Singulato & BJEV bundle R&D resources in China
The Chinese e-mobility startup Singulato Motors is cooperating with the BAIC subsidiary Beijing Electric Vehicle (BJEV) to develop EVs and PHEVs. The partners aim to develop vehicle technology, charging solutions and distribution networks.
Singulato is the English name for the Chinese manufacturer Zhiche Auto, which was introduced towards the end of 2016. The cooperation between the two companies was announced during the currently ongoing Beijing Motor Show. According to their statement, Singulato will join the BAIV BJEV plans to set up a national technology-innovation center for electric vehicles.
Another new development is that Singulato was able to secure about 474 million dollars in a fresh financing round. The names of the investors have not been published. The startup has also announced their plan to release their iS6 on the market before end of this year. The e-SUV with a 400 km NEFZ range will likely be designed as a 5 or 7 seater. The second model by Singulato has been announced as a purely electric multipurpose vehicle, which is targeted at younger customers. Singulato aims to release 6 purely electric models in the next few years.
Founded in 2014, Singulato has research and development bases in China, the USA and Japan. Earlier this month, the car manufacturer also announced their plan to inject about 2.4 billion dollars in further research and development, as well as manufacturing and industrial investment surrounding e-mobility. Among other measures, the company plans to bring between 2,000 and 3,000 researchers on board within the next five years, as well as set up a new manufacturing plant in Suzhou. This would be Singulato’s second factory after their 2016 decision to set up manufacturing in Tongling in eastern China.
BJEV was set up in 2009 as a new energy vehicle development platform for BAIC. The main business of the company is geared towards research and development, production as well as sales and services for new energy vehicles and NEV core components. With 103,200 delivered EVs in 2017, BJEV was the market leader in China for the fifth year in a row in 2017. Daimler also invested with BJEV for about 4% in March.
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