ICar (marque)

Last updated
iCar Ecological Technology Co., Ltd.
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Automotive
FoundedApril 2023;1 year ago (2023-04)
Headquarters Wuhu, Anhui, China
Area served
  • China
Key people
Chen Jian (brand operations officer) [1]
Products Automobiles
Parent Chery Automobile
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese 爱咖生态科技有限公司
Hanyu Pinyin Àikā Shēngtài Kējì Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī
Website

iCar Ecological Technology Co., Ltd., trading as iCar (stylized as iCAR), is a subsidiary of Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery. The iCar brand was established as an electric vehicle brand in April 2023, following several previous usage of the trademark by Chery. iCar started sales of its first vehicle, the iCar 03 SUV in February 2024.

Contents

History

The iCar brand has been used by Chery several times prior to its usage as a standalone electric car brand. In 2007, the iCar name was used for a pickup truck. [2] In 2014, the platform used by the Chery Arrizo 7 was marketed as iCar. [2] In 2017, iCar became an "ecosystem" brand owned by Chery. Past use of the brand include a digital ecosystem, [3] along with online and offline direct sales store network selling Chery New Energy vehicles such as the Chery QQ Ice Cream. [4] The Chery eQ1 is also marketed as the Caoa Chery iCar in Brazil since August 2023. [5]

The brand was spun off into an electric car brand in April 2023 at the Auto Shanghai. [2] The "i" logo of iCar was designed by Cao Xue, the creator of the panda mascot of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. According to Chery, "i" stands for intelligence, internet, innovation, individual, inspiration, and information. [6] The brand targets younger people aged 25–35 who are pursuing new careers. [7] At the auto show, the brand debuted two cars, the iCar 03 and the iCar GT sports car concept. The brand plans to market four product series covering MPV, SUVs, and sports cars. [6]

CATL announced that they will be incorporating their sodium-ion batteries into the Chery iCar. [8]

Pilot production of the iCar 03 started in June 2023, [9] while pre-orders were opened in November 2023. [10] It went on sale on 28 February 2024. [11]

Products

Current models

Concept car

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chery</span> Chinese automobile manufacturing company

Chery Automobile Co. Ltd., trading as Chery, is a Chinese automobile manufacturer and brand headquartered in Wuhu, Anhui, China, and owned by the Wuhu municipal government. Founded in 1997, it is currently the fifth largest automobile manufacturer group in China with 1,881,316 vehicles sold in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auto Guangzhou</span> Annual Chinese auto show

China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition, also called Guangzhou International Motor Show or Auto Guangzhou, is an auto show held by Guangzhou Zhanlian Exhibition Service Co., Ltd, in November and December every year in the Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center, China. It is not a recognized international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles.

Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, Beijing Motor Show or Auto China is an auto show held biennially in Beijing, China since 1990. China is currently the largest auto market in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JAC Group</span> Chinese automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer

JAC Group is a Chinese automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer. The company is based in Hefei, Anhui Province, China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qoros</span> Chinese automotive manufacturing company

Qoros Auto Co., Ltd. was a Chinese automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Shanghai, China. Its principal activity was the design, development, production and sale of passenger cars sold under the Qoros marque.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chery QQme</span> Chinese city car

The Chery QQme is a city car produced by the Chinese manufacturer Chery Automobile from 2009 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chery Tiggo 8</span> Mid-size crossover SUV

The Chery Tiggo 8 is a series of three-row mid-size crossover SUV produced by Chery under the Tiggo product series. First introduced in 2018, it is positioned between the smaller Tiggo 7 and the larger Tiggo 9.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hozon Auto</span> Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer

Hozon Auto is a Chinese electric car manufacturer which was established in 2014. It produces vehicles under the Neta brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chery QQ Ice Cream</span> Motor vehicle

The Chery QQ Ice Cream is a battery electric city car manufactured by Chery since 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chery Omoda 5</span> Compact crossover SUV

The Chery Omoda 5 is a compact crossover SUV produced by Chery since 2022. The Omoda 5 is the first product of the Omoda product series under the Chery brand. In many export markets, the model is marketed as the Omoda C5 or simply Omoda 5 under the separate Omoda marque which is positioned more upmarket than the Chery brand.

