Great Wall Motor — BrandWiki

industry	Automotive

products	Automobiles, engines, transmissions

production	1,323,672 vehicles (2025)

brands	GWM Haval Ora Wey Tank Souo

revenue	CN¥ 173.21 billion (2023)

operating income	CN¥ 7.20 billion (2023)

net income	CN¥ 7.02 billion (2023)

assets	CN¥ 201.27 billion (2023)

num employees	82,439 (2023)

parent	Baoding Great Wall Holdings Company

subsid	Spotlight Automotive (50%)

equity	CN¥ 68.50 billion (2023)

homepage	gwm.com.cn (Chinese) gwm-global.com (global)

footnotes	‡R2R‡

Great Wall Motor Company Limited, trading as GWM, is a Chinese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Baoding, Hebei, China. Named after the Great Wall of China, the company largely produces sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and pick-up trucks, as well as trucks.[3] It is one of the top ten Chinese automobile manufacturers, with 1.23 million vehicles sold globally in 2024. In 2020, GWM ranked 128th on China's 500 Most Valuable Brands by World Brand Lab with a brand value of 50.752 billion yuan.[4]

GWM was founded in 1984 as a small manufacturer partly owned by a local government in Hebei. Wei Jianjun, GWM's current chairman was appointed as the company director in 1990, and grew the company as one of the leading pickup truck manufacturers in China. In 1998, the company was privatized and went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2003.

The company manufactures and sells vehicles under multiple brands, including GWM, Haval, Wey, Tank, Poer, and Ora. In addition to automobiles, it produces touring motorcycles under the Souo brand. Since 2019, GWM has also operated a joint venture with BMW Group to produce electric Mini vehicles in China, under the name Spotlight Automotive.

History

1984–2003: Establishment and early years

GWM began as a agricultural vehicle repair workshop called Great Wall Repair Factory in Baoding, Hebei. The workshop was founded in 1976 by Wei Deliang, the uncle of the current chairman Wei Jianjun, in collaboration with the local government of Nandayuan Township. By 1984, the workshop began producing his own commercial vehicles based on the Beijing BJ212, including small trucks called the CC130 and a large SUV, the CC513.[5] Wei Deliang renamed the company Great Wall Industry Company.[6]

After graduating high school, Wei Jianjun worked briefly in a micromotor factory in Beijing, and later at a carpet factory. In 1986, he joined a company owned by Wei Deyi, his father, which focused on metal construction, water pipes, and heating parts. In 1989, he and his father founded Taihang Dongwei Automotive Suspension, focusing on designing vehicle suspensions.[6]

Operations

Manufacturing

GWM's primary base of operations is located in Baoding, Hebei province. A site in Tianjin began operating in 2011. A second base of operations in Baoding become operational in October 2013, located in Xushui county.[43]

In November 2020, GWM announced the completion of its Taizhou plant in Jiangsu, with the Ora Good Cat rolling off the assembly line as its first product. The Taizhou base, constructed since November 2019, is GWM's eighth vehicle assembly facility in China, with a total investment of 8 billion yuan ($1.22 billion) and an annual capacity of 100,000 vehicles.[44]

As of 2024, GWM operates 10 full-process automobile manufacturing plants in China, three full-process automobile manufacturing plants overseas in Thailand, Brazil and Russia, and several knock-down assembly plants in countries such as Pakistan and Ecuador.[2]

Overseas markets

GWM products are available in many places across the globe. Since its early years of exporting vehicles, GWM also uses third-party factories in overseas markets to produce models from knock-down kits.

