GAC unveiled its electrical sports activities automobile prototype on Sept. 26, 2020, on the Beijing auto present.Evelyn Cheng | CNBCBEIJING — A nu
GAC unveiled its electrical sports activities automobile prototype on Sept. 26, 2020, on the Beijing auto present.
Evelyn Cheng | CNBC
BEIJING — A number of the flashiest objects Chinese language firms had on show at the primary main auto present for the reason that coronavirus pandemic have been idea sports activities vehicles.
Whereas automobile gross sales for state-owned Guangzhou Vehicle Group (GAC) fell 9.87% from a yr in the past within the first eight months of 2020, following a decline of almost 4% final yr, the corporate has been growing an electrical sports activities automobile known as “Enpulse.”
The corporate revealed the glimmering metallic automobile to media on Saturday on the Beijing auto present, which was delayed by 5 months because of the outbreak of Covid-19.
The convertible electrical sports activities automobile encompasses a yellow inside with striped pink sections, evoking a rainbow. The automobile was developed by GAC’s international design workforce, notably designers from the corporate’s Los Angeles workplace, in line with GAC.
“Earlier than the appearance of vehicles, touring afar was formidable,” Zhang Fan, vice chairman of design, GAC R&D, mentioned at Saturday’s launch occasion, in line with an official translation of his Mandarin-language remarks.
“Earlier than the appearance of electrical autos, making sports activities vehicles accessible to everybody was additionally formidable,” he mentioned, including, “We hope that the Enpulse will chart the course for the conclusion of our ambition and make the basic sports activities automobile romance accessible to everybody.”
GAC’s automobile gross sales climbed double-digits in July and August from a yr in the past. The corporate nonetheless hopes to realize its objective of three% development this yr.
Additionally attracting a little bit of a crowd on the Beijing auto present was state-owned Hongqi’s S9 sports activities automobile. The hybrid turquoise automobile was first unveiled on the Frankfurt auto present in September 2019, in line with state media, and claims a most pace of 400 kilometers-an-hour.
Chinese language state-owned model Hongqi confirmed off its prototype for its S9 sportscar on the 2020 Beijing auto present.
Evelyn Cheng | CNBC
Hongqi, which implies “crimson flag” in Mandarin, is a subsidiary of state-owned auto group FAW.
The model introduced in April it’ll arrange a three way partnership with New York-based SILK EV to fabricate the Hongqi S luxurious sports activities automobile sequence, in line with state media. The article additionally mentioned Hongqi offered greater than 25,000 vehicles within the first quarter of the yr, or an 88% acquire over the identical interval in 2019.
Auto gross sales on the planet’s largest automobile market are down 9.7% for the primary eight months of the yr from the identical interval in 2019, in line with the Ministry of Business and Info Expertise.
However the market has recovered in current weeks. Auto gross sales rose 11.6% in August from a yr in the past, with gross sales of pure electrical autos rising extra shortly with a acquire of 25.6%, in line with the ministry.
Automakers typically develop high-performance vehicles to check and exhibit revolutionary expertise. Finally yr’s auto present in Shanghai, BMW displayed its first electrical race automobile, the iFE.18, shortly after it had accomplished a race.
On the 2020 Beijing auto present, Chinese language electrical automobile start-up Nio additionally displayed its sports activities automobile prominently on the entrance of its show space. The EP9 was launched in 2016 and the next yr set a document for the quickest self-driving electrical automobile, a feat the corporate claimed took solely 4 months of expertise and software program growth.
Chinese language electrical automobile start-up Nio welcomed guests to its exhibit on the 2020 Beijing auto present with a show of the Nio EP9 sportscar.
Evelyn Cheng | CNBC