Company type | State-owned corporation | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Industry | Automotive | ||||||||
Founded | 8 January 1997 | ||||||||
Headquarters | Wuhu, Anhui, China | ||||||||
Area served | Worldwide | ||||||||
Key people | Yin Tongyue (Chairman) | ||||||||
Products |
Automobiles Engines | ||||||||
Production output | 1,881,316 vehicles (2023) [1] | ||||||||
Number of employees | 16,721 | ||||||||
Subsidiaries |
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Chinese name | |||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 奇瑞汽车股份有限公司 | ||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 奇瑞汽車股份有限公司 | ||||||||
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Chery | |||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 奇瑞 | ||||||||
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Website |
www www |
Chery Automobile Co. Ltd., [2] trading as Chery ( Chinese: 奇瑞; pinyin: Qíruì), [3] is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wuhu, Anhui, China. Founded in 1997, it is currently the third largest automobile manufacturer in China, with 1,881,316 vehicles sold in 2023. [4] [5]
Chery's main products are passenger cars, minivans, and SUVs; it sells passenger cars under the Chery marque and commercial vehicles under the Karry brand.
Chery began the production of automobiles in 1999 and their export from China in 2001. It has been China's largest passenger car exporter since 2003, and in 2011 exported around 25% of its total production. [6] It operates Qoros formed in 2007, a 50:50 joint venture with Kenon Holdings, for selling a range of premium vehicles in emerging markets. In 2012, Jaguar Land Rover formed a 50:50 joint venture with Chery dubbed Chery Jaguar Land Rover for the production of Jaguar and Land Rover cars in China.
Since 2002, Chery has been the top exporter of Chinese brand passenger vehicles, exporting 269,154 vehicles in 2021 and 451,337 vehicles in 2022. [7] In May 2023, it exported 74,056 vehicles, its most ever in a single month. Chery owned and operated vehicle assembly and component manufacturing facilities in mainland China, and many of its vehicles are assembled overseas for export markets—primarily in factories not owned by the company that use either complete or semicomplete knock-down kits. It has two domestic R&D centers and invests around 7% of its total revenues in product development.
Chery was founded in 1997 as a state-owned enterprise by a group of officials from Anhui province and began automobile production in 1999 [8] using a chassis licensed from Volkswagen's SEAT Toledo. [9] Called the Fengyun, Chery's first car sold nearly 30,000 units. [8]
The Wall Street Journal has described Chery's corporate culture as "an odd hybrid of Communist state enterprise and entrepreneurial start-up", [8] and entrepreneurial risk-taking is evident in its early history. Initial production was officially illegal as the company was only awarded a passenger car production license in 2003, [10] so while its first product rolled off the line in December 1999, it could not be legally sold until 2001. [8] In that year, Chery solved the problem by piggybacking on a SAIC Motor license, [8] which it did until 2003. [10] Ownership was soon sold due to rising tensions between Chery and another SAIC partner, General Motors. [11] GM was not the only foreign partner of SAIC to have been exasperated with Chery; Volkswagen claimed Chery was using tooling from an old VW factory to produce a model that resembled a Jetta circa 2003. [12]
In the late 2000s, Chery began to actively seek a partnership with a foreign automaker, a hallmark of major Chinese car makers. Tie-ups with both Chrysler and Fiat were touted, but fell through. In 2007, Chrysler planned a cooperation with Chery that would have seen the Chery A1 sold as a Dodge-brand car in the US and abroad. [13] The plan would have quickly increased the Chrysler small car stable, and the two companies participated in a signing ceremony in late 2007. [14] In early 2008, a similar deal was reached between Chrysler and Nissan, however, and the Chrysler-Chery cooperation was abandoned. [15] Around the time of the 2009 Chrysler Chapter 11 reorganization, Chrysler discussed the possibility of an asset sale with Chery. [16]
In 2007, Fiat and Chery signed a memorandum of understanding for the creation of a car-making joint venture. Intended to begin operations in 2009, it was to manufacture Fiat and Alfa Romeo-branded products for the Chinese market and be located in Wuhu. The deal was put on hold in March 2009. [17] As of 2012, Fiat produces in China with local partner GAC Group. [18]
Qoros, a car-making joint venture between Chery and Singapore-based Kenon Holdings, was established in 2007. [19]
In October 2009, Chery announced plans for an assembly plant in Turkey to be built in cooperation with the Turkish automaker Mermerler Otomotiv at a cost of $500 million. [20] [21] The plant is planned to have an initial capacity of 20,000 units per year, rising to 100,000 by 2017. [21] As of 2012, the plant has yet to commence production. [22] When it is operational, this production base will add to a handful of joint venture factories that Chery has in places like Argentina [23] and Iran. [24] These stand in contrast to a number of factories outside China that assemble Chery vehicles, but in which Chery does not have an ownership stake.
In 2009, Chery produced 508,500 units, [25] and at this time, it had an annual production capacity around 650,000 units. [26] More than 400,000 of its 2009 sales were sedans. [27] Production capacity figures may consider engines and vehicles as discrete.
Chery became the seventh-most productive Chinese vehicle manufacturer in 2010 by selling nearly 700,000 units. [28] Slipping sales marked 2011 and 2012; in these years, the company produced more than 640,000 and near 590,000 units, respectively, and it moved from a seventh to a tenth-place ranking. [29] This decrease may be due to Chery's manufacturing mix being significantly different from those of other, major Chinese automakers; the company does make commercial vehicles, but SUVs comprise only 14% of its product line.
An agreement with Tata Motors was struck in March 2012 to produce Jaguar Land Rover models in China. In 2013, a Tata executive stated that this deal was "still on track", [30] and some expect the planned production base to start output in 2014. [31]
In June 2012, plans to build a production base in Malaysia were announced, and as of July 2012, this project is proceeding without a local partner. [32] The planned factory will have a production capacity of 10,000 units per year. [32]
After having introduced the Karry, Rely, and Riich sub-brands in 2009, its sprawling production policy and lineup became a problem for Chery. [33] With over 100 new models in the works, Chery decided in the fall of 2012 to cancel the Rely and Riich brands and to narrow its focus. [33] As of 2012, 30 new models are planned a significant reduction from the prior future lineup. [33]
In 2018, Chery sold 50% of its share in its Brazil subsidiary to local company Caoa group.
