-automobile-manufactured-picture-id624103926 

China’s car manufacturers start to gain international recognition for design and quality

KUALA LUMPUR (February 2018): China’s Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) has set its sight to launch sales of its range of electric cars in the US by the end of this year.

Nikkei (Asian Review) reported that China’s next-generation vehicle manufacturers had captured the attention of the US market.

The report gives the Chinese car manufacturers an image boost - coming from a Japanese publication.

It certainly shows that China has managed to capture the imagination of motoring enthusiasts in terms of design and quality.

The Nikkei report was filed at the recently concluded North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Producing some two million vehicles a year in China, GAC is now also planning to expand to Europe.

Here’s the Nikkei report as posted by The Star Online:

"January 16, 2018 7:45 pm JST

Chinese electric cars turning heads in US


Flashy designs and ample funds help industry newcomers make inroads

YUICHIRO KANEMATSU, Nikkei staff writer

A concept electric car that China's GAC plans to release in the U.S. market by the end of 2019 is displayed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

DETROIT, U.S. -- China's next-generation vehicle manufacturers are starting to get noticed in the U.S., their key target market. And while some of these new players may fade away, the sheer number of projects underscores the ample funding available back home.


Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) lucked into a bit of public relations magic when Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency. The Chinese company's brand, Trumpchi, bears a striking resemblance to the name of the Oval Office occupant. But at the North American International Auto Show, which opened in Detroit on Saturday, GAC managed to generate a buzz for another reason.

On Monday, it unveiled a concept electric car with doors that open upward like butterfly wings.

Skeptics might note that the doors require more space to open than conventional ones. GAC has not revealed its envisioned price, either. But the company plans to introduce such a car by the end of 2019, and the concept model served its purpose of attracting attention.

By the end of this year, GAC plans to set up a sales company in the U.S. It also intends to open research and development centers in Silicon Valley and Detroit, along with a design center in Los Angeles. The company has grown to produce 2 million vehicles a year in China, and now it has the money to expand abroad; it is preparing to enter Europe as well.

Detroit is not the only place where Chinese players have been causing a stir. At the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which wrapped up last Friday, electric-car venture Byton drew large crowds to its exhibit -- situated not far from booths of the likes of Toyota Motor.

Byton's car features self-driving capability and a flashy interior, complete with a 49-inch screen across the dash. The glitz is not surprising when you consider the company's financially powerful backers: Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, China's Tencent Holdings and a luxury car dealer.

Byton's electric vehicle draws a crowd at this year's CES in Las Vegas. (Photo by Akiyoshi Inoue)

Byton is headquartered in Nanjing, where it also has the support of the local government. Its website, though, spotlights its Silicon Valley office. The executive in charge of purchasing used to work for Tesla, the pioneering U.S. electric-car company.

All of this is part of an increasingly common branding strategy on the part of Chinese startups: crafting an image of a Western high-tech company.

Faraday Future took a similar approach. The startup, co-founded by Jia Yueting -- founder of China's Leshi Internet Information & Technology -- hired a number of former Tesla engineers and has announced a self-driving electric vehicle. - Nikkei (Asian Review)
"

One of China’s largest car makers just broke ground on a $6.5 billion EV park
05/10/2017
Chinese car maker GAC Motor is building a $6.5 million electric vehicle industrial park. The Guangzhou Automobile Intelligent Industrial Park will occupy almost two square miles … for more, go to https://inhabitat.com/one-of-chinas-largest-car-makers-just-broke-ground-on-a-6-5-billion-ev-park/gac-motor-industrial-park/

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