In case you missed it: all the important news from the first half of this year
The expression “time flies” is especially relevant for those working in Geely Group; in just six months, we have already seen a number of big announcements, including the formation of new brands, several new production and concept cars, first public appearances and exciting new CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiatives.
Zeekr gained a lot of attention in the first half of this year and rightly so, from its brand conception to concept reveal, first production car launch to the first motor show appearance, followed by presales of its first product. After announcing the brand’s formation in March, Zeekr swiftly unveiled its first offering, the 001, just a month later. A few days (yes, days) after and the car was revealed to the general public at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show as feather in the cap of Geely’s full electrified portfolio. In addition, presales of the 001 were exceptional – Zeekr has already sold out of deliveries for 2021. Much like the 001’s acceleration, the brand is rapidly gaining pace.
On April 15th, Zeekr launched its 001 in Ningbo.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
In the spirit of teamwork, Geely makes the most of its strengths and maximizes value for all through joint agreements. In the span of just two days (January 11th-13th), the Group announced partnerships with two giants in their respective industries; Baidu, a tech and internet services company, and Foxconn, an electronics manufacturer. With Baidu, the Group plans to jointly develop connected and intelligent electric vehicles and with Foxconn, the two will provide OEM production and consulting services to global automotive enterprises.
Geely Auto’s 4th generation of Emgrand
Geely Auto too had its share of big commitments. After a V-shaped recovery during 2020, the brand was quick to sign a deal covering all aspects of automotive intelligence with Tencent, one of China’s largest tech groups. While establishing new connections, it’s important to not forget old friends; In February, Geely Auto signed an agreement with Volvo Cars to strengthen collaboration in areas such as powertrains, electric vehicle architecture, autonomous drive technologies, joint procurement and aftersales.
In addition, China’s leading car brand also released a slurry of new production and concept vehicles in H1. Just prior to the Shanghai Auto Show in April, Geely Auto unveiled its most premium SUV to date, the Xingyue L, followed a few months later by the fourth generation Emgrand (a best seller in the brand’s domestic market). As finale to the first half of the year, Geely Design unveiled “Vision Starburst”, a concept vehicle that explores an alternate direction for its design language. These new and exciting product announcements were further matched by Geely Auto’s sales performance – in the first half of 2021, the brand saw a 19% increase in sales versus the same period last year.
“Vision Starburst” explores a new direction for Geely Auto’s design language.
Yes, we got a lot done in the first few months of the year, but we didn’t forget to do our part for the environment and society. We’ve announced the Blue Guardian Project, a hugely ambitious pursuit in which we plan to use the Group’s satellite technology to aid in ocean clean-up and protection. Closer to home, prosperity efforts were kicked off in Geely’s home province of Zhejiang to improve the lives of some 40,000 employees who work in the Ningbo area.
Geely Group wasted no time during the first part of 2021 with agreements, commitments, concepts and new products by the bucketload. If H2 is nearly as exciting, then we’ll definitely have a lot to look forward to.
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