In 2020, there were plans for Chinese auto maker Chery to buy a percentage of Tata Motors in order for Chery to gain entry into the Indian market and in order for Tata Motors to get technology for cars such as the proposed Tata Blackbird. [34] However, due to COVID-19 and the continuing political tensions over the Chinese/Indian border it is highly unlikely that these plans will go ahead anytime soon. [35]
In 2022, Chery entered the Mexican market under the Chirey brand. [36] [37] The reason for the alternate Chirey name was due to American businessman Malcolm Bricklin owning the Chery trademark in North America, due to his plan to import Chery vehicles to the US and Canada in the 2000s. [38] Other markets entered in 2022 included Malaysia, [39] and Indonesia. [40] Chery re-entered the Australian market in 2023, after briefly selling cars there in the early 2010s. [41]
In 2023, Chery launched a new brand iCar, targeting at young customers, and Sterra EV lineup under Exeed brand. The company also started a partnership Huawei under the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA), where Chery supplied HIMA with electric vehicles under the Luxeed brand. Luxeed's first product is the Luxeed S7, which is first car to have the Harmony OS 4 on board. [42] [43]
In April 2023, Chery launched two new brands in a ceremony held in Wuhu, Anhui called Omoda and Jaecoo. Both brands are only marketed outside China to support Chery's export strategy. The two brands combined (referred to as "O&J" brands) were targeted to reach annual global sales of 1,400,000 units by 2030 (not including China). [44] [45] Also in 2023, Chery also announced its new high performance plug-in hybrid platform marketed as "Chery Dual Mode" (C-DM) to be introduced into most of its models. The plug-in hybrid system became available in Chery vehicles carrying the Fulwin sub-brand, Jetour vehicles under the Shanhai sub-brand, and Exeed vehicles. [46] [47] [48]
On January 11, 2024, Chery has signed strategic cooperation framework agreements with Nio to establish cooperation in battery standards, battery swapping technology, the construction of battery swapping service networks, and operation. [49]
In 2024, Chery fully acquired the Soueast, previously a subsidiary of Fujian Motors Group. [50] The production facility of Soueast is used for producing Jetour brand vehicles. [51]
Chery's main production base in the mainland of China is located in Anhui. [13] [52] [53] As of 2007, the company had two auto-making production bases, two engine-making facilities, and a transmission production plant. [52] Another car-making production base located in Dalian, Liaoning province, became operational in 2012. [53] [54]
Chery invests around 7% of its total sales in research and development, [55] and, as of 2011, had over 4,000 patents. [56] It has R&D facilities in Wuhu, Anhui province, [57] and Changshu, Jiangsu province. [58] Chery has cooperative agreements with many foreign component firms, including the American ArvinMeritor, [59] American Autoliv, [60] American Delphi Automotive, [60] the Australian company Futuris, [60] German Robert Bosch GmbH, [59] American PPG Industries, [59] German Siemens VDO, [59] French Valeo, [59] and the American Visteon. [61] Some have helped Chery establish a local supply chain. [59]
A number of factories in developing countries manufacture Chery vehicles from either complete or semi-complete knock-down kits. Most are not owned by Chery, with the exception of a former Argentine operations, [23] Brazilian joint venture and an Iranian joint venture. [24]
These factories have appeared in Egypt,[ citation needed] Indonesia, [62] Iran, [24] Malaysia, [62] the Middle East, [23] North Africa, [23] Pakistan, [63] Uruguay, [62] Russia, [62] Taiwan, [64] Thailand,[ citation needed] Ukraine, [62] Venezuela and Vietnam. [65]
Chery has a production base in Jacareí, Brazil, that began construction in July 2011, [66] in a joint effort with the government of the state of São Paulo. [67] The plant began operating in August 2014, with a first-phase production capacity of 50,000 units per year. In phase two, the plant would achieve an annual production capacity of 150,000 units. The models produced there was the hybrid-powered Celer (since October 2014), the QQ (since the second half of 2015), [68] Tiggo 2 (since mid-2017) [69] and Arrizo 5 (since October 2018). [70]
In 2017, Grupo Caoa bought 51% of the company by taking control and now naming it as Caoa Chery. Its local partner Caoa has been producing the Tiggo 4 in Anápolis, Goiás, in knock-down kit form, since November 2018. [71]
Between 2007 and 2015, the Argentinian company SOCMA Group [23] manufactured Chery vehicles in the Oferol factory in Barra de Carrasco, Canelones, Uruguay. [72] The Tiggo was officially launched in Uruguay in October 2007. [73] [74] The plant was permanently closed as of May 2015. [75]
First introduced to this country in mid-2006, Chery vehicles continued to be the only licensed Chinese car exports to Venezuela as of 2011, according to the company. [56] Opened in September 2011, a new Chery production site in the north-central state of Aragua, owned by the ZGT joint venture, produces the A1 and A3 models. [76]
In this country, Chery models was assembled from knock-down kits since 2006 until 2011 by Indomobil Group. In 2022, the brand returned to Indonesia under direct factory-backed operations, and contracted PT Handal Motor Indonesia to assemble Chery vehicles in the country since late 2022. [77] [78]
Manufacture from kits in Iran dates from as early as 2004. [79] In late 2007, Chery stated that it held a minority ownership in a joint venture with Iranian Khodro and Canadian Solitac as its partners. [24] This JV controlled a knock-down factory in Babol, Mazandaran. Making a QQ6 renamed the S21, it may be sold both inside and outside Iran. [24] and carry a brand name other than Chery, as well.[ citation needed] Tiggo5 and Arrizo5 cars are being sold as Chery brand in Iran. [80] Modiran Vehicle Manufacturing Company also manufactures Chery vehicles in Iran.
