BAIC Group


BAIC Group is a Chinese state-owned enterprise and holding company of several automobile and machine manufacturers located in Beijing, China.
Its principal subsidiaries include the passenger car maker BAIC Motor; a military vehicle and SUV maker, BAW; and a truck, bus, and agricultural equipment maker, Foton Motor. BAIC also makes Hyundai and Mercedes-branded cars for sale on the Chinese market through the Beijing Hyundai and Beijing Benz joint ventures.
It is often ranked as the fifth or fourth-largest Chinese automaker by volume and boasts several successful passenger-car joint ventures with foreign firms. However, a significant proportion of its output is agricultural, commercial, and military vehicles.
In 2014, manufacture of 2.25 million whole vehicles made BAIC the fourth largest among domestic rivals although it placed second in terms of commercial vehicle output.

History

Founded in 1958, BAIC companies build with Daimler AG and Hyundai.
BAIC was one of the top ten most-productive Chinese automakers in 2010. This may be due to subsidiary Beijing Automobile Works and a sustained surge of popularity for Beijing Hyundai products. It reached fifth place by selling nearly 1.5 millions units garnering a market share of more than 8%. 2011 production of 1.5 million whole vehicles made BAIC the fifth largest vehicle-maker in China that year in terms of units manufactured. BAIC remained fifth in 2012, which saw the company make 1.7 million whole vehicles; 30% of production was commercial or heavy-duty products.

Saab technology transfer

After several unsuccessful attempts to buy struggling European automakers in 2009, such as Saab, Volvo, and Opel as well as technology from the American Chrysler, BAIC fulfilled its aim of obtaining valuable Western technology that same year purchasing technology from a former unit of General Motors, Saab Automobile. This allows it to produce older Saab models for sale in China.
The intellectual property bought by BAIC includes the rights to three overall vehicle platforms, Saab 9-3 and Saab 9-5 technologies, two engine technologies, and two transmission systems.
Cars with Saab technology were expected to go on sale in 2012 but didn't debut until May 2013. The first Saab-based model on sale is the C70 or 绅宝, which may be translated as "gentleman's treasure" although these cars may be sold under the Senova brand name outside of China.

Southern China expansion

In 2010, BAIC aimed to expand in Southern China and planned to purchase fellow Chinese automaker Guangzhou Baolong for this purpose gaining a Southern production base and planning construction of two more.

Electric vehicles

A trial production run of 30 electric vehicles using Saab and self-developed platforms occurred in late 2010. China subsidies oil, and Chinese automakers see opportunities in less mature electric vehicles because Western companies have yet to develop much of a lead in the technology.
The all-electric BAIC EC-Series city car was the top selling plug-in car in China in 2017 with 78,079 units sold, making the city car also the world's top selling plug-in car in 2017.
The BAIC EU-Series is the all-electric version of the second generation Beijing Auto Senova D50 sedan, which was also sold under the EU series, and this time it was sold alongside the first-generation-D50-based EU260 as the EU5 replacing the also first-generation-D50-based EU400.

Products

BAIC has a wide product line that includes more than the buses that are its traditional manufacture. Offerings encompass many kinds of commercial vehicles, including: agricultural machinery, construction machinery, light trucks, and military vehicles, etc. As of 2010, commercial vehicle production capacity is estimated to be around 700,000 units per year. Production capacity figures may consider engines and vehicles as discrete.
The company sells self-branded consumer products in addition to manufacturing in cooperation with famous name foreign firms. Based on purchased Saab technology, the cars were first offered in 2013 although sales had been expected to start in both 2012 and 2010. While it also make cars with foreign partners, its self-branded vehicles were developed without oversight from a major Western car manufacturer. To support its own brand, in 2012 BAIC hired as a consultant former Ferrari designer Leonardo Fioravanti.
BAIC-branded military and civilian light trucks have also been produced.

BAIC-branded products

ArcFox

Weiwang is a brand under Beiqi Yinxiang Automobile, a joint venture between Beijing Auto and the Yinxiang Group from Chongqing.
Along with several other production bases, four of which are in eastern China, BAIC controls the former Guangzhou Baolong base in Southern China. Plans exist to build two more southern production bases–one in Guangzhou, Guangdong province by 2012 and another in