Yibin Kaiyi (Cowin) Automobile Co., Ltd.
Native name | Wuhu Kaiyi (Cowin) Automobile Co., Ltd |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Kǎiyì |
| Subsidiary | |
| Traded as | Cowin Auto |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Predecessors | Weier Automobile |
| Founded 📆 | January 2014 |
| Founders 👔 | Chery Automobile |
| Headquarters 🏙️ | , , China |
Area served 🗺️ | China |
| Products 📟 | Automobiles |
| Owners |
|
| Members | |
Number of employees | |
| 🌐 Website | https://www.kaiyihome.com |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Cowin Auto (official name Yibin Kaiyi (Cowin) Automobile Co., Ltd., in Chinese 凯 翼 - Kǎiyì) is a Chinese car manufacturer founded in January 2014 by Chery Automobile in Wuhu as a subsidiary for the production of lower cost cars. From 2018 51% of the property was sold to Yibin Auto Industry Development Investment and Sichuan Yibin Pushi Group and consequently the headquarters and headquarters were moved to Yibin.
History[edit]
Origins[edit]
The origin of the Cowin name dates back to 2003 when it was introduced to identify the homonymous car model which was nothing more than the restyling of the old Chery Fulwin (the licensed version of the first series of Seat Toledo as well as the first car produced by the same Chinese); subsequently, from 2009, Chery decided to reorganize its product range using this name to identify a sub-range of models that are now old and at the end of the production cycle but kept in the price list only because they still guaranteed decent sales volumes; thus were born the Chery Cowin 1 (the restyling of the old QQ6), the Chery Cowin 2 (ex Chery Cowin/Fulwin), Chery Cowin 3 (ex model Chery A5), etc.[2]
The strategy was therefore to give a greater identity to the new vehicles while merging all the obsolete ones under the Cowin brand.
Foundation[edit]
Subsequently Chery studies the "Jiangbei project" with the aim of launching a new car manufacturer where it can transfer all the old productions and therefore specializes in low-cost cars and in the supply of kit components to licensed third-party manufacturers. This carmakers was founded in January 2014 by: Anhui Jiangbei Development (investment and development company), Chery Commercial Vehicle (Chery's commercial vehicle subsidiary) and Wuhu Construction Investment (Wuhu city investment fund) and as a manufacturing site the former Weier military plant was acquired (PLA factory no. 5720), located at the Wanli airport, which possessed the automobile production license (as it assembled a minivan of Chery origin). The Weier plant was initially renamed Anhui Ruihong Automobile Co, Ltd. and a few months later it took the official name Wuhu Kaiyi (Cowin) Automobile Co., Ltd (transcribed in English simply as Cowin Auto) Now established Cowin brand. All businesses were acquired by Chery and Zheng Zhaorui was appointed to serve as general manager of Cowin.[3]
In August 2014 at the Chengdu motor show, Cowin, a subsidiary of Chery, made its official public debut, exhibiting the two subcompact models (Cowin C3 sedan and C3R hatchback) and the prototype i-CX, a five-seater crossover destined to be produced in the future and announcing the launch of new models based on Chery platforms and technologies. A few months later, the company's first model, the Cowin C3, a small B-segment sedan originally designed to be sold by Chery and passed to Cowin, made its production debut. The C3 is available in four-door sedan bodywork while the five-door hatchback version will be sold as the Cowin C3R.
In 2016 the Cowin X3 debuted, the brand's first car designed in-house and based on the platform of the Chery Tiggo 3 and with Chery-Acteco engines, the design was the work of the Turin-based GranStudio. Production takes place in the modernized former Weier plant and now owned by Cowin. In September 2017, sales of the Cowin X5, a rebadge of the Chery Tiggo 5 produced in Wuhu.[4]
[edit]
In 2018, following a restructuring of the Chery shareholding, part of Cowin is sold to the city of Yibin through the subsidiaries Yibin Auto Industry Development Investment Co., Ltd. and Sichuan Yibin Pushi (PUSH) Group Co., Ltd. which take possession 50.5% and 0.5% respectively. Chery Automobile retains a 49% stake.[5]
Yibin City paid a total of RMB 2.5 billion for a 51% stake in Cowin (valuing the company at around RMB 5 billion, about $ 800 million). Cowin Auto's headquarters moved to Yibin, Sichuan and the company changed its official name to Yibin Kaiyi (Cowin) Automobile Co., Ltd.
On 7 January 2019 the new production plant in Yibin is inaugurated and the Cowin X5 goes into production. Production at the Chery plant in Wuhu will continue for the X3 model.[6]
In 2020 the Showjet, a crossover derived from the Chery Tiggo 5x, goes into production in the new Yibin plant.
Vehicle[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Profile". Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ↑ "All-new Chery Cowin to be launched in 2009". autonews.gasgoo.com/. 27 October 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ↑ "General Manager of Cowin Auto jump to Hawtai Motor; Cowin is to be merged into Chery". autonews.gasgoo.com/. 23 December 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ↑ "Cowin X5 Released its Official Shots and would Share Powertrain with Tiggo 5". autonews.gasgoo.com/. 16 August 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ↑ "Wuliangye Group acquires stakes of Cowin Auto". 4 January 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ↑ "Cowin Auto qualified by MIIT to produce fuel-burning PVs, BEVs". 20 January 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
External links[edit]
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