A small facility may have become operational around 2004, [79] and by 2008, a factory assembling Chery models from kits opened in Johor Bahru, Johor. [77] As of 2012, another factory is expected to be built and operational in Malaysia by 2015. [81] In 2023, the brand returned to Malaysia under direct factory-backed operations, and assembled vehicles at Inokom's facility in Kulim, Kedah since August 2023. [82]
As of May 2011, a 3,000 to 5,000 unit/year production facility is planned in Myanmar. [66]
Chery has entered into a manufacturing and licensing agreement with Ghandhara Nissan of Pakistan. [83] The assembly of Chery SUVs in Pakistan commenced on 31 March 2022. [84]
The Chery A3 was assembled since August 2009 in Taichung, Taiwan, by Shengrong Auto, a subsidiary of Prince Motors ( Chinese: 太子汽車; pinyin: Tàizǐ Qìchē), a Taiwanese car company. [64]
In Russia, Avtotor produced Chery models from kits from 2006 to 2008. [85] TagAZ also produced Chery vehicles, from 2008 to 2014, but these usually carried non-Chery badges such as "Vortex". [86]
A production site was planned to be raised in the province of Sakarya, in a collaboration with the local Chery dealer, Mermerler Otomotiv. [21]
Chery had a partnership with ZAZ since 2006 [87] and manufactured cars from kits at sites in Zaporizhzhia and Chornomorsk. Since February 2011, the Chery A13 has been manufactured in Ukraine, where it is rebadged and sold in the country as a ZAZ Forza. [88]
Assembly of Chery cars from complete knock-down kits began in Egypt in 2004 according to the company itself, [89] but news reports indicate that it only expressed initial interest in doing so that year. [79] As of 2011, some Chery models may be sold here under the brand name Speranza. [90] [91] One Egyptian factory making Chery models from semi-complete knock-down kits had a 2009 production capacity of 30,000 vehicles/year. [92]
In 2011, Chery stated the parts localization ratio for Egypt was 45%. [56]
Chery Fulwin ( Chinese: 奇瑞风云; pinyin: Qíruì Fēngyún) is a product line of Chery established in November 2023 to market plug-in hybrid vehicles. Most Fulwin vehicles are based on Chery petrol vehicles with an additional plug-in hybrid system marketed as Kunpeng Super Performance Electric Hybrid C-DM. Its first model, the Fulwin A8 sedan was available to pre-sale in December 2023. [93] Chery Fulwin vehicles are distributed through separate dealership network. [94]
Chery Fulwin products will be divided into three series: A, T and M, representing sedan, SUV and MPV categories respectively. Extended-range electric and battery electric vehicles are also planned. [95]
The Fulwin/Fengyun name was a model name used by Chery several times in the past, starting from the Fulwin sedan in 1999. [96] [97]
Company type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Founded | April 2010 |
Area served | China |
Products | Automobiles |
Chinese name | |
Simplified Chinese | 奇瑞新能源汽车技术有限公司 |
Hanyu Pinyin | Qíruì Xīn Néngyuán Qìchē Jìshù Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī |
Website | cheryev.cn |
Chery New Energy ( Chinese: 奇瑞新能源; pinyin: Qíruì Xīn Néngyuán) is a subsidiary of Chery established in April 2010 to produce and market electric vehicles. [99]
Exeed (( Chinese: 星途; pinyin: Xīngtú) is Chery's premium brand for passenger vehicles, introduced in September 2017.
Jetour ( Chinese: 捷途; pinyin: Jiétú; lit. 'victory road') is Chery's SUV brand launched in 2018.
iCar is Chery's EV brand targeting at young customers, launched in April 2023. [100] CATL announced that they will be incorporating their sodium-ion batteries into the Chery iCar. [101]
Luxeed is Chery's premium EV brand in cooperation with Huawei. The first car, a premium electric executive sedan unveiled in November 9, 2023, and would be the first car to have the Harmony OS 4 system on board. [102]
Karry Auto is a Chinese market only brand founded by Chery in 2009. It specializes in the production of light commercial vehicles and people carriers for passenger transport. Some of the products created for Karry are marketed overseas under different marques by Chery.
Chery has two brands that are only used in overseas markets, which are Omoda and Jaecoo.
The Riich brand was discontinued in 2012. [33]
The company produces and exported engines under the brands ACTECO and CAC. Chery engines have been bought by Fiat and exported to the US. [52] [106]
Chery operates car-making joint ventures with Jaguar Land Rover and Israel Corporation, [19] and automotive component-manufacturing joint ventures with Arvin Meritor, Johnson Controls, and PPG Industries. [107]
In March 2012, Chery and the UK-based luxury automaker Jaguar Land Rover agreed to invest an initial US$2.78 billion in a new China-based joint venture that will sell and manufacture Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles and engines, as well as establish a research and development facility and create a new "own-brand" automobile marque. [108] The joint venture received regulatory approval in September 2012. [109] An initial production base will be built in Changshu, a county-level city close to Shanghai. [110][ better source needed]
In 2013 Chery began manufacturing a redesigned MOKE revival. The design evokes the classic Mini Moke built from 1964 until 1993. [111]
Its first car-making joint venture with a foreign firm, Qoros was established by Chery in cooperation with Israel Corporation in 2007, and planned to begin sales in 2013. [112] Set to unveil a sedan atop a brand-new platform [112] at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show, [113] Qoros' debut models will not be electric vehicles (as some sources may have reported). [112] A proposed production base for the venture will be built in Changshu, Jiangsu province, and become operational in 2012. [114] Production capacity will be 150,000 units a year, [58] but the location may not run at full capacity until 2015 or 2016. [115] While Qoros professes its desire to sell to young city dwellers [116] in China and Europe, [112] The company does have plans to include electric vehicles in its lineup. [112]
Higher-end Qoros cars are built with components and systems from foreign suppliers such as American Visteon and French Valeo. [117] Its engine design also required assistance from a foreign firm, [115] and Qoros has attracted western talent including former employees of Volkswagen and Mini. [58] It has sites in Austria and Germany as of 2012. [116]
Although initially known as Chery Quantum Auto Co., Ltd., its legal name became Qoros Auto Co., Ltd. [112]