Omoda is a marque of Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery that debuted in 2022. The marque was first introduced in Russia and Kazakhstan in October 2022, with the Omoda C5 as its first model. The vehicle is a rebadged model of the eponymous Chery Omoda 5 crossover.

Jetour is a marque of Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery that was established in 2018. The brand mainly produces crossovers and SUVs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chery Tiggo 9</span> Chinese automobile

The Chery Tiggo 9 is a series of three-row mid-size crossover SUV produced by Chery under the Tiggo product series which was introduced in March 2023. It is positioned as the flagship of the Tiggo series above the Tiggo 8 family and is available as a five-seater and a three-row seven-seater model. It is also exported under the Jaecoo brand as the Jaecoo J8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zeekr X</span> Battery electric subcompact luxury crossover SUV

The Zeekr X is a battery electric subcompact luxury crossover SUV developed and produced by Zeekr, a premium NEV brand of Geely. It is the third production vehicle produced by the brand and was launched in April 2023. The model is based on the Geely developed Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) electric vehicle platform shared with the Smart #1, and the electric motors and batteries are made by VREMT, a company fully owned by Geely, which also produces the motors and batteries for Smart #1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AITO (marque)</span> Chinese automotive marque

AITO is a Chinese electric vehicle marque of Chinese vehicle manufacturer Seres Group and multinational technology corporation Huawei in 2021. The marque offers electric cars with autonomous driving systems and the HarmonyOS operating system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaecoo</span> Marque of vehicle manufacturer Chery

Jaecoo is a marque of Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery that debuted in 2023. The marque was established to market SUVs to export markets such as Europe, Russia, Malaysia, Middle East, South Africa and Chile with sales starting in early 2024 in several markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avatr Technology</span> Automotive manufacturing company

Avatr Technology Co., Ltd. is a Chinese electric automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Chongqing. Avatr Technology is a premium EV brand Changan Automobile joint-ventured with multiple Chinese domestic foundations, technology supported by Huawei and battery provider CATL. The company was founded in 2018.

Luxeed is Chery's premium EV brand in cooperation with Huawei under the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA).

Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance trading as HIMA is an automotive alliance initiated by Chinese multinational technology company Huawei. Under HIMA, Huawei participates in product definition, design, marketing, user experience, quality control and provides intelligent vehicle software and hardware for traditional automobile manufacturers.

References

  1. "iCar virtual human i-VA has gained 190 million followers - iCAR -场景智能电动汽车引领品牌". www.icarglobal.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  2. 1 2 3 Breevoort, Leo (2023-08-20). "The Big Read – Chery (3/4) – Brand madness". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  3. "奇瑞iCar生态打造跨界平台, 契合汽车行业发展新风向_汽车_中国网". auto.china.com.cn. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  4. "奇瑞iCar生态最新进展, 1000家门店签约, QQ冰淇淋即将上市" [The latest progress of Chery iCar ecology, 1,000 stores signed, QQ ice cream will be launched soon]. www.sohu.com. 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  5. Cesar, Julio (2023-08-01). "Caoa Chery iCar baixa para R$ 119.990: carro elétrico mais barato do Brasil". InsideEVs Brasil (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-03-29.
  6. 1 2 Opletal, Jiri (2023-04-16). "iCAR GT electric sports car debut in China". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  7. Chen, Dong Yi (2023-11-18). "Chery's iCar 03 hardcore SUV with solar panels and CATL battery opens blind order, price starts at 19,400 USD". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  8. Bobylev, Denis (2023-06-05). "Chery iCar 03 hit the production line in China. The 21,000-USD all-road EV". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  9. Bobylev, Denis (2023-06-05). "Chery iCar 03 hit the production line in China. The 21,000-USD all-road EV". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  10. Chen, Dong Yi (2023-11-18). "Chery's iCar 03 hardcore SUV with solar panels and CATL battery opens blind order, price starts at 19,400 USD". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  11. Andrews, Mark (2024-02-28). "Apple may have cancelled the iCar but Chery hasn't". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.