# GAC Group

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC Group) is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Guangzhou, Guangdong. Founded in 1954, it is currently the fifth largest automobile manufacturer in China, with 2.144 million sales in 2021.
The company produces and sells vehicles under its own branding, such as Trumpchi, Aion, Hyptec, Hycan as well as under foreign-branded joint ventures such as GAC Toyota and GAC Honda. It also produces electric vehicles under some of the previously listed brandings. It produces buses under the GAC Bus brand. Other brand names associated with GAC are Everus, for consumer vehicles, and Hino.
In 2021, GAC was the fourth largest Chinese plug-in electric vehicle manufacturer in the Chinese market, with 4% of market share. It sold 123,660 units of EVs in 2021, and over 20,000 units in March 2022, with plans to double EV production capacity to 400,000 a year by December 2022.

## History

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. was founded in 1955, and in 2005 become a holding of Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group and a joint-stock company. As of 2009 it was the 6th-largest automaker in China.
In 2009, the company acquired 29% of the Chinese sport-utility vehicle maker Changfeng Automobile, becoming its biggest shareholder. GAC purchased the remaining portion of Changfeng in 2011 completing its acquisition of the company.
Previously a backdoor listing via Denway Motors, GAC became listed under its own name on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in 2010. In that year shareholders of Denway Motors approved its privatization by GAC. Denway Motors was subsequently delisted on 25 August 2010 and replaced by Guangzhou Automobile Group (SEHK: 2238) on 30 August 2010 via stock swap.
In late 2010 GAC purchased 51% ownership of Gonow, a midsize Chinese automaker of sport-utility vehicles, subcompacts, and pickup trucks.
In December 2010 GAC launched the new Trumpchi marque. Its initial product was based on the Alfa Romeo 166.
In 2010 GAC was among the ten largest Chinese carmakers reaching number six and selling 724,200 vehicles.
2011 saw the company retain its position as the sixth-largest Chinese automaker by production volume, with GAC making 740,400 vehicles in that year.
In early 2012, the company was listed on the Shanghai Stock exchange.
On 17 November 2023, GAC Group announced the independent development of key technologies, including all-solid-state batteries, cobalt-free batteries, low-cobalt batteries, and sodium-ion batteries. The company aims to achieve the integration of all-solid-state batteries into automobiles by 2026.
In 2023 the company developed the first ammonia powered engine for cars.
In November 2023, GAC Group and Huawei signed a cooperation agreement that GAC would create a new high-end electric brand in addition to Trumpchi, Aion and Hyptec, both sides will cooperate in product development, marketing and ecological services.
On November 2, 2024, GAC Group's headquarters moved from the GAC Center in the CBD of Zhujiang New Town to Panyu Auto City.

## Brands
### Trumpchi/GAC

Trumpchi is an automotive marque owned by GAC Group and launched in December 2010. Trumpchi brand is marketed as GAC outside China. It was launched in December 2010. The Trumpchi brand is operated in Chinese domestic market while it is rebranded as GAC Motor in overseas markets.
* Trumpchi GS8 II
* Trumpchi M8 II
* Trumpchi Empow

### Aion

Aion is the mainstream brand of GAC Aion, the subsidiary for electric vehicle of GAC Group. It was founded in 2017 as the GAC New Energy Automobile. Its current name was adopted in November 2020. It produces battery electric vehicles under the eponymous Aion brand and the premium Hyptec brand.
As of 2023, GAC Aion is the third-largest battery electric vehicle brand after Tesla and BYD Auto, both in China and globally by producing 480,003 vehicles.
* Aion LX
* Aion S Max
* Aion V

### Hyptec

Hyptec is the premium brand under GAC Aion.The brand was created in September 2022 as Hyper, with a goal to expand GAC Aion's portfolio with a separate premium brand.
Hyptec's first product is the Hyptec SSR hypercar. Production of the SSR began in October 2023. In 2023, the Hyper lineup was further expanded with a second model, the Hyptec GT sedan, which went on sale in July 2023. In October of the same year, the mid-size SUV coupe Hyptec HT debuted, with sales beginning in the domestic market in November 2023. In August 2024, the brand's English name was changed from Hyper to Hyptec.
* Hyptec GT
* Hyptec HT
* Hyptec SSR

## Former brands
### Changfeng Motor (Leopaard)

In 2009, GAC owned 29% ownership of this SUV-maker a purchase supposedly imposed by the Chinese state as a condition of a then-upcoming joint venture with Fiat. GAC completed its acquisition of Changfeng in 2011. In 2012 Changfeng Group began moves to re-enter the vehicle business culminating in the move to a new headquarters in Changsha in January 2013 and the establishment of a new subsidiary, Hunan Liebao Automobile Co. Ltd., alongside the continuing Anhui Changfeng Yangzi Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd., to oversee manufacturing and marketing of vehicles under the Liebao or "Leopaard" brand.
* Leopaard CS3 BEV
* Leopaard CS9
* Leopaard Mattu

### Gonow

Gonow (officially Zhejiang Gonow Auto Co., Ltd.) is a Chinese manufacturer of automobiles, commercial vehicles and SUV's headquartered in Taizhou, Zhejiang and a subsidiary of GAC Group. It markets its products under the brand name GAC Gonow in China and as Gonow in other markets.
* Gonow Emei
* Gonow G5
* Gonow Way M1

## Joint venture brands
### GAC Honda

Guangqi Honda is a 50:50 joint venture between GAC and Honda, which has been making a number of Honda and Acura-branded vehicles for the Chinese market since 1999. It started sales of its own brand, Everus in 2011.
* Everus S1 (facelift)
* Everus VE-1 EV

### GAC Wuyang-Honda

Wuyang-Honda markets Honda Motorcycles for the Chinese market.