Chery has been the top Chinese auto exporter since 2003, [118] and many of its exports may be in the form of knock-down kits destined for overseas assembly. Prior to 2012, Chery lacked a joint venture with an established Western automaker, which may explain its export focus. A 2009 report by the US Congressional Research Service asserted that such joint ventures, commonplace in the Chinese auto industry, restrained overseas sales. [119]
Making its first export to Syria in 2001, [120] as of 2010 Chery was the top exporter among Chinese automakers, a title it held since 2003. [121] Many of these exports may be in the form of knock-down kits.[ citation needed]
Year | Total | Chery [125] | Jetour | Exeed | iCar | Luxeed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | 750,456 | 750,456 | - | - | - | - |
2011 | 729,497 | 729,497 | - | - | - | - |
2012 | 653,476 | 653,476 | - | - | - | - |
2013 | 561,062 | 561,062 | - | - | - | - |
2014 | 570,718 | 570,718 | - | - | - | - |
2015 | 575,108 | 575,108 | - | - | - | - |
2016 | 682,474 | 682,474 | - | - | - | - |
2017 | 604,708 | 604,708 | - | - | - | - |
2018 | 752,759 | 540,233 | 40,007 | - | - | - |
2019 | 747,806 | 605,602 | 128,204 | 14,000 | - | - |
2020 | 731,117 | 586,445 | 126,595 | 18,077 | - | - |
2021 | 961,926 | 656,943 | 154,035 | 37,167 | - | - |
2022 | 1,232,727 | 908,553 | 180,067 | 51,142 | - | - |
2023 | 1,881,316 | 1,341,261 | 315,167 | 125,521 | 1,445 | 899 |
Year | Global | China | Russia | Mexico | Brazil | Turkey | Egypt | Chile | South Africa | Israel | Australia | Indonesia | Ukraine | Argentina | Uruguay | Colombia | UAE | Iran |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | 85,349 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2004 | 87,138 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2005 | 189,445 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2006 | 292,291 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2007 | 379,001 | 37,120 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2008 | 334,800 | 15,728 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2009 | 411,231 | 4,922 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2010 | 750,456 | 548,444 | 8,909 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2011 | 729,497 | 551,072 | 6,624 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2012 | 653,476 | 533,161 | 19,004 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2013 | 561,062 | 437,044 | 19,855 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2014 | 570,718 | 494,824 | 18,139 | - | 9,097 | 325 | - | 1,297 | - | 592 | 1,231 | 3,775 | 3,059 | 5,037 | 5,860 | 29,449 | ||
2015 | 575,108 | 410,591 | 4,964 | - | 3,630 | 394 | - | 746 | - | 201 | 446 | 4,572 | 1,437 | 4,794 | 5,716 | 32,730 | ||
2016 | 682,474 | 504,247 | 4,758 | - | 1,362 | - | 8,173 | 333 | - | 19 | 66 | 3,670 | 431 | 1,573 | 3,514 | 41,019 | ||
2017 | 604,708 | 455,718 | 5,905 | - | 3,536 | - | 5,477 | 6,430 | 184 | - | 7 | - | 7,027 | 417 | 865 | - | - | |
2018 | 752,759 | 427,811 | 5,611 | - | 8,353 | - | 4,649 | 8,261 | - | - | 1 | - | 6,152 | 123 | 798 | - | - | |
2019 | 747,806 | 411,179 | 6,358 | - | 19,824 | - | 5,582 | 7,178 | - | - | - | - | 1,672 | 1,998 | 480 | 597 | - | - |
2020 | 731,117 | 450,786 | 11,452 | - | 19,456 | - | 9,844 | 7,078 | - | - | - | - | 1,974 | 1,319 | 694 | 429 | - | - |
2021 | 961,926 | 644,322 | 40,874 [126] | - | 39,739 | - | 16,314 [127] | 26,906 [128] | - | - | - | - | 4,653 | 1,144 | 687 | - | - | - |
2022 | 1,232,727 | 781,390 | 52,183 | 7,450 | 35,033 | - | 18,918 | 24,953 | 8,013 | 593 | - | - | 687 | 836 | 788 | - | - | - |
2023 | 1,881,316 | 765,209 | 206,035 | 38,484 | 31,290 | 27,587 | 10,209 | 13,204 | 16,110 | 11,127 | 5,890 | 4,099 | 1,143 | 426 | 900 | - | - |
Chery participated in the Dakar Rally in 2010 and 2011, racing with Rely X5 SUVs in both editions. [129] [130]
In June 2003, American manufacturer General Motors sued Chery accusing it of copying the first generation Daewoo Matiz (developed by a GM subsidiary, GM Daewoo) in its design for the Chery QQ. [131] General Motors also claimed a disguised Matiz was used in a crash test in place of the Chery car. [132]
GM executives claimed design duplication with many parts interchangeable between the QQ and the Matiz, [133] and GM China Group stated the two vehicles, "shared remarkably identical body structure, exterior design, interior design and key components." [134]
While some Chery cars are not copies, such as the Pininfarina-designed A3, [135] the QQ may not be the sole Chery model that wears famous-name designs; the Chery Tiggo is criticized for resembling the second generation Toyota RAV4. [136] Other model using the Matiz technology found in the QQ include the closely related QQ6. The Eastar and its derivatives (V4, B12, and B22) have also been considered to be copies of the Daewoo Magnus. [137]
After mediation attempts failed, then-GM Daewoo (now known as GM Korea) brought a case against Chery in a Shanghai court, but by 2005 jurisdiction had been moved [133] to the Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court. [138]
Around that time Chinese state officials, including a vice-minister of commerce and a vice-director of the State Intellectual Property Office, publicly supported Chery. The Chinese have claimed that GM didn't properly patent their technology. [138] In late 2005 the lawsuit was settled. [132]
An American entrepreneur with past experience importing developing country autos to the U.S., Malcolm Bricklin, sued Chery in 2008 for contracting a different company after previously contracting Bricklin. [139]
Company type | State-owned corporation | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Industry | Automotive | ||||||||
Founded | 8 January 1997 | ||||||||
Headquarters | Wuhu, Anhui, China | ||||||||
Area served | Worldwide | ||||||||
Key people | Yin Tongyue (Chairman) | ||||||||
Products |
Automobiles Engines | ||||||||
Production output | 1,881,316 vehicles (2023) [1] | ||||||||
Number of employees | 16,721 | ||||||||
Subsidiaries |
| ||||||||
Chinese name | |||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 奇瑞汽车股份有限公司 | ||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 奇瑞汽車股份有限公司 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Chery | |||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 奇瑞 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Website |
www www |
Chery Automobile Co. Ltd., [2] trading as Chery ( Chinese: 奇瑞; pinyin: Qíruì), [3] is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wuhu, Anhui, China. Founded in 1997, it is currently the third largest automobile manufacturer in China, with 1,881,316 vehicles sold in 2023. [4] [5]
Chery's main products are passenger cars, minivans, and SUVs; it sells passenger cars under the Chery marque and commercial vehicles under the Karry brand.
