On the eve of the 13th Beijing International Automobile Exhibition (Auto China), Geely Automobile Holdings Limited (Geely Auto) launched a release event themed "Integration • Future" in Chaoyang Sports Center, Beijing. Witnessed by over 500 journalists, business partners and industry insiders from all over the world, the company introduced its industry-leading hybrid-electric technology and unveiled the Emgrand Cross Concept PHEV ("Emgrand Cross") as well as its new brand strategy and logo.
This indicates that taking the market and consumers as core orientation, Geely Auto has blueprinted a new future-oriented development path, and would devote itself to the technological research and development, purchasing, manufacturing, marketing and brand building with intensified efforts, laying a solid foundation for building an brand new Geely brand characterized by vigor, aspiration and passion.
Rapid development of hybrid-electric technology
Years of commitment to and exploration in the hybrid-electric technology field have endowed Geely with technological accumulation and capacity in industrialization. The technology will adopt the GL-ESD power split system whose intellectual property rights independently owned by Geely. Characterized by its combination of efficiency, structural sophistication and low cost and excellent performance in reliability, smoothness as well as extendibility, the GL-ESD system is the first single-mode input and compound hybrid power split system in the world. So far, it has obtained 3 utility patents in the world and 32 patents in China.
The Emgrand Cross, which is making its world debut at the auto show, is built on Geely's Framework Extendable (FE) platform and equipped with a plug-in hybrid system that developed based on the GL-ESD power split system. The car adopts a 65kW + 40kW dual-motor system and a 10kWh power battery. It is capable of accelerating from zero to 100km/h in ten seconds, and has a top speed of 190km/h. Producing just 46g of carbon dioxide per kilometer travelled, the Emgrand Cross can cover distances of up to 650km on a single charge and 50km on its pure-electric setting. Geely Auto expects the Emgrand Cross to hit the market in the latter half of 2015.
Geely Auto also plans to launch the Emgrand EC7 hybrid fuel-electric vehicles in the market at the end of the year. As a model of profound parallel-serial hybrid electrical vehicle (PSHEV) that developed based on the Emgrand EC7, it will also be the first ever one that adopts the power split system among self-owned brands. Equipped with a 1.8L engine and driven by a dual-motor system, the car can work on both pure-electric setting and hybrid-electric setting, and recover the braking energy and enjoys a quick start-stop. Its oil consumption will be less than 5L, and it can reduce oil consumption by up to over 35 percent. The model's performance in transient acceleration is also superior to that of petrol-fueled cars.
"Both hybrid fuel-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric technologies will serve as important strategic pillar of Geely Auto in its long-term growth. This is a feasible technical route that conforms not only to China's national conditions and consumers' needs, but also the development law of global auto industry," An Conghui, President and CEO of Geely Holding Group said, "We must not only stand out in technology and quality, but also have the risk controlled and cut cost to improve competitiveness. Geely will continue to increase its investment in the field of new energy and speed up its marketization, so as to add glory to the "Beautiful China" with its new-energy technology and products.
Making premium models under "One Geely" brand
To cater to the needs of the market and customers, leverage its brand heritage and make premium models, Geely Auto also announced its overhauled brand architecture at the auto show. The brand new brand strategy is designed to upgrade its brand image, enrich the firm's product portfolio, enhance product differentiation, optimise distribution channels, and improve the firm's interaction with customers.
By overhauling its current brand strategy, Geely Auto will shift focus and have previously operated three sub-brands, namely, Emgrand, Gleagle and Englon, integrated into a single "Geely" brand. During the transitional period, the existing sub-brands and their products are allowed to be promoted under its parent brand, while all the newly-developed products will adopt the new logo. The new logo, based on the previous one of Emgrand and integrating blue elements of that of Geely, indicates that the brand will take advantage of its current quintessence and evolve for revival. The distribution channel will also be optimized and integrated to provide the consumers with a unified image and product portfolio.
Taking Geely's KC, the framework extendable (FE) platforms and the compact modular architecture (CMA) that is jointly developed with Volvo as basis, Geely Auto will intensify efforts to innovate and upgrade the products of KC, Emgrand, Vision, King Kong (MK), Panda and other series in line with the market demands. Take Emgrand series as example, the series that developed based on the FE platforms will include sedan, compact cars, Cross, SUV and many other models in its portfolio.
"The new brand strategy is an initiative and strategic layout Geely made in accordance with the market and consumers demands and is an inheritance and deepening of the previous brand strategy," SunXiaodong, Vice President of Geely Holding Group said. According to him, Geely will mobilize its advantageous resources to make premium models meeting the demands of consumers and forge a brand new Geely brand characterized by vigor, aspiration and passion by improving its performance in technology support, products quality and brand image.
Combination of Chinese elements and global trend contributes to new design language
The Emgrand Cross is another masterpiece that speaks for the new design language of Geely Auto after the Emgrand KC Concept car, which was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show last year. Similar to the KC Concept car, the design of this model combines the Chinese elements and global aesthetic trend, charting the course for the designing DNA of Geely Auto in the future.
With its plump and sleek lines, the car body of the Emgrand Cross looks solid and dynamic, The front grille with the new logo inherits some elements from the KC Concept car, yet differs from it. The crown line of the engine compartment, the side frame of the windshield and the roof, stretching downward to the tail, constitute a sleek transition of lines and echo with each other, largely enhancing the sense of speed. The lines of windows echo with the waistline, which stretches from A pillar to rear wing, making the car body more coordinative. The lines of both the front fender and rear fender are connected through the robust "shoulder" of the car, making it seem like a majestic running leopard. The side panel reinforces this dynamic glamour. Owing to the stereoscopic surface of the tail, its excellent design prevents the car from being overstaffed and cumbersome.
Featured by simple and elegant style, its interior shares much similarities with the KC Concept car. The arch bridge-shaped curve of the instrument panel improves the overall visual effects. All the surfaces' layout seen under the curve offers the car with a more spacious room and the floating center console also brings the drivers a sense of mastery. A lot of Chinese elements are also applied in the design of the interiors, including the curved surface, the cover of the speaker, the round knob, the car roof and the door pillar.
According to Senior Vice President of Design Peter Horbury of Geely Holding Group, Geely has established four international modeling centers in Shanghai, Gothenburg, Barcelona and California of the United States, and has employed hundreds of senior designers. "We are composing a new chapter of the modeling art for Geely Auto, and the models in the future will be very elegant and dynamic. Therefore, the brand recognition of Geely Auto will be gradually augmented, through which owners of cars with Geely logo will be able to drive with pleasure and pride," he added.