en.Wedoany.com Reported - Li Chuanhai, Vice President of Geely Group, stated in a recent speech that China's automotive industry has entered a period of "uncharted territory," facing entirely new innovation challenges.
Li pointed out that as Chinese automakers grow into global enterprises, they can no longer rely solely on challenging traditional brands to gain market position; they must drive industry development through independent innovation. He acknowledged that China's automotive industry has achieved its current success based on a century of accumulated automotive expertise, but now that it holds a leading position, the logic of innovation must change.
Li emphasized that Geely has already offered multiple powertrain options across gasoline, hybrid, and pure electric markets, and further deepening innovation is required in the future. Geely adheres to an energy diversification strategy. After more than two decades of R&D, it has developed the Thor hybrid, SEA pure electric architecture, i-HEV, and green methanol technology, building a complete ecosystem covering pure electric, hybrid, extended-range, methanol, battery swapping, and charging, providing diverse choices for global users.
Li also introduced Geely's investment in R&D, including collaborations with over 50 universities in basic research fields. He stated that such cooperation may not yield direct returns in the short term, but innovation requires sufficient resource investment, effective ecosystem collaboration, and adequate talent density.
Li believes that the success of the premium brand Zeekr proves Geely has moved beyond the role of a challenger. He noted that the group does not have enough time to build a century-old brand story; new energy and smart technologies present opportunities for brand elevation, but the foundation for brand improvement lies in core professional capabilities such as safety, chassis, and powertrain.
Li stated that Zeekr's goal is to achieve Volvo-level safety, Lotus-level handling, and Horse Powertrain-level performance. He revealed that Zeekr has delivered 750,000 vehicles in a short period, with an average selling price exceeding $62,000, while the national average car price is slightly over half of that, at $35,000.
Li concluded that the essence of Chinese automotive globalization is not low prices and high sales volumes, but technology-based, brand-driven development, ultimately shifting from simply selling cars to defining the future of automobiles. He hopes Geely's experience can serve as a reference for Chinese automakers going global and believes that China's automotive industry is capable of winning respect in the global market.
In terms of product planning, Geely will launch the EX2 pure electric hatchback in Australia, followed by the Emgrand EM-i plug-in hybrid sedan. Zeekr plans to introduce the flagship 9X plug-in hybrid large SUV and the 7GT pure electric performance wagon before the end of the year. By 2027, the 8X large five-seat hybrid SUV will be launched, and Geely also plans to introduce a three-row hybrid SUV that has yet to be finalized.
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