Chery began the production of automobiles in 1999 and their export from China in 2001. It has been China's largest passenger car exporter since 2003, and in 2011 exported around 25% of its total production. [6] It operates Qoros formed in 2007, a 50:50 joint venture with Kenon Holdings, for selling a range of premium vehicles in emerging markets. In 2012, Jaguar Land Rover formed a 50:50 joint venture with Chery dubbed Chery Jaguar Land Rover for the production of Jaguar and Land Rover cars in China.
Since 2002, Chery has been the top exporter of Chinese brand passenger vehicles, exporting 269,154 vehicles in 2021 and 451,337 vehicles in 2022. [7] In May 2023, it exported 74,056 vehicles, its most ever in a single month. Chery owned and operated vehicle assembly and component manufacturing facilities in mainland China, and many of its vehicles are assembled overseas for export markets—primarily in factories not owned by the company that use either complete or semicomplete knock-down kits. It has two domestic R&D centers and invests around 7% of its total revenues in product development.
Chery was founded in 1997 as a state-owned enterprise by a group of officials from Anhui province and began automobile production in 1999 [8] using a chassis licensed from Volkswagen's SEAT Toledo. [9] Called the Fengyun, Chery's first car sold nearly 30,000 units. [8]
The Wall Street Journal has described Chery's corporate culture as "an odd hybrid of Communist state enterprise and entrepreneurial start-up", [8] and entrepreneurial risk-taking is evident in its early history. Initial production was officially illegal as the company was only awarded a passenger car production license in 2003, [10] so while its first product rolled off the line in December 1999, it could not be legally sold until 2001. [8] In that year, Chery solved the problem by piggybacking on a SAIC Motor license, [8] which it did until 2003. [10] Ownership was soon sold due to rising tensions between Chery and another SAIC partner, General Motors. [11] GM was not the only foreign partner of SAIC to have been exasperated with Chery; Volkswagen claimed Chery was using tooling from an old VW factory to produce a model that resembled a Jetta circa 2003. [12]
In the late 2000s, Chery began to actively seek a partnership with a foreign automaker, a hallmark of major Chinese car makers. Tie-ups with both Chrysler and Fiat were touted, but fell through. In 2007, Chrysler planned a cooperation with Chery that would have seen the Chery A1 sold as a Dodge-brand car in the US and abroad. [13] The plan would have quickly increased the Chrysler small car stable, and the two companies participated in a signing ceremony in late 2007. [14] In early 2008, a similar deal was reached between Chrysler and Nissan, however, and the Chrysler-Chery cooperation was abandoned. [15] Around the time of the 2009 Chrysler Chapter 11 reorganization, Chrysler discussed the possibility of an asset sale with Chery. [16]
In 2007, Fiat and Chery signed a memorandum of understanding for the creation of a car-making joint venture. Intended to begin operations in 2009, it was to manufacture Fiat and Alfa Romeo-branded products for the Chinese market and be located in Wuhu. The deal was put on hold in March 2009. [17] As of 2012, Fiat produces in China with local partner GAC Group. [18]
Qoros, a car-making joint venture between Chery and Singapore-based Kenon Holdings, was established in 2007. [19]
In October 2009, Chery announced plans for an assembly plant in Turkey to be built in cooperation with the Turkish automaker Mermerler Otomotiv at a cost of $500 million. [20] [21] The plant is planned to have an initial capacity of 20,000 units per year, rising to 100,000 by 2017. [21] As of 2012, the plant has yet to commence production. [22] When it is operational, this production base will add to a handful of joint venture factories that Chery has in places like Argentina [23] and Iran. [24] These stand in contrast to a number of factories outside China that assemble Chery vehicles, but in which Chery does not have an ownership stake.
In 2009, Chery produced 508,500 units, [25] and at this time, it had an annual production capacity around 650,000 units. [26] More than 400,000 of its 2009 sales were sedans. [27] Production capacity figures may consider engines and vehicles as discrete.
Chery became the seventh-most productive Chinese vehicle manufacturer in 2010 by selling nearly 700,000 units. [28] Slipping sales marked 2011 and 2012; in these years, the company produced more than 640,000 and near 590,000 units, respectively, and it moved from a seventh to a tenth-place ranking. [29] This decrease may be due to Chery's manufacturing mix being significantly different from those of other, major Chinese automakers; the company does make commercial vehicles, but SUVs comprise only 14% of its product line.
An agreement with Tata Motors was struck in March 2012 to produce Jaguar Land Rover models in China. In 2013, a Tata executive stated that this deal was "still on track", [30] and some expect the planned production base to start output in 2014. [31]
In June 2012, plans to build a production base in Malaysia were announced, and as of July 2012, this project is proceeding without a local partner. [32] The planned factory will have a production capacity of 10,000 units per year. [32]
After having introduced the Karry, Rely, and Riich sub-brands in 2009, its sprawling production policy and lineup became a problem for Chery. [33] With over 100 new models in the works, Chery decided in the fall of 2012 to cancel the Rely and Riich brands and to narrow its focus. [33] As of 2012, 30 new models are planned a significant reduction from the prior future lineup. [33]
In 2018, Chery sold 50% of its share in its Brazil subsidiary to local company Caoa group.
