Chinese Car Brands

The volume of automobile production in the People’s Republic of China is growing every year. Recently, China has overtaken Japan and the USA to become the world’s largest automobile market. About half of the cars are produced by local manufacturers: FAW, Roewe, Great Wall, Jianghuai, and others. The second half is made up of cars produced in cooperation with foreign companies.

The history of the Chinese automobile industry began in 1931 when the first truck appeared in the arsenal of the ruler of Manchuria, Chang Xue-Liang. However, experts are more inclined to another date – June 15, 1953. It was then that the First Automobile Plant was established, which began to produce copies of Soviet trucks.

What are Chinese automobile brands?

Many Chinese automobile brands release more and more products to the market every day. Most of them belong to four large companies: Changan Automobile Group, SAIC Motor, Dongfeng Motor, and FAW Group.

In the late 1970s, the government thought the automobile industry was very promising. However, the domestic automobile market was not developed because owning a car in the PRC amounted to a crime. After 2000, residents of the country were allowed to purchase automobiles. Automobile companies gradually began to move away from “banal copying” and develop their own technologies and designs.

Chinese Car Manufacturers

Most of the brands in the Chinese car industry belong to the four largest automakers. First of all, it is Changan Automobile Group, a subsidiary of China South Industries Group, which produces weapons and military equipment. The so-called “big four” also include FAW Group, Dongfeng Motor and SAIC Motor. At the same time, independent enterprises such as Guangzhou Automobile Group, Beijing Automotive Group, or Geely operate in the PRC automobile market.

SAIC Motor

The predecessors of SAIC Motor Corporation were at the forefront of the Chinese automobile industry. This company was established in 1997 as a subsidiary of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (Group). Within a few years, SAIC became the largest state-owned automaker in China. It owns many joint ventures for the production of components. The main vehicles produced are trucks, utility vehicles, sports cars, passenger cars, buses and SUVs. Recently, the model range has been replenished with electric cars.

FAW Group

The history of the Chinese automobile industry began with First Automobile Works. It is a pioneer, which was followed by the rest of the automobile manufacturers. The FAW plant was opened in 1953 with the support of the Soviet Union. Five years later, it produced the first passenger car in the PRC – the Hongqi limousine, and in late 1989, a sedan appeared under the same brand. Subsequently, the company built several more plants, increasing production capacity.

Now, the state corporation FAW Group is represented in 80 countries. It owns 27 subsidiary brands, under which a wide range of cars is produced. The first automobile plant had joint ventures with Mazda, Ford, Toyota, and other well-known firms.

Dongfeng Motor

Dongfeng, which means “East Wind,” is based in Wuhan and is owned by the state-owned SASAC. The main range of products is passenger cars and commercial vehicles, including trucks, medium-duty chassis, and dump trucks. The plant was opened in 1969, but the first Dongfeng automobile appeared six years later.

BAIC Group

One of the largest Chinese car manufacturers is the Beijing Automotive Group holding company, which owns hundreds of brands. It is known internationally as BAIC Group and is owned by the Beijing Municipal Government. The main subsidiaries of the holding are Foton Motor (agricultural machinery, buses, trucks), BAW (SUVs and military vehicles), and BAIC Motor (passenger cars).

The state-owned holding company BAIC Group, which is controlled by the Beijing government, has several business units. One of them is BAIC Motor, which is engaged in the production of passenger cars. It was established in 2010 and by now has managed to acquire many subsidiaries. Since 2015, it has owned a large stake in Mercedes-Benz Leasing.

GAC Group

Guangzhou Automobile Group, better known as GAC Group, produces foreign-made cars for sale in the PRC domestic market. It cooperates with Toyota, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Honda and Fiat. In addition to joint ventures, it has several subsidiaries that manufacture cars under its own brands. The best known of these are the Aion electric crossovers and sedans and the Gonow SUVs and commercial vehicles.

Geely

Geely Automobile Holdings Limited has gone through many rebrandings and has been renamed several times. According to official documents, it came into existence in 1986. At that time, the scope of its activities was far from the automotive industry. For three years, the company was engaged in the production of refrigerators until it was required to have a license.

