Europe is gobbling up a lot of electric cars and the MG4 Electric might be SAIC’s foot in the door.
Chinese vehicles have been slowly chipping away at tough markets like Europe and Australia. Just last year, BYD started to make serious headway into Norway with the new electric Tang SUV. SAIC, China’s largest carmaker has also been successful in Scandinavia. Now SAIC may have an opportunity to expand further on the Continent with the MG4 Electric. The first batch of these Chinese-made battery electric vehicles left the port of Haitong just last week. SAIC says that Europe will be its first export market to hit 100,000 units per year. No doubt the MG4 Electric will be instrumental in that goal.
The MG4 Electric will be introduced in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It will later be introduced to Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, the Middle East and South America with the aim of moving 150,000 of these worldwide annually.
The MG4 Electric is built on the Modular Scalable Platform (MSP), an EV-specific chassis with sportscar intentions. Power comes from a ‘One Pack’ battery pack which features a “zero thermal runaway” system that prevents fires and overheating. Active safety and data security are built into the design.
Here’s the press release with more.
PRESS RELEASE
The first batch of SAIC Motor’s new EV model – MG4 ELECTRIC – departed from Haitong port in Shanghai on a ro-ro ship, and headed to Europe on July 21.
MG4 ELECTRIC was unveiled by SAIC Motor, China’s largest auto maker, and is built with the carmaker’s new MSP platform that is designed solely for all-electric cars. It sports the company’s One Pack battery with an energy density that can reach 180 Wh/kg. Equipped with an active safety system and a data security protection system, MSP aims to provide customers with a safe and quiet environment. The new model also features a “zero thermal runaway” system to prevent it from catching fire or overheating. MG4 ELECTRIC has reached the international top level in terms of design, safety, environmental protection, and quality, and is expected to be launched in Europe in fall of this year.
According to official data, the sales volume of the MG vehicles in Europe has exceeded 45,000, and MG ranks among the top 10 in the pure electric vehicle markets in Sweden, Norway and other countries. SAIC Motor aims to sell more than 800,000 vehicles overseas this year, aiming to further expand its leading edge in the international market.
Based on its domestic leading scale, and the most complete spectrum of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in the world, SAIC Motor launched MG4 ELECTRIC, its first electric model developed “with global markets in mind”, and will meet the diverse needs of overseas consumers in terms of safety, environmental protection, and intelligence.
In fall of this year, MG4 ELECTRIC will make its debut in Europe, including countries such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. With a global sales target of 150,000 vehicles in 2023, the new vehicle model also plans to enter Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Mexico, and South America next year. It will also cover major regional markets on six continents.
MG4 ELECTRIC is jointly designed and operated by the SAIC Design global team. It is developed in accordance with the European New Car Assessment Program, one of the strictest auto regulators in the world.
As a leading automobile enterprise in China, SAIC Motor has long upheld the principle of being “systematic, well-planned and well-organized” to promote international operations, and established an automotive industry chain for the global market that integrates research and development (R&D), marketing, logistics, spare parts, manufacturing, finance, and second-hand cars. The carmaker has also set up three R&D innovation centers in Silicon Valley in the United States, London, the United Kingdom’s capital, and Tel Aviv, a major city and economic hub in Israel.
Additionally, SAIC Motor has built four overseas vehicle manufacturing bases in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, and more than 100 production and R&D bases for car-parts, as well as over 1,800 marketing service outlets. It has opened six self-operated international shipping routes to Southeast Asia, Mexico, western part of South America, and Europe.
Currently, SAIC Motor’s services and products are available in nearly 90 countries and regions, and the company has developed six large-scale regional markets in the European Union, Australia and New Zealand, the US, the Middle East, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and South Asia.
According to official data, SAIC Motor sold 697,000 vehicles in 2021 in overseas markets, a year-on-year increase of 78.9 percent, and has ranked first among domestic car companies for six consecutive years in overseas sales. In the first half of this year, the carmaker sold 381,000 vehicles overseas, an increase of 47.7 percent from the same period last year. It is said that SAIC Motor makes one out of every three Chinese cars sold overseas.
SAIC Motor started exporting MG-branded vehicles in 2007, and it has become the most popular Chinese brand in overseas markets. According to official data, the overseas sales of MG vehicles have exceeded one million, and it has attracted more than six million followers on overseas social media platforms. Currently, MG is now available in 84 countries and regions, and ranked among the top 10 brands in 18 countries and regions.
The carmaker plans to set up 800 marketing service outlets in Europe, and Europe will become SAIC Motor’s first overseas market with annual sales expected to exceed 100,000 units.
