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Chinese carmaker Geely is planning to step up its EV game to make up for the lost ground to leading EV makers like Tesla and BYD. The company has announced the launch of a new sub-brand called Geely Galaxy, which will manufacture high-end electric cars. Geely, which also owns the Swedish auto giant Volvo Cars, took covers off at least two concept electric cars. It said at least seven new models, including three fully-electric vehicles, will be launched by the new sub-brand in the next two years.
Geely is expected to launch the Galaxy L7 first. It is a plug-in hybrid SUV which is likely to hit the markets soon. Geely said it will start shipping L7 SUV during the second quarter. The second model to be launched by Geely Galaxy is likely to be a plug-in hybrid sedan called L6. By the end of the year, Geely Galaxy also plans to launch the Galaxy E8, its first electric car. It will be based on a dedicated smart electric platform which is also used in other EV models like Zeekr 001.
Zeekr is another electric vehicle brand launched by Geely in 2021. Last year, Zeekr has sold more than 70,000 units of the 001 model.
Geely also announced that it is working on EV and EV batter tech. The company said that Aegis battery safety system can increase battery life by 20 per cent. It has also developed Nordthor 8848 hybrid powertrain which claims to improve fuel economy by up to 15 per cent. Geely's Galaxy N-Operating System software, which will use Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 to connect its vehicles to 72 satellites for cloud operations, is expected to be launched in the next two years.
Geely's latest push to found a new electric vehicle brand comes after BYD and Tesla have increased their gaps with other manufacturers in China. Besides the new Geely Galaxy and Zeekr, Geely owns several EV brands including Lotus and Polestar. Yet it trails to rivals like BYD, SAIC and Tesla and is placed fourth in terms of market share in China.