Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC Group) is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Guangzhou, Guangdong. As of 2021, it was the fifth largest automobile manufacturer in China, with 2.144 million sales in 2021.
The company produces and sells vehicles under its own branding, such as Hyptec, Trumpchi, Aion, Hycan as well as under foreign-branded joint ventures such as GAC Toyota and GAC Honda. It also produces electric vehicles under some of the previously listed brandings. It produces buses under the GAC Bus brand. Other brand names associated with GAC are Everus, for consumer vehicles, and Hino.
In 2021, GAC was the fourth largest Chinese plug-in electric vehicle manufacturer in the Chinese market, with 4% of market share.[2] It sold 123,660 units of EVs in 2021, and over 20,000 units in March 2022, with plans to double EV production capacity to 400,000 a year by December 2022.[3][4][5]
History
Tongsheng Machining Plant, the predecessor of Guangzhou automobile manufacturing plant, was founded in 1948,[6] and in 2005[7] become a holding of Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group[8] and a joint-stock company.[9] As of 2009, it was the 6th-largest automaker in China.[10]
In 2009, the company acquired 29% of the Chinese sport-utility vehicle maker Changfeng Automobile, becoming its biggest shareholder. GAC purchased the remaining portion of Changfeng in 2011 completing its acquisition of the company.[11]
Leadership
Brands
Current
Hyptec
Hyptec is the premium brand under GAC Aion. The brand was created in September 2022 as Hyper, with a goal to expand GAC Aion's portfolio with a separate premium brand.[32]
Hyptec's first product is the Hyptec SSR sports car.[33] Production of the SSR began in October 2023.[34] In 2023, the Hyper lineup was further expanded with a second model, the Hyptec GT sedan, which went on sale in July 2023.[35]
Joint ventures
Current
GAC Honda
GAC Honda, formerly Guangqi Honda is a 50:50 joint venture between GAC and Honda.[45] The company produces Honda vehicles for the Chinese market since 1999. It started sales of its own brand, Everus in 2011.[46]
GAC Wuyang-Honda
Wuyang-Honda markets Honda Motorcycles for the Chinese market.[47]
Sales
International operations
GAC Group has been vocal about its plans to introduce models into the United States.[72] Trumpchi made its first appearance at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2013, where the Trumpchi E-Jet concept made its world debut.[73] In 2017, the company returned to Detroit and showed three SUVs and two sedans. In January 2018, Trumpchi brought five new models and a concept SUV, the Enverge.[73][74] GAC established research and development teams in Silicon Valley and Los Angeles in 2017 and 2018, respectively.[75] During the 2019 Detroit Auto Show they announced delays to their sales plans to the first half of 2020.[76]
Sponsorships
GAC was the sponsor of the 2011 World Table Tennis Championships held in Rotterdam and the title sponsor of the 2012 ITTF World Tour.[101]
GAC was the title sponsor of the 2013 World Team Cup Table Tennis tournament held in its home city of Guangzhou.[101]
See also
- Automobile manufacturers and brands of China
- List of automobile manufacturers of China
- Automotive industry in China