Australia

Great Wall vehicles started sales in Australia in 2009 by an independent distributor, Ateco. In 2012, almost 25,000 Chery and Great Wall vehicles were recalled by Ateco after discoveries of asbestos in the engine and exhaust gaskets. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission who monitored the recall, stated that the newly imported stock of both brands were not affected by the recall.[54]

In May 2016, GWM set up a factory-backed distribution operation, coinciding with the launch of the Haval brand on the Australian market.[55] As of October 2021, Australia was GWM's largest export market.[56]

Brands

In the early 2010s, GWM began differentiating its SUV, passenger car, and pick-up truck offerings under the names Haval, Voleex, and Wingle, respectively.[102] By 2013, Haval became an independent brand, and the Voleex nameplate was discontinued around 2016.[103][104] By 2020, GWM ceased selling passenger cars under the Great Wall brand in certain international markets, with all SUVs now carrying the Haval name. Pick-up trucks, including the replacement for the Great Wall Steed, were branded under the GWM marque.[105][106] Additionally, GWM introduced three new brands: Wey in 2017 for premium vehicles, Ora in 2018 for electric vehicles, and Tank in 2021 for luxury off-roaders. In the early 2020s, Great Wall Commercial Vehicles was formed to manufacture trucks.[107]

Technologies

Platforms

Guiyuan (归元)
Guiyuan S
Hi4-T, Off-road Super Hybrid Architecture[119]
Hi4-Z
Hi4-G, Class 8 truck[120]

Software

Coffee AI
Coffee OS
Coffee OS 3

Joint venture

Spotlight Automotive

In November 2019, GWM and BMW Group established a joint venture to develop and produce Mini-branded battery electric vehicles in China. The joint venture is called Spotlight Automotive Ltd.[122] A manufacturing plant in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu was constructed between 2020 and 2022.[123] The first mass-produced vehicle, a Mini Cooper SE (J01) rolled off from the plant on 14 October 2023.[124]

Marketing

Offroad tiering

Urban SUV, Wey Lanshan
General offroad, Haval Big Dog
Strong offroad, Tank 500 Hi4-T
Super strong offroad, Unimog [125]

Sales

Global sales

Exports

Motorsport

The company made appearances at the Dakar Rally previously. In 2010, it first entered the race as car number 389,[131] with a modified model based on Haval H3,[132] and ranked 33rd.[133] The next year it finished 22nd as car number 373.[134][135] Its best rankings were achieved in the 2012 and 2013 editions, when the team finished sixth.[136][137]

Controversies

Accusations of copied designs

In 2003, Nissan claimed that Great Wall's SUV, the Great Wall Sing copied the Nissan Paladin, and considered filing a lawsuit against Great Wall.[8] In 2006, Italian automaker Fiat claimed that a Great Wall A-segment car, the Peri (Jing Ling in China), was a copy of its popular second generation Fiat Panda.[141] A 2008 Turin court ruling substantiated the claim, stating that the Peri "doesn't look like a different car but is a Panda with a different front end."[142] A copyright infringement case in Shijiazhuang, China, however, was rejected, with the court claiming that "consumers would not be confused between the two" as they were "clearly different, particularly the front and rear parts of the vehicles".[143]

External links

References

https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/22948397#:~:text=Feng%20Mu%2C%20Great%20Wall%20Motor,Profile%20and%20Biography%20%2D%20Bloomberg%20Markets^
2023 Annual Report Great Wall Motor, retrieved 2024-06-18^
Great Wall Motor in green car push in 2011 Reuters, 2010-09-16^

2003–2018: Initial public offering, exports and new brands

GWM was the first private Chinese auto manufacturer to become a public company, by making an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 15 December 2003.[9][10] In 2006, GWM introduced the Haval CUV (initially Hover CUV) in 2006, which was exported to Asian, Russian, and South American markets. The Haval platform also supported the Wingle pickup, which became popular in export markets. GWM started selling vehicles in Europe in 2006, offering small vans.[11] In September 2006, 500 units of Haval CUVs were exported to Italy for the first time, marking the first time a privately owned Chinese car company exported cars to Europe in large quantities.[12][13] GWM products were first available in the Australian market in 2009.[14] In 2011, GWM opened a factory in Bulgaria that assembles three different models from knock-down kits.[15]

During this period, GWM's passenger cars often resembled models from other carmakers. GWM launched several models between 2006 and 2010, including the Peri (a Fiat Panda lookalike) and the Voleex series (resembling Toyota and Honda models). Numerous legal disputes over intellectual property followed, with varied outcomes. In China, Fiat's case against the Peri was rejected due to insufficient visual differences, while in Italy, the sale of the Peri was prohibited.[16][17][18] GWM defended their practices as necessary for catching up with international competitors.[19]