In 2020, there were plans for Chinese auto maker Chery to buy a percentage of Tata Motors in order for Chery to gain entry into the Indian market and in order for Tata Motors to get technology for cars such as the proposed Tata Blackbird. [34] However, due to COVID-19 and the continuing political tensions over the Chinese/Indian border it is highly unlikely that these plans will go ahead anytime soon. [35]
In 2022, Chery entered the Mexican market under the Chirey brand. [36] [37] The reason for the alternate Chirey name was due to American businessman Malcolm Bricklin owning the Chery trademark in North America, due to his plan to import Chery vehicles to the US and Canada in the 2000s. [38] Other markets entered in 2022 included Malaysia, [39] and Indonesia. [40] Chery re-entered the Australian market in 2023, after briefly selling cars there in the early 2010s. [41]
In 2023, Chery launched a new brand iCar, targeting at young customers, and Sterra EV lineup under Exeed brand. The company also started a partnership Huawei under the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA), where Chery supplied HIMA with electric vehicles under the Luxeed brand. Luxeed's first product is the Luxeed S7, which is first car to have the Harmony OS 4 on board. [42] [43]
In April 2023, Chery launched two new brands in a ceremony held in Wuhu, Anhui called Omoda and Jaecoo. Both brands are only marketed outside China to support Chery's export strategy. The two brands combined (referred to as "O&J" brands) were targeted to reach annual global sales of 1,400,000 units by 2030 (not including China). [44] [45] Also in 2023, Chery also announced its new high performance plug-in hybrid platform marketed as "Chery Dual Mode" (C-DM) to be introduced into most of its models. The plug-in hybrid system became available in Chery vehicles carrying the Fulwin sub-brand, Jetour vehicles under the Shanhai sub-brand, and Exeed vehicles. [46] [47] [48]
On January 11, 2024, Chery has signed strategic cooperation framework agreements with Nio to establish cooperation in battery standards, battery swapping technology, the construction of battery swapping service networks, and operation. [49]
In 2024, Chery fully acquired the Soueast, previously a subsidiary of Fujian Motors Group. [50] The production facility of Soueast is used for producing Jetour brand vehicles. [51]
Chery's main production base in the mainland of China is located in Anhui. [13] [52] [53] As of 2007, the company had two auto-making production bases, two engine-making facilities, and a transmission production plant. [52] Another car-making production base located in Dalian, Liaoning province, became operational in 2012. [53] [54]
Chery invests around 7% of its total sales in research and development, [55] and, as of 2011, had over 4,000 patents. [56] It has R&D facilities in Wuhu, Anhui province, [57] and Changshu, Jiangsu province. [58] Chery has cooperative agreements with many foreign component firms, including the American ArvinMeritor, [59] American Autoliv, [60] American Delphi Automotive, [60] the Australian company Futuris, [60] German Robert Bosch GmbH, [59] American PPG Industries, [59] German Siemens VDO, [59] French Valeo, [59] and the American Visteon. [61] Some have helped Chery establish a local supply chain. [59]
A number of factories in developing countries manufacture Chery vehicles from either complete or semi-complete knock-down kits. Most are not owned by Chery, with the exception of a former Argentine operations, [23] Brazilian joint venture and an Iranian joint venture. [24]
These factories have appeared in Egypt,[ citation needed] Indonesia, [62] Iran, [24] Malaysia, [62] the Middle East, [23] North Africa, [23] Pakistan, [63] Uruguay, [62] Russia, [62] Taiwan, [64] Thailand,[ citation needed] Ukraine, [62] Venezuela and Vietnam. [65]
Chery has a production base in Jacareí, Brazil, that began construction in July 2011, [66] in a joint effort with the government of the state of São Paulo. [67] The plant began operating in August 2014, with a first-phase production capacity of 50,000 units per year. In phase two, the plant would achieve an annual production capacity of 150,000 units. The models produced there was the hybrid-powered Celer (since October 2014), the QQ (since the second half of 2015), [68] Tiggo 2 (since mid-2017) [69] and Arrizo 5 (since October 2018). [70]
In 2017, Grupo Caoa bought 51% of the company by taking control and now naming it as Caoa Chery. Its local partner Caoa has been producing the Tiggo 4 in Anápolis, Goiás, in knock-down kit form, since November 2018. [71]
Between 2007 and 2015, the Argentinian company SOCMA Group [23] manufactured Chery vehicles in the Oferol factory in Barra de Carrasco, Canelones, Uruguay. [72] The Tiggo was officially launched in Uruguay in October 2007. [73] [74] The plant was permanently closed as of May 2015. [75]
First introduced to this country in mid-2006, Chery vehicles continued to be the only licensed Chinese car exports to Venezuela as of 2011, according to the company. [56] Opened in September 2011, a new Chery production site in the north-central state of Aragua, owned by the ZGT joint venture, produces the A1 and A3 models. [76]
In this country, Chery models was assembled from knock-down kits since 2006 until 2011 by Indomobil Group. In 2022, the brand returned to Indonesia under direct factory-backed operations, and contracted PT Handal Motor Indonesia to assemble Chery vehicles in the country since late 2022. [77] [78]
Manufacture from kits in Iran dates from as early as 2004. [79] In late 2007, Chery stated that it held a minority ownership in a joint venture with Iranian Khodro and Canadian Solitac as its partners. [24] This JV controlled a knock-down factory in Babol, Mazandaran. Making a QQ6 renamed the S21, it may be sold both inside and outside Iran. [24] and carry a brand name other than Chery, as well.[ citation needed] Tiggo5 and Arrizo5 cars are being sold as Chery brand in Iran. [80] Modiran Vehicle Manufacturing Company also manufactures Chery vehicles in Iran.
