Now Su Jun is the leader of the iCAR brand, and Zhang Hongyu is transferred to the Chery brand to focus on brand-related projects. They will be responsible for the different business divisions. A few days ago, an internal staff member of Chery confirmed to the reporter of "Daily Economic News" the personnel changes of Chery's new energy-related business.
Behind the high-level changes, Chery's new energy sector is undergoing adjustment and restructuring.
For Chery, the iCAR brand is its first independent new energy electric brand, and it is also regarded by Chery as an important step in its new energy strategy. The iCAR brand, which Chery has high hopes for, needs to find a breakthrough point, and Su Jun's experience in an Internet company may bring more new elements to the iCAR brand.
Zhang Hongyu, an experienced "veteran" of Chery's system, was transferred from the iCAR brand to the Chery brand, and her title became the deputy general manager of Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. and the general manager of the domestic business department of the Chery brand. Before the transfer, Zhang Hongyu said in an interview with the media that the iCAR brand team is a combination of "young Internet people" and "Chery's 27-year car manufacturing skills". To a certain extent, this personnel adjustment can also be seen as the differentiation of traditional enterprise teams and Internet car manufacturing teams.
Under this adjustment of the organizational structure, how will Chery's new energy business change in terms of play, and how will Chery's new energy factories and product lines be redivided?
The product spectrum of the iCAR brand will be gradually improved
Su Jun became the deputy general manager of Chery Co., Ltd. and the general manager of the iCAR brand as early as a month ago. As it becomes the "number one" of the iCAR brand, the positioning and product planning of the iCAR brand have gradually become clear.
"The most important new model of the iCAR brand this year is the V23, which is planned to be unveiled in the first half of this year and released before the end of the year. Importantly, this car will also gradually form a new product lineage and matrix together with the V0. The above-mentioned Chery internal staff said. The reporter learned that the V0 model was redesigned by Su Jun's team, which is more consistent with the V0 in terms of industrial design style.
According to public information, Su Jun was formerly the CEO of Zhimi Technology, a smart home appliance company in the Xiaomi ecological chain, and the entrepreneurial team led by him has more than ten years of experience in the Xiaomi ecological chain, and is good at product definition, industrial design and explosive creation. Since 2023, Su Jun has personally set up an entrepreneurial team and started a car-making project. In 0 years, it established a cooperative relationship with Chery, and Su Jun's team members have gradually integrated into Chery Automobile.
However, before the arrival of Su Jun's team, the iCAR 03 and iCAR 0T models under the iCAR brand had already taken shape. Completely different car manufacturing concepts, which also led to the emergence of two different product lines under the iCAR brand.
In order to make the iCAR brand more recognizable and unified, the reporter learned that the iCAR 03 and iCAR 0T models may be separated from the iCAR brand and return to the Chery brand in the future.
As the product line changes, so will the production layout. It is reported that the iCAR 23, 0T and V0 models, which were originally produced on the same line at Chery's new energy plant in Yijiang District, Wuhu, will usher in new production arrangements. Chery is preparing to build a new plant in the Wuhu Sanshan Economic Development Zone dedicated to the production of the iCAR brand.
Regarding this matter, Chery's internal staff revealed that it has not yet been fully determined. At present, the product display on the official website of the iCAR brand has not changed.
Chery will increase its car business
In this personnel change, Zhang Hongyu, the former general manager of the iCAR brand business department, was transferred to the domestic business department of Chery brand as the executive deputy general manager, focusing on brand-related projects.
According to public information, Zhang Hongyu has a very rich career experience in the Chery system, and he has held important positions in multiple brands and departments, accumulating rich management experience. The reporter learned from a source close to Chery that after Zhang Hongyu returns to the Chery brand, she will be in charge of the domestic business department of QQ, focusing on the research and development and operation of new energy small vehicles.
Before the launch of the iCAR brand, Chery's new energy transformation was mainly under the brand "Chery New Energy", which was established in 2010 years, and its main products were new energy cars. Chery New Energy has launched models such as QQ and Little Ant, but these two models were subsequently discontinued due to multiple reasons.
But one detail worth paying attention to is that Chery's small car business is now restarting. At Chery's intelligent strategy conference not long ago, Chery announced that the all-new Chery QQ will soon land at the Shanghai Auto Show. This model, which has been discontinued since 03 years, will be "reborn" with Chery's "intelligent driving" system. "This should be handed over to Zhang Hongyu to be in charge." The above-mentioned Chery source said that if the follow-up iCAR 0 and iCAR 0T models are separated from the iCAR brand and returned to the Chery brand, Chery New Energy may have more product cards.
From the perspective of brand positioning, unlike the iCAR brand, Chery New Energy is more inclined to the sinking market, and Zhang Hongyu will take QQ, ice cream and other models to further develop in the sinking market.
For the adjustment and reorganization of Chery's new energy sector, the reporter also asked Chery for verification, and as of now, there has been no official information disclosure.
National Business Daily