On 28 September 2011, GWM went public again, this time on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, merging the equity portfolios of the Wei family and Nandayuan Township into a single investment fund. This IPO established the company's current corporate structure.[20] In the midst of producing numerous copycat vehicles, GWM introduced the Haval H6 at the 2010 Guangzhou Auto Show, which was notable for not being a direct copy of other carmaker's model. The crossover SUV quickly became GWM's major success, catering to the growing Chinese middle-class family market with its spacious interior and above-average build quality.[21] It found success nationwide, particularly in urban and coastal regions.[22] Since its launch, the H6 has led the SUV segment in China for 103 consecutive months, or around 8 years. As of 2024, GWM has sold more than 4 million H6 globally.[23]

With the success of the Haval H6, GWM achieved massive growth, with net profit increasing sevenfold in five years.[8] It became one of the first carmaker to fully concentrate on the SUV segment as its popularity began to grow. This shift also marked the launch of Haval as a brand in March 2013, which only sells SUVs. The company quickly phased out sedans and hatchbacks, except for the Voleex C30 which lasted until 2016. This strategy proved highly successful, with GWM producing over one million cars annually for the first time by 2016. The company later introduced several new Haval models, positioned both above and below the H6. By 2018, there were at least ten Haval H6 derivatives.[19]

In April 2017, GWM introduced a third brand, Wey, named after Wei Jianjun's family name. Positioned as the group’s premium brand, Wey delivered more luxurious crossovers and SUVs than Haval.[24] In the electric vehicle segment, GWM through its battery business unit conducted pre-research on battery production since 2012.[25] in October 2016, the company launched its first electric vehicle, the Great Wall C30EV.[26][27] In 2017, in order to offset the company's fleet average fuel consumption in China, GWM acquired a 25% stake of Hebei Yujie Vehicle Industry, a major company in the low-speed electric vehicle (LSEV) market. The collaboration led to the establishment of Linktour Automobile, which initially converted some LSEVs to automobiles. The Linktour K-One electric crossover launched shortly after but failed in the market. By 2019, Linktour faced financial difficulties, leading to production halts and eventual bankruptcy. In February 2018, GWM spun off its battery business unit into an independent battery manufacturer, SVOLT Energy Technology Co., Ltd or commonly known as SVOLT.

2018–present: Global expansion

In 2018, GWM signed a joint venture agreement with BMW, establishing Spotlight Automotive to produce electric Mini in China for the global market.[28]

In this period, GWM has been investing in overseas markets to increase its manufacturing footprint and sales outside China. In June 2019, GWM's Russian factory in the Uzlovaya industrial park in Tula went operational after being under construction since 2015. It was the largest investment project from a Chinese manufacturing industry in Russia.[29]

In January 2020, GWM agreed to purchase one of two plants owned by General Motors India located in Talegaon, Maharashtra as part of the company's aim to manufacture and sell cars in India.[30] The company participated at the Auto Expo in February 2020, which was held in Greater Noida. The company had proposed an investment of US$1 billion and planned to start manufacturing in 2021. In July 2022, GWM cancelled its Indian investment plans due to failure of obtaining regulatory approvals, caused by the Indian government stance towards Chinese investments amid the ongoing Sino-Indian border dispute.[31]

In February 2020, GWM reached a deal with General Motors to purchase the General Motors Thailand plant in Rayong province. It began production in the first quarter of 2021 with an annual production capacity of 80,000 units.[32]

In 2020, Great Wall Motor rebranded to GWM.[33] In March 2021, GWM spun off the Tank brand, which was previously a model line within the Wey brand. Tank-branded vehicles are body-on-frame SUVs based on the Tank platform.[34]