A small facility may have become operational around 2004, [79] and by 2008, a factory assembling Chery models from kits opened in Johor Bahru, Johor. [77] As of 2012, another factory is expected to be built and operational in Malaysia by 2015. [81] In 2023, the brand returned to Malaysia under direct factory-backed operations, and assembled vehicles at Inokom's facility in Kulim, Kedah since August 2023. [82]
As of May 2011, a 3,000 to 5,000 unit/year production facility is planned in Myanmar. [66]
Chery has entered into a manufacturing and licensing agreement with Ghandhara Nissan of Pakistan. [83] The assembly of Chery SUVs in Pakistan commenced on 31 March 2022. [84]
The Chery A3 was assembled since August 2009 in Taichung, Taiwan, by Shengrong Auto, a subsidiary of Prince Motors ( Chinese: 太子汽車; pinyin: Tàizǐ Qìchē), a Taiwanese car company. [64]
In Russia, Avtotor produced Chery models from kits from 2006 to 2008. [85] TagAZ also produced Chery vehicles, from 2008 to 2014, but these usually carried non-Chery badges such as "Vortex". [86]
A production site was planned to be raised in the province of Sakarya, in a collaboration with the local Chery dealer, Mermerler Otomotiv. [21]
Chery had a partnership with ZAZ since 2006 [87] and manufactured cars from kits at sites in Zaporizhzhia and Chornomorsk. Since February 2011, the Chery A13 has been manufactured in Ukraine, where it is rebadged and sold in the country as a ZAZ Forza. [88]
Assembly of Chery cars from complete knock-down kits began in Egypt in 2004 according to the company itself, [89] but news reports indicate that it only expressed initial interest in doing so that year. [79] As of 2011, some Chery models may be sold here under the brand name Speranza. [90] [91] One Egyptian factory making Chery models from semi-complete knock-down kits had a 2009 production capacity of 30,000 vehicles/year. [92]
In 2011, Chery stated the parts localization ratio for Egypt was 45%. [56]
Chery Fulwin ( Chinese: 奇瑞风云; pinyin: Qíruì Fēngyún) is a product line of Chery established in November 2023 to market plug-in hybrid vehicles. Most Fulwin vehicles are based on Chery petrol vehicles with an additional plug-in hybrid system marketed as Kunpeng Super Performance Electric Hybrid C-DM. Its first model, the Fulwin A8 sedan was available to pre-sale in December 2023. [93] Chery Fulwin vehicles are distributed through separate dealership network. [94]
Chery Fulwin products will be divided into three series: A, T and M, representing sedan, SUV and MPV categories respectively. Extended-range electric and battery electric vehicles are also planned. [95]
The Fulwin/Fengyun name was a model name used by Chery several times in the past, starting from the Fulwin sedan in 1999. [96] [97]
Company type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Founded | April 2010 |
Area served | China |
Products | Automobiles |
Chinese name | |
Simplified Chinese | 奇瑞新能源汽车技术有限公司 |
Hanyu Pinyin | Qíruì Xīn Néngyuán Qìchē Jìshù Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī |
Website | cheryev.cn |
Chery New Energy ( Chinese: 奇瑞新能源; pinyin: Qíruì Xīn Néngyuán) is a subsidiary of Chery established in April 2010 to produce and market electric vehicles. [99]
Exeed (( Chinese: 星途; pinyin: Xīngtú) is Chery's premium brand for passenger vehicles, introduced in September 2017.
Jetour ( Chinese: 捷途; pinyin: Jiétú; lit. 'victory road') is Chery's SUV brand launched in 2018.
iCar is Chery's EV brand targeting at young customers, launched in April 2023. [100] CATL announced that they will be incorporating their sodium-ion batteries into the Chery iCar. [101]
Luxeed is Chery's premium EV brand in cooperation with Huawei. The first car, a premium electric executive sedan unveiled in November 9, 2023, and would be the first car to have the Harmony OS 4 system on board. [102]
Karry Auto is a Chinese market only brand founded by Chery in 2009. It specializes in the production of light commercial vehicles and people carriers for passenger transport. Some of the products created for Karry are marketed overseas under different marques by Chery.
Chery has two brands that are only used in overseas markets, which are Omoda and Jaecoo.
The Riich brand was discontinued in 2012. [33]
The company produces and exported engines under the brands ACTECO and CAC. Chery engines have been bought by Fiat and exported to the US. [52] [106]
Chery operates car-making joint ventures with Jaguar Land Rover and Israel Corporation, [19] and automotive component-manufacturing joint ventures with Arvin Meritor, Johnson Controls, and PPG Industries. [107]
In March 2012, Chery and the UK-based luxury automaker Jaguar Land Rover agreed to invest an initial US$2.78 billion in a new China-based joint venture that will sell and manufacture Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles and engines, as well as establish a research and development facility and create a new "own-brand" automobile marque. [108] The joint venture received regulatory approval in September 2012. [109] An initial production base will be built in Changshu, a county-level city close to Shanghai. [110][ better source needed]
In 2013 Chery began manufacturing a redesigned MOKE revival. The design evokes the classic Mini Moke built from 1964 until 1993. [111]
Its first car-making joint venture with a foreign firm, Qoros was established by Chery in cooperation with Israel Corporation in 2007, and planned to begin sales in 2013. [112] Set to unveil a sedan atop a brand-new platform [112] at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show, [113] Qoros' debut models will not be electric vehicles (as some sources may have reported). [112] A proposed production base for the venture will be built in Changshu, Jiangsu province, and become operational in 2012. [114] Production capacity will be 150,000 units a year, [58] but the location may not run at full capacity until 2015 or 2016. [115] While Qoros professes its desire to sell to young city dwellers [116] in China and Europe, [112] The company does have plans to include electric vehicles in its lineup. [112]
