Geely + EU-China + China-India + WHO + BBC + Johnny Erling • China.Table

China’s largest automaker Geely attacks Tesla
EU-China relations: temporary low or caesura?
China and India: two giants with a fragile relationship
EU countries criticize WHO report
WHO: vaccines from China with good efficacy
Foreign correspondents criticize Beijing
State Council allows merger of Sinochem and ChemChina
Johnny Erling: 1.4 billion names – Big Brother knows them all

Dear reader,

Of course, we have also been dealing intensively with the consequences of the mutual sanctioning of the EU and China for more than a week. The editors of China.Table feel the same way you do. The exchange of blows between the two sides was too intense for us not to want to take stock of EU-China relations. A low point or even a turning point? Looking for answers, Felix Lee studied the latest Chinese publications and spoke in-depth with China expert Markus Taube.

From refrigerator manufacturer to major shareholder of Daimler: Li Shufu has had an undoubtedly impressive entrepreneurial career. Today he is 59 years old – and apparently wants to do it all over again. With his company Geely and the Zeekr brand, he is entering the premium market for EVs, developing new mobility models and technological platforms. Jörn Petring, Gregor Koppenburg, and Frank Sieren followed Li’s footsteps and sounded out his plans.

And of course, at the end of this pre-Easter work week, we wouldn’t want to leave you without a column from Johnny Erling, who takes us into the world of Chinese naming.

We hope that you have a relaxing and, above all, a safe Easter, and we are looking forward to welcoming you again on Tuesday morning at the China.Table.

Your
Antje Sirleschtov

Feature

China’s largest carmaker Geely attacks Tesla

Geely is China’s largest car company. With its new brand Zeekr, the company now wants to attack the market for premium EVs. Company founder Li Shufu has already turned the industry on its head several times in his home country. With his group, he also holds around ten percent of the shares in Daimler.

In China, EV startups are a dime a dozen. Therefore, not every company that announces its intention to launch a new e-brand is worth a closer look. Some make the breakthrough to market maturity, others fall by the wayside, but one name you’re sure to read more often in the future is “Zeekr”.

With this new brand, Geely Automobile is going on the attack when it comes to electric mobility. The largest Chinese carmaker wants to compete against the top dogs BYD, Li Auto, Nio, Xpeng, and Tesla. “Zeekr Company Limited” is the name of the newly founded joint venture, 51 percent of which belongs to Geely Automobile Holdings and 49 percent to the parent company Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (ZGH). Both companies are investing around €260 million in the project.

Geely said that the first Zeekr vehicles are expected to be delivered in the third quarter of 2021, with a new electric model from the brand to be launched every year for the next five years. It said it will initially target the domestic market but will also“explore export opportunities to meet global market demand for premium electric vehicles”. The Zeekr is expected to cost about as much as Nio’s ET7 or Tesla’s Model 3 in China – between ¥300,000 (€39,000) and ¥500,000 (€65,000).

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