After participating in European auto shows such as the International Motor Show Germany in 2019 and 2021,[35] GWM opened its European headquarters in Munich, Germany in November 2021 as an effort to expand sales in Europe with Wey and Ora brands.[36] In May 2024, GWM announced that it is closing its European headquarters by 31 August 2024 due to its low sales in the region. In 2023, the company sold just 6,300 vehicles in Europe, or 2% of its overseas sales.[37] GWM vehicles will still be available in Europe, however its European operations will be controlled directly from China.[38]In November 2023, GWM announced an adjustment of its multi-brand strategy for export markets, naming the new strategy "One GWM".[39] GWM will be a "master brand", while its brands such as Haval, Ora and Wey were downgraded to a sub-brand status. This adjustment led to the renaming of the Ora Funky Cat to the GWM Ora 03, and the Ora Next Cat to the GWM Ora 07 for some markets.[40]

In January 2026, Great Wall Motor officially launched the Guiyuan (归元) Platform at its Baoding, Hebei. The platform proposes a "one vehicle, multiple powertrains" approach, which is compatible with five powertrain types: Plug-in Hybrid, Hybrid, Battery Electric, Fuel Cell, and ICE. It integrates the Coffee EEA 4.0 electronic and electrical architecture, AI OS in-vehicle system, dual VLA large model, and bionic motion control system.[42]

Current brands

GWM

Initially, as the core brand of Great Wall Motor, GWM manufactured various types of vehicles. Over time, the brand was repositioned to focus to pick-up trucks. GWM introduced a sub-brand called Poer (pronounced as power), which stands for Powerful, Off-road, Enjoyable, and Reliable. Models such as the GWM Poer P11 and GWM Poer P12 are available in some markets overseas.[108][109]

Haval

Haval is GWM's SUV brand. The Haval name was first used by the Great Wall Haval CUV (initially romanised as Hover, later renamed to Haval H3), which was introduced in April 2005. Haval was spun-off from a product line of GWM to a standalone brand in March 2013.

Wey

Wey is GWM's luxury marque, focusing on crossovers and SUVs. Launched in 2017, it is named after GWM chairman Wei Jianjun.

Ora

Ora, also known as GWM Ora in some markets outside China, is GWM's electric car brand. The marque was officially launched with its first model Ora iQ in August 2018, targeting female consumers. According to GWM, Ora stands for 'open, reliable and alternative', while also paying homage to Leonhard Euler, a notable mathematician.[110]

Tank

Tank, also known as GWM Tank in some markets outside China, is GWM's luxury off-road marque. Originally a sub-brand under Wey, Tank became independent due to its significantly different styling and brand proposition.

Changzheng

Changzheng is a heavy-truck manufacturer founded in Xingtai, Hebei, China in 1950. It was acquired by Great Wall Motor on 10 January 2022.

Souo

GWM Souo Moto or simply Souo is a luxury motorcycle brand established in 2024. Created as a "passion project" of Wei Jianjun, GWM's chairman, Souo mainly produces touring motorcycles.[111][112][113]

Souo S2000 (2024–present)
Souo LH2000 (upcoming)[114]

Confidence

Confidence is GWM's high-end luxury brand. It is currently planned to be launched in 2026.[115]

type	Public
foundation	1984
location city	Baoding, Hebei
location country	China
key people	Wei Jianjun (chairman, executive director) Zhao Guoqing (vice chairman, executive director) Mu Feng (chief executive director)‡R1R‡

History

1984–2003: Establishment and early years

Operations

Manufacturing

Overseas markets

Australia

Brands

Technologies

Platforms

Software

Joint venture

Spotlight Automotive

Marketing

Offroad tiering

Sales

Global sales

Exports

Motorsport

Controversies

Accusations of copied designs

See also

External links

References

2003–2018: Initial public offering, exports and new brands

2018–present: Global expansion

Research and development

Leadership

Chief Executive Officers

Brazil

Europe

Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Russia

Iran

Pakistan

Southeast Asia

Thailand

Malaysia

Philippines

Indonesia

Thailand

Malaysia

Philippines

Indonesia

South Africa

Current brands

GWM

Haval

Wey

Ora

Tank

Changzheng

Souo

Confidence

GWM

Haval

Wey

Ora

Tank

Changzheng

Souo

Confidence

Discontinued brand

Sar

Sar

Russia