The owner of the plant had to spend several years to obtain a license – however, for the production of scooters and motorcycles. The first models of two-wheeled vehicles appeared in 1992. At first, they were copies of Honda, but then Geely moved on to develop its own products. The Chinese company’s debut car went on sale in 1998.

Changan

The Changan company traces its history back to 1862 when a gun factory was founded. It became a state-owned company in the mid-20th century, after which it produced its first mass-produced car. It currently owns several brands, including Chana (commercial vehicles) and Changan (passenger cars). In 2020, an electric car under the Oushang brand will be added to the lineup. The parent company’s name translates to “Time-tested Reliability.”

Brilliance

The parent company of Brilliance Auto Group is called Huachen Automotive Group Holdings Co. Ltd. and has been in existence since 1992. The company produces vans and passenger cars, with about 70% of its production being economy sedans. The main production bases are concentrated in the cities of Mianyang (engine production) and Shenyang (car production). Brilliance owns four major subsidiaries, about a hundred brands, and two research centers.

BYD

BYD Auto is a subsidiary brand of BYD Co., Ltd. Their common three-letter name stands for Build Your Dreams. The parent company was founded in 1995 and has long been involved in the production of cell phone batteries. In 2002, it acquired the bankrupt Tsinchuan Automobile Co Ltd to get a license to produce passenger cars. Thus began the story of BYD Auto, known for its gasoline, electric, and hybrid vehicles. The lineup includes SUVs, sedans, minivans, hatchbacks, buses, vans, and trucks.

Great Wall

Great Wall Motor is one of the largest car manufacturers in the PRC. This company has been on the market since 1984 and specializes mainly in the production of pickup trucks and SUVs. Recently, passenger cars have been added to its range. The range also includes limousines, trailers, minivans, minibusses, and crossovers. All vehicles are produced under four brand names: GWM PICKUP, ORA, WEY, and HAVAL.

Great Wall Motor Holding is headquartered in Baoding County. The chairman of the board of directors is Wei Jianjun, and the general manager is businesswoman Wang Fengying.

Chery

Chery is an automobile company founded with the support of Wuhu City Hall. Appearing in 1997, it purchased Ford industrial equipment with investors’ money, and two years later, it started producing cars. Chery owns the first Chinese automobile plant built outside the PRC. At the same time, the company exports its products to several dozen countries, justifying the symbolic name, which translates as “Blessing from above.”

JAC

JAC Motors buses and cars are popular both in China and abroad. The full name of the state-owned company is Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co, Ltd. It is one of the largest automakers in the PRC in terms of production volume. The company’s product range is represented by passenger vehicles, forklifts, dump trucks, SUVs, and passenger cars. Well-equipped plants allow JAC to produce up to 500 thousand vehicles per year.

Chinese Luxury Car Brand

China, which has always been associated with consumer goods, actually has many luxury brands. This also applies to automotive products: the share of the PRC’s luxury segment in the automotive industry is growing every year. Moreover, not only world-famous foreign companies but also local enterprises are involved in its development. While the former assemble luxury cars at joint factories, the latter control the entire production process and use their own industrial sites.

Hongqi

Once upon a time, China’s high-ranking party officials drove only Hongqi cars. This transportation was designed specifically for the local elite and foreign officials. The original models were created from 1958 to 1981. By the way, Hongqi was the first passenger car in China. After a 14-year lull, the company returned to the production of cars, but this time on the basis of Lincoln Town Car and Audi 100 models. The brand is now owned by the FAW Group and continues to lead the luxury car market.

WEY

Great Wall Motors Company Limited produces premium SUVs under the WEY brand. The first models were introduced in 2017: the VV5 based on the Haval H6 crossover platform and the VV7 based on the second-generation Haval H6. Both cars are only available in the country’s domestic market. WEY also has a few concept cars. One of the latest is the Mocha flagship SUV with an avant-garde design, a smart car with smart driving features, and personal butler services.

Lynk & Co

Lynk & Co cars are something between Volvo and Geely cars. It is a Chinese-Swedish brand that was created in Sweden using Volvo technology and is owned by Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd., headquartered in Hangzhou. The lineup includes SUVs, sedans, and even electric scooters.

Chinese Electric Vehicle (EV) Maker

The electric vehicle market in China is growing rapidly. It is being taken over by new companies that are increasing their capacity and sales. And we are talking about both large existing manufacturers and small enterprises with a limited series of cars. They are trying to compete with Tesla and BMW, so they contribute to the development of the global industry.