Higher-end Qoros cars are built with components and systems from foreign suppliers such as American Visteon and French Valeo. [117] Its engine design also required assistance from a foreign firm, [115] and Qoros has attracted western talent including former employees of Volkswagen and Mini. [58] It has sites in Austria and Germany as of 2012. [116]
Although initially known as Chery Quantum Auto Co., Ltd., its legal name became Qoros Auto Co., Ltd. [112]
Chery has been the top Chinese auto exporter since 2003, [118] and many of its exports may be in the form of knock-down kits destined for overseas assembly. Prior to 2012, Chery lacked a joint venture with an established Western automaker, which may explain its export focus. A 2009 report by the US Congressional Research Service asserted that such joint ventures, commonplace in the Chinese auto industry, restrained overseas sales. [119]
Making its first export to Syria in 2001, [120] as of 2010 Chery was the top exporter among Chinese automakers, a title it held since 2003. [121] Many of these exports may be in the form of knock-down kits.[ citation needed]
Year | Total | Chery [125] | Jetour | Exeed | iCar | Luxeed |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | 750,456 | 750,456 | - | - | - | - |
2011 | 729,497 | 729,497 | - | - | - | - |
2012 | 653,476 | 653,476 | - | - | - | - |
2013 | 561,062 | 561,062 | - | - | - | - |
2014 | 570,718 | 570,718 | - | - | - | - |
2015 | 575,108 | 575,108 | - | - | - | - |
2016 | 682,474 | 682,474 | - | - | - | - |
2017 | 604,708 | 604,708 | - | - | - | - |
2018 | 752,759 | 540,233 | 40,007 | - | - | - |
2019 | 747,806 | 605,602 | 128,204 | 14,000 | - | - |
2020 | 731,117 | 586,445 | 126,595 | 18,077 | - | - |
2021 | 961,926 | 656,943 | 154,035 | 37,167 | - | - |
2022 | 1,232,727 | 908,553 | 180,067 | 51,142 | - | - |
2023 | 1,881,316 | 1,341,261 | 315,167 | 125,521 | 1,445 | 899 |
Year | Global | China | Russia | Mexico | Brazil | Turkey | Egypt | Chile | South Africa | Israel | Australia | Indonesia | Ukraine | Argentina | Uruguay | Colombia | UAE | Iran |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2003 | 85,349 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2004 | 87,138 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2005 | 189,445 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2006 | 292,291 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2007 | 379,001 | 37,120 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2008 | 334,800 | 15,728 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2009 | 411,231 | 4,922 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
2010 | 750,456 | 548,444 | 8,909 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2011 | 729,497 | 551,072 | 6,624 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2012 | 653,476 | 533,161 | 19,004 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2013 | 561,062 | 437,044 | 19,855 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
2014 | 570,718 | 494,824 | 18,139 | - | 9,097 | 325 | - | 1,297 | - | 592 | 1,231 | 3,775 | 3,059 | 5,037 | 5,860 | 29,449 | ||
2015 | 575,108 | 410,591 | 4,964 | - | 3,630 | 394 | - | 746 | - | 201 | 446 | 4,572 | 1,437 | 4,794 | 5,716 | 32,730 | ||
2016 | 682,474 | 504,247 | 4,758 | - | 1,362 | - | 8,173 | 333 | - | 19 | 66 | 3,670 | 431 | 1,573 | 3,514 | 41,019 | ||
2017 | 604,708 | 455,718 | 5,905 | - | 3,536 | - | 5,477 | 6,430 | 184 | - | 7 | - | 7,027 | 417 | 865 | - | - | |
2018 | 752,759 | 427,811 | 5,611 | - | 8,353 | - | 4,649 | 8,261 | - | - | 1 | - | 6,152 | 123 | 798 | - | - | |
2019 | 747,806 | 411,179 | 6,358 | - | 19,824 | - | 5,582 | 7,178 | - | - | - | - | 1,672 | 1,998 | 480 | 597 | - | - |
2020 | 731,117 | 450,786 | 11,452 | - | 19,456 | - | 9,844 | 7,078 | - | - | - | - | 1,974 | 1,319 | 694 | 429 | - | - |
2021 | 961,926 | 644,322 | 40,874 [126] | - | 39,739 | - | 16,314 [127] | 26,906 [128] | - | - | - | - | 4,653 | 1,144 | 687 | - | - | - |
2022 | 1,232,727 | 781,390 | 52,183 | 7,450 | 35,033 | - | 18,918 | 24,953 | 8,013 | 593 | - | - | 687 | 836 | 788 | - | - | - |
2023 | 1,881,316 | 765,209 | 206,035 | 38,484 | 31,290 | 27,587 | 10,209 | 13,204 | 16,110 | 11,127 | 5,890 | 4,099 | 1,143 | 426 | 900 | - | - |
Chery participated in the Dakar Rally in 2010 and 2011, racing with Rely X5 SUVs in both editions. [129] [130]
In June 2003, American manufacturer General Motors sued Chery accusing it of copying the first generation Daewoo Matiz (developed by a GM subsidiary, GM Daewoo) in its design for the Chery QQ. [131] General Motors also claimed a disguised Matiz was used in a crash test in place of the Chery car. [132]
GM executives claimed design duplication with many parts interchangeable between the QQ and the Matiz, [133] and GM China Group stated the two vehicles, "shared remarkably identical body structure, exterior design, interior design and key components." [134]
While some Chery cars are not copies, such as the Pininfarina-designed A3, [135] the QQ may not be the sole Chery model that wears famous-name designs; the Chery Tiggo is criticized for resembling the second generation Toyota RAV4. [136] Other model using the Matiz technology found in the QQ include the closely related QQ6. The Eastar and its derivatives (V4, B12, and B22) have also been considered to be copies of the Daewoo Magnus. [137]
After mediation attempts failed, then-GM Daewoo (now known as GM Korea) brought a case against Chery in a Shanghai court, but by 2005 jurisdiction had been moved [133] to the Beijing No.1 Intermediate People's Court. [138]
Around that time Chinese state officials, including a vice-minister of commerce and a vice-director of the State Intellectual Property Office, publicly supported Chery. The Chinese have claimed that GM didn't properly patent their technology. [138] In late 2005 the lawsuit was settled. [132]
An American entrepreneur with past experience importing developing country autos to the U.S., Malcolm Bricklin, sued Chery in 2008 for contracting a different company after previously contracting Bricklin. [139]