Geely and Changan collaborate on intelligent EVs, tech

MANILA: The two Chinese automakers Geely and Changan have agreed to work together on projects ranging from new energy cars to intelligent technology. The surprising partnership announcement, which provided few details, came just two months after Changan publicly argued with Geely, claiming the latter had copied the design of its electric vehicle for the Galaxy EV series, which was introduced in February, according to sources.

The first model under the new brand, which Geely, the parent company of Volvo, is rushing to start delivering by the end of the current quarter, is anticipated to be priced similarly to Deepal, a new EV sub-brand introduced by Changan.

Geely Galaxy

Geely's entry into the expanding EV market is marked by the Galaxy range of electric vehicles. The Galaxy L7 plug-in hybrid SUV will be the first of seven new EVs under the new range that Geely wants to release over the following two years.

The NordThor Hybrid 8848 drivetrain and NordThor three-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) will be included with the Galaxy L7. The former generates a powerful output of up to 600 hp by combining a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with one or two electric motors. The EV accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and then accelerates to 200 km/h.

Changan Deepal

The SL3 mid-size sedan is the sole vehicle produced by Changan's NEV brand Deepal. NEV, which stands for "New Energy Vehicles" in Chinese, includes FCEVs, also known as hydrogen vehicles and pure electric vehicles. The Deepal SL03, which is based on Changan's EPA1 platform, is the only automobile available in China with all three types of drivetrains: BEV, EREV, and FCEV.

A 28.39 kWh battery gives the Deepal EV a 200km pure battery driving range. While the 1.5L ICE only has 70 kW of power, the electric motor has 160 kW of power. The total range is 1200 kilometers.

Photos from Geely, Changan

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