NIO

The company NIO is often referred to as “China’s Tesla” because it doesn’t copy other people’s ideas but comes up with its own. It specializes in the design and development of electrically powered vehicles. Its most famous technology is NIO Pilot, a state-of-the-art self-driving system. The automaker also owns the revolutionary concept of Battery as a Service, which has attracted worldwide attention.

XPeng

Xiaopeng Motors, better known by its acronym XPeng, produces intelligent electric vehicles. It specializes in sports sedans (P7 model) and SUVs (G3 line), producing cars in the mid to high-price category. XPeng’s main focuses are autonomous driving technology, environmental friendliness, and safety.

Li Auto

Li Auto positions itself as a manufacturer of hybrid cars capable of running on two energy sources at once: electricity and gasoline. The second name of the company is Li Xiang. This is also the name of its creator, who opened his business in 2015. The company is headquartered in Beijing, and the main production sites are in Changzhou.

Geometry

In the Chinese automotive market, the Geometry brand is known as Jihe. It is one of Geely’s ambitious projects launched in 2019. The brand presents cars that run on electricity. It plans to launch at least ten electric car models by 2025. Right now, it has one sedan and one crossover based on Geely cars. They are intended for domestic sales.

Byton

Engineering company Byton, which was called Future Mobility until 2017, was established in 2016 by three companies: Harmony New Energy Auto, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., and Tencent Holdings Ltd. It defines its place in the market as a manufacturer of premium electric vehicles. The automotive startup’s immediate plans include launching three passenger car models by 2022.

Arcfox

Arcfox is one of the many brands of Beijing Automotive Industry Holding. It was launched in 2017 when the company decided to realize its ambitions in the field of electric cars. The first vehicle of the Arcfox brand was the Lite electric-powered microcar. This premium model was initially developed for BJEV. It was followed by the GT supercar.

Zinoro

Zinoro, like all BMW Brilliance subsidiaries, is equally owned by two companies: Chinese Brilliance Auto Group and German Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. The brand offers a lineup of luxury electric vehicles, including 1E crossovers and 60H hybrid cars. The first model appeared in 2013, at the same time as the launch with Zinoro. It was developed based on the BMW X1.

Singulato

The Singulato brand is owned by Zhiche Youxing Technology, which is part of Chi Che-hung Technology. Singulato’s products embody the automaker’s main goal of creating cars that run on electric power and are equipped with intelligent systems. To stay ahead of the competition in everything, the company is investing in new technologies.

Ranz

In 2013, First Automobile Works and Toyota Motor Company launched the Ranz sub-brand as part of the FAW Toyota joint venture. Its name means “Bright Life” in Chinese, which is very symbolic as it aims to make electric cars available to all customers. The first concept car was unveiled the same year the brand was launched.

Truck Brands (Medium, Heavy-duty)

In addition to passenger cars, Chinese companies produce heavy and medium-duty trucks. As a rule, these are specialized machines with good resources and optimal build quality. Most manufacturers are local enterprises. And some of them produce trucks only for the automobile market of mainland China.

FAW Jiefang

The predecessor of FAW Jiefang is considered to be FAW Car Co., Ltd., which was opened in 1953. The first car of this manufacturer – a truck created with the use of technologies from the Soviet Union – appeared three years later. Now, the company has a whole division of trucks known as Qingdao. At the same time, FAW Jiefang Automotive Company, Ltd. is a subsidiary of FAW Group.

Foton

The full name of the Foton brand sounds like Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. It received this name in 1996 when it first entered the PRC automobile market. Its parent company is BAIC Group, a holding company with a long history. Foton is a division of BAIC specializing in the production of agricultural machinery, buses, and trucks.

Dayun

The name of Dayun Conglomerate means “Great Canal.” This group of companies has existed since 1987 and has a wide range of activities, including the production of automobiles, motors, and motorcycles. A separate division was created for the production of trucks: Chengdu Dayun Automotive Group Co., Ltd. It has existed since 2009 and is represented on the market by two models of vehicles: Chuanlu and QiYun.