### GAC Toyota

GAC Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. is a 50:50 joint venture between GAC and Toyota Motor Company which manufactures Toyota vehicles for the Chinese market. It was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Guangzhou.

### GAC Hino

GAC Hino is a joint venture between Hino and GAC aimed at producing Hino-based trucks.

## Former joint ventures
### Guangzhou Isuzu

Guangzhou Isuzu Bus Co., Ltd. was a coach manufacturing joint venture between GAC (51%), Isuzu Motors (33.67%) and Isuzu (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (15.33%) that was established on 6 March 2000. Isuzu light trucks and buses were also built by Guangzhou Yangcheng Automobile (羊城汽车), a joint venture with Hong Kong China Lounge Logistics. Their light trucks are based on the Isuzu Elf and are marketed under the "YCACO" brand. Yangcheng's various bus building operations were merged with Guangzhou Isuzu Bus and Denway into the Guangzhou Bus Co., Ltd. in September 2008. At the same time, Guangzhou Yangcheng's truck making arm was merged into Guangzhou Hino.
* Ycaco YC1045CSZ

### Guangzhou Peugeot

One of the first Sino-western joint venture auto-making companies, Guangzhou Peugeot Automobile Co. Ltd. was a joint venture set up by PSA Peugeot Citroën and the Guangzhou Municipal government between 1985 and 1997. Over its eleven-year lifespan, the company produced about 100,000 cars.
Sales began in 1989 mainly as automobiles for government officials and taxis. Its model line comprised the Peugeot 505 and 504.
* A crew cab Peugeot 504 pickup produced by Guangzhou Peugeot

### GAC Fiat Chrysler

Fiat signed on to a joint venture with GAC on 6 July 2009, and GAC FIAT Automobiles Co Ltd was incorporated on 9 March 2010. The new company has a production base in Changsha, Hunan Province, that opened on 28 June 2012 to manufacture the Fiat Viaggio.

### GAC Mitsubishi

GAC Mitsubishi Motors is a joint venture between GAC and the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors. It became operational in September 2012 following a late 2010 memorandum of understanding.

### GAC BYD

GAC BYD is a joint venture between GAC (49%) and BYD (51%) to produce BYD-designed buses under GAC's brand name.

## Sales

GAC group sales by brand :
| Year | Total | Trumpchi | GAC Aion | Gonow |
| 2010 | 45,065 | 21 | - | 43,251 |
| 2011 | 44,056 | 17,014 | - | 25,343 |
| 2012 | 71,505 | 32,646 | - | 37,256 |
| 2013 | 124,001 | 84,602 | - | 38,928 |
| 2014 | 146,694 | 116,468 | - | 29,500 |
| 2015 | 207,890 | 191,617 | - | 15,995 |
| 2016 | 375,723 | 370,781 | - | 4,209 |
| 2017 | 508,797 | 508,617 | - | 180 |
| 2018 | 535,323 | 535,277 | - | 46 |
| 2019 | 384,792 | 351,550 | 33,242 | Discontinued |
| 2020 | 353,597 | 294,049 | 59,545 | Discontinued |
| 2021 | 447,207 | 327,048 | 120,159 | Discontinued |
| 2022 | 633,704 | 362,548 | 271,156 | Discontinued |
| 2023 | 886,508 | 406,505 | 480,003 | Discontinued |
| 2024 | 789,475 | 414,591 | 374,884 | |

## International operations

GAC Group has been vocal about its plans to introduce models into the United States. Trumpchi made its first appearance at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2013, where the Trumpchi E-Jet concept made its world debut. In 2017, the company returned to Detroit and showed three SUVs and two sedans. In January 2018, Trumpchi brought five new models and a concept SUV, the Enverge. GAC established research and development teams in Silicon Valley and Los Angeles in 2017 and 2018, respectively. During the 2019 Detroit Auto Show they announced delays to their sales plans to the first half of 2020. On 22 May 2019, the company indefinitely postponed their US market plans due to Donald Trump's trade war with China.
On 15 May 2015, GAC Group launched a ceremony to celebrate the opening of its Lebanese office under Bazerji Motors SAL. On 29 May 2015, GAC Group partnered with Doha Marketing and Services Company (DOMASCO), to market and sell their vehicles to the local customers in the Middle East.
On 20 November 2020, GAC Group established a branch in Chile.
GAC Group International Markets :
| Year of Introduction | Territory | Brands | Local Partner |
| 2013 | Kuwait | GAC Motor | |
| May 2014 | Lebanon | GAC Motor | Bazerji Motors Sal |
| November 2014 | Nigeria | GAC Motor | |
| October 2015 | Bahrain | GAC Motor | Tasheelat Automotive Company |
| October 2018 | United Arab Emirates | GAC Motor | Gargash Group |
| November 2018 | Philippines | GAC Motor | Legado Motors Inc. (LMI) |
| November 2018 | Saudi Arabia | GAC Motor | Al Jomaih Automotive |
| May 2019 | Ecuador | GAC Motor | Impofactor CA |
| August 2019 | Cambodia, Laos, Panama | GAC Motor | TH Group (Cambodia), VK Group, Laos Group Auto Commercial (Panama) |
| December 2019 | Russia | GAC Motor | |

## Sponsorships

GAC was the sponsor of the 2011 World Table Tennis Championships held in Rotterdam and the title sponsor of the 2012 ITTF World Tour.
GAC was the title sponsor of the 2013 World Team Cup Table Tennis tournament held in its home city of Guangzhou.