GWM

Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor's EV brand Ora's model that looks like the Volkswagen Beetle, the Lightning Cat, will go into production in the second quarter of 2022.

Great Wall Motor admitted that its chip supply is tight and production at its plants has been affected to some extent, but denied that production at its two production sites has been halted.

Ora, Great Wall Motor's EV brand, unveiled the Lightning Cat, a supercar priced under RMB 200,000 ($30,783), on April 19.

Ora is one of the few car brands that focus on female customers, aiming to become "the world's most female-friendly car brand".

Xiaomi has yet to officially announce its intention to start building cars, the trademark for "Xiaomi Motors" has been registered by another company.

Earlier today, it was reported that Xiaomi was in talks with Great Wall Motor to use its factory to build electric cars. In response, a Xiaomi executive dismissed it as fake news.

The report said Xiaomi's electric car would target the mass market, in line with the company's overall positioning for electronics.

After Great Wall Motor, another local Chinese automotive giant SAIC Group has recently finalized a strategic partnership agreement with smart chip company Horizon Robotics.

Great Wall Motors announced today that it has completed a strategic investment in Horizon Robotics, an automotive chip company, which means it has officially entered the chip industry.

Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor is planning to launch a new premium smart electric car brand to compete with new Chinese car makers like Nio and Li Auto.