BeiBen

BeiBen is a brand of NORINCO Defense Corporation. It began to be created when it received a license for the production of Mercedes-Benz trucks. At first, this business was known as North Benz, and then it was renamed BeiBen. The company has opened production lines all over the world: they are located not only in China but also in Pakistan, Ethiopia, South Africa, and other countries.

Hualing Xingma

Hualing Xingma trucks are known only in China because, abroad, they are sold under the CAMC brand. The predecessor of this company started with the production of construction materials and then reoriented production to the production of mixer trucks and cement trucks. Anhui Xingma Automobile was registered in 1999. It opened up a new line of business – the production of heavy-duty vehicles. But before that, it had to enter into cooperation with Mitsubishi Fuso Corporation. Now, the trademark belongs to Geely New Energy.

Buses, Coaches

About half of all buses sold on the world market are built in China. Manufacturers from China lead in this sector, as there are more than a hundred major bus manufacturers alone. But it is worth highlighting the “main players” – those brands that are ahead of the competition in terms of sales and the number of vehicles produced. These include Yutong, King Long, Golden Dragon, and other brands.

Higer

Higer buses are supplied to several dozen countries, and the company adapts them to individual operating conditions. Passenger transport of this brand runs on the roads of America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and other regions. After all, Higer is the second largest manufacturer of tourist and city buses on the international market. It appeared in 1998 but has managed to surpass its competitors in terms of sales. Three hundred models in the 50 series are in demand both in China and abroad.

Yutong

Yutong is a well-known Chinese manufacturer of buses powered by gasoline engines or electric drives. The model range includes urban and tourist transport for routes with different passenger traffic. It includes small, medium, and large class models, such as ZK-6737D, ZK-6831H, and ZK-6129H. Buses are used components of other companies: Hino, Nissan, Allison, Eaton, or Cummins.

King Long

Tourist, school, transport, and city buses King Long is the pinnacle of the Chinese automobile industry. In addition to them, the company produces various vans: postal, police, fire, and commercial. The model range also includes minibusses and ambulances. By Chinese standards, King Long is considered quite an old brand: it entered the market in 1988.

Golden Dragon

Golden Dragon is a brand of Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus company, founded in 1992. This automaker is owned by King Long, whose name also translates from Chinese as “Golden Dragon.” The brand is known worldwide as a developer of buses and coaches, minibusses, special vehicles, and minibusses – service areas – in about 40 countries, including the European market.

Zhongtong

Zhongtong has been based in the city of Liaocheng since its inception. It came into existence in 1951 when a factory was built to manufacture and repair cars. In 1971, it changed its specialization, moving to the production of buses. These vehicles are available in a wide range of products. The lineup includes hybrid electric buses, as well as light, city, road, and luxury models of various capacities.

List of Car Brands

Modern Chinese cars withstand competition since their assembly is often controlled by well-known foreign companies, which also supply their components. However, on the world market, there are many cars of exclusively Chinese origin created by PRC enterprises without outside interference. This transport is also trustworthy because recently local manufacturers have begun to pay attention to new technologies and impressive basic equipment.

Haval

Haval is a Chinese brand of SUVs and crossovers. It was registered in 2013 by the Great Wall Motor Concern. Haval is one of the divisions of GWM, producing expensive and comfortable cars. Its name comes from the English phrase “I Have All.” Cars of this brand are divided into two series: Blue and Red. In the first series are sports cars, and in the second – classic models.

Wuling

Wuling Motors is the flagship brand of Liuzhou Wuling Automobile Industry Co, Ltd. Wuling minibuses appeared on the automobile market back in 1982. They were produced by Liuzhou Automotive Industry Corporation, which soon received permission to assemble Mitsubishi Minicab and moved on to the development of minivans. In 2002, SAIC-GM-Wuling was established. General Motors and SAIC Motor own it in equal shares, so both companies have the right to the Wuling brand.

Baojun

In 2010, two Chinese companies, Wuling Automobile Company Limited and SAIC Motor Corporation, merged with American General Motors, resulting in the Baojun brand. They established the SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile concern to create the brand. Baojun entered the market with a simple and affordable sedan in a familiar format. Seven years later, he opened a new direction: miniature electric cars. The name of the manufacturer translates to “Precious Horse,” which hints at the greater speed and increased cost of the cars.

Roewe

SAIC Motor Company owns the Roewe brand. The Chinese manufacturer created it in 2006 after failing to buy the rights to the British Rover brand. Instead, SAIC acquired Rover 25 and Rover 75 technology, which it used to develop its cars. Roewe can be deciphered as “Glorious Power,” although the parent company claims the name comes from the German word Loewe and translates to “Lion.”

Venucia

Venucia’s Renault City K-ZE-based electric cars, sedans, crossovers, and SUVs are designed specifically for the PRC domestic market and have been engineered since 2016 by Venucia’s design center. The brand was originally owned by Dongfeng Nissan but later became part of Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd. In 2020, the company’s management announced plans to merge Venucia with Dongfeng Nissan.

Maxus

The Maxus brand is sometimes referred to as Datong as it reads the characters that make up its Chinese name. It was created from the disbanded LDV Group from the UK when SAIC Motor Corporation Limited acquired the rights to LDV. The first Maxus cars were inspired by a light commercial vehicle previously produced under the LDV Maxus brand.

Qoros

Shanghai Qoros Auto Co., Ltd. carries out a full cycle of production of passenger cars under the Qoros brand. Until 2011, it was called Chery Quantum Automotive Corporation, as it was created by the Chinese automaker Chery with the support of the largest Israeli-holding Israel Corporation. The first Qoros production car went on sale in 2013.

Soueast

Soueast is the trading name of South East (Fujian) Motor Co, Ltd. Half of its shares are owned by Fujian Motors Group. The remaining half is equally divided between Mitsubishi Motors and China Motor Corporation. Southeast was founded by the two Chinese companies in 1995, with the Japanese automaker joining 11 years later. The current president of the company is Tzu-Sheng Zuo.

Haima

Haima was formerly known as Hainan Mazda Motor Co, Ltd. The company was established by the Hainan provincial government and the Mazda government to produce and sell cars from famous Japanese corporations in the Chinese auto market. The rebranding took place after the FAW Group acquired the entire stake in Mazda. The new owner took up the construction of Haima plants in the PRC and abroad.

JMC

JMC’s predecessor was the light truck division of Jiangling Motors Corporation Group Co, Ltd. JMCG Holding, in turn, was formed on the basis of the repair plant Nanchang Motors. The official year of creation of the automobile brand is considered to be 1993 because then it received a new legal status – a limited liability company.

Changfeng

GAC Changfeng Motor Company was established by the armed forces of the PRC. From 1950 to 1996, it functioned as a subsidiary of the People’s Liberation Army on the basis of plant No. 7319. During this time, Changfeng managed to be both a repair shop and a manufacturer of military off-road vehicles. The turning point in the history of the company was 1995. It was then that the first analog of the Mitsubishi Pajero pickup truck came off the assembly line. The brand received its current name in 2009 when it became clear that it would be transferred to the ownership of GAC Group.

Landwind

The Landwind brand is owned by Jiangling Motor Holding, although it was originally a JMCG project to reduce dependence on Isuzu and Ford. As far as is known, Ford opposed the decision. As a result, the brand was relaunched by JMH in 2004. Currently, the brand’s lineup includes SUVs, crossovers, minivans, and sedans.

Hawtai

Hawtai, like many other Chinese companies, started out by producing licensed cars of a foreign brand. In its case, Hyundai. The company was created for this purpose in 2000, and three years later introduced the first Terracan SUV. It was followed by copies of one crossover and two buses. In 2010, Hawtai decided to develop something of its own and released the B11 sedan. The chosen course uses Hyundai technology and positions itself as an environmentally friendly brand of cars with diesel engines.

Gonow

Zhejiang Gonow Auto Co., Ltd. has two equal brands, Gonow for overseas markets and GAC Gonow for vehicle sales in the PRC. The company released its first pickup truck in 2004 and immediately began exporting to Europe and Africa. Later, the model range was supplemented with SUVs, minivans, minibusses, and military vehicles.

Zotye

The Zotye brand belongs to the Zotye Holding group of companies and has existed since 2005. Previously, the company was engaged in the production of spare parts, but after reorganization, it began to produce cars. The most popular series of this brand are E (electric cars), Z (hatchbacks, sedans), T (crossovers, SUVs), and V10 (minibusses). The main sales markets are China and Vietnam.

Lifan

Yin Minshan, the founder of Lifan, was once a master of repairing motorcycles and then decided to produce them. Over time, he expanded the range of vehicles to include ATVs, scooters, buses, and cars. The company received its current name in 1997. Translated from Chinese, it means “to sail at full throttle.” In 2020, after only 23 years of existence, Lifan was declared bankrupt.

Hafei

Hafei began as a division of an aircraft manufacturing company. It was born in 1994 and immediately began to produce cars. First, it was a small car, Daewoo Tico, and two years later, a minivan, Zhongyi, appeared. Hafei quickly developed and became the center of the association, which included dozens of factories and workshops. Since 2010, the company belongs to Changan Automobile, a leader in the production of passenger cars.

ZX Auto

The automaker Hebei Zhongxing Automobile is better known by its abbreviated name: ZX Auto. Its factories, located in China, produce pickups and SUVs. Some cars are assembled abroad from ready-made spare parts kits. The company is a joint venture between Hebei Tianye Automobile Group and Taiwan Unite Leading.

XinKai

The XinKai plant was built in 1984 and, until the 1990s, dealt mainly with military vehicles. In 1999, its owners, which included foreign investors and a Hong Kong firm, rebranded it. As a result, the company became known as XinKai (translated as “New Victory”), and a large number of civilian vehicles appeared in its lineup. By this time, it had acquired its own product line and received the status of a corporation.

Jinbei

Half of the Jinbei brand is owned by Renault, and about the same amount is owned by Brilliance Auto. They became its owners in 2017 by buying the brand’s parent company, Shenyang Brilliance Jinbei Automotive. Prior to that, the company, founded in 1991, had changed hands. In the early years, Jinbei’s factories produced cars based on Toyota technology.

Kingstar

Kingstar Vehicle Company Limited is a manufacturer of electric cars, pickup trucks, SUVs, minivans, trucks, buses and vans. The company has been in existence since 2004 and is focused on exporting vehicles to other countries. The company’s assembly lines are located both in China and abroad, where Kingstar supplies kits. Technical modification of vehicles is allowed at customers’ request.

Jiangnan

Hunan company Jiangnan Automobile Manufacturing Company was founded in 1952. After 36 years, it began production of passenger cars. The first in this line was a miniature model JHN 710. By 2012, more than 117 thousand cars had come off the assembly lines of Jiangnan, which allowed it to enter the top 40 most productive enterprises in the automotive industry. Since 2016, the brand has been owned by Zotye Auto.

Jonway

Jonway Automobile is a division of Jonway Group and is 51% owned by the American automaker ZAP. The first cars of this brand were unlicensed copies of the Toyota RAV4 (XA20). Now, the model range includes two crossovers and one compact MPV. In addition, Jonway has a subsidiary: Carrozzeria Viotti. It specializes in sports and hybrid cars.

Everus

Li Nian, also known as Everus, is part of Guangqi Honda Automobile Co, Ltd. It produces vehicles based on Honda technology. For example, the S1 model is the result of a rebranding of the fourth-generation Honda City. The VE-1 subcompact SUV, which runs on electricity, is based on the Honda Vezel crossover concept.

Nanjing Automobile Corporation

Nanjing Automobile Corporation has a long history dating back to the early era of Chinese automobile manufacturing. It began in 1947 when the People’s Liberation Army captured the city of Nanjing, where there was an automobile workshop. On the basis of this workshop, which was named Nanjing Automobile, they began to produce the first light-duty trucks in the PRC.

Then, the manufacturer obtained the rights to use foreign technologies and, at the expense of this, expanded the model range. Over time, it opened new plants, created joint ventures with foreign companies, and acquired several brands (Yuejin, MG, Soyat).

Yuejin

Yuejin Motor Group is one of the largest automobile enterprises in the PRC. In the past, it was called Nanjing Auto Works. It is the parent company of Nanjing Fiat, Nanjing Iveco, and Nanjing Yuejin – the main production bases of the corporation. They produce tens of thousands of vehicles per year. Their products are known under various brands both at home and abroad.

Yema

The Chinese brand of cars and buses, Yema, has existed since 2002. It belongs to Sichuan Yema Automobile Co., Ltd., which was founded in the 1980s but only started producing cars in 1994. More recently, the company, along with its brands, acquired the privately held Levdeo Corporation. Since then, gasoline-powered Yema cars began to acquire electric counterparts – more than 40 variants in total.

Hanteng Autos

The official name of this automaker is Jiangxi Hanteng Automobile Co, Ltd. It was founded in 2013, after which it immediately started building its factory in Shangrao, Jiangxi Province. Now, it is a large private enterprise with three subsidiaries and a lineup of vehicles of its own design. The key specialization of the brand is research and practical application of the latest technologies for fuel-efficient and “green” cars, as well as the production of spare parts.

Denza

Denza is a Chinese brand whose full name is Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co, Ltd. It entered the domestic market in 2010 and is a joint venture between BYD and Daimler AG. They own the factory in equal shares. The brand is headquartered in Shenzhen, and the lineup consists of just one electric car model. The car was first presented in 2012 in Beijing at the Auto China exhibition. Its production began at the end of 2014. The name of the brand comes from the word “Tenshi,” which means “increasing force and momentum” or “wind energy” in Chinese.

LvChi Auto

This young brand was founded in China in 2016 and is headquartered in Shanghai. The design divisions are in Italy, and its own factory is in Changchun, Jilin province. Its production capacity is expected to reach 550,000 cars per year in 2023. The name of the brand is symbolic and associated with the Chinese word “lüchi,” which translates as “green wagon.” The new Chinese company specializes in the production of electric cars and has already presented several conceptual models – Venere and Urano – at the world’s famous auto shows. The latter will turn into production cars of different classes and types: luxury, MPV, sedan, SUV, and mini-car.

SAIC Iveco Hongyan

The SAIC Iveco Hongyan brand appeared on the Chinese automobile market in 2003 and traces its origins back to a company formed in 1965. Currently, it is a joint venture owned by SAIC Corporation, Italian company Iveco, and the city of Chongqing. The manufacturer produces mainly heavy equipment based on Iveco vehicles and sells it under the Hongyan brand.

Defunct Car Brands

Zhongyu

A wide range of vehicles are produced under the Zhongyu brand: ATVs, ambulances, police vans, luxury buses, MPVs, energy-efficient test vehicles, motorcycles, and more. The vehicles are manufactured by Dongfeng Yu-An (Wuhan) Vehicles Co., Ltd., and the motorcycles are manufactured by Guangdong Tayo Motorcycle Technology Co., Ltd.

Youngman

Youngman has been defunct since 2019 and is remembered as a manufacturer of trucks, trolleybuses, buses, and passenger cars. It is worth noting that the production of passenger cars was discontinued in 2015. The main brands are Youngman-Lotus, MAN, and Neoplan. The company was named in honor of its founder, Pang Qingnian, whose first and last name translates into English as “Youngman.”

Shuanghuan

Shuanghuan is a defunct automaker that has been on the market for about 28 years (from 1988 to 2016). During this time, it produced several SUVs, crossovers, vans, and hatchbacks. He has also owned the Red Star company since 2002. A separate lineup included two electric cars produced in conjunction with Wheego Electric Cars. Shuanghuan withdrew from the market by order of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Shanghai Maple Guorun

Shanghai Maple Guorun is the old name of Maple Automobile Co, Ltd. The company was founded in 2000 and was partially taken over by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group two years later. In 2008, Geely fully bought out Maple, after which the brand was temporarily forgotten and replaced by the low-cost brand Englon. In 2020, the owners of the company decided to bring it back to the market by expanding the model range with various electric cars.

Baolong

Guangzhou Baolong Motors has been on the market for only seven years (since 1998) but has managed to be remembered for its bulletproof cars based on Renault, Ford vans, and Mitsubishi SUVs. It has been defunct since 2005: production at all four plants was halted then. However, the company left behind a successor, the FAW Baolong Light Vehicle.

Englon

Englon is a discontinued brand of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. It replaced the Shanghai Maple brand, which ceased to exist in 2010. The parent company positioned Englon as a line of cars imitating the classics of the British automotive industry. Specialized cabs TX4, crossovers SX7, sedans SC6, hatchbacks SC5-RV, and other models of passenger transport were produced under this name. In 2014, Geely Holding ceased using this brand, as well as Gleagle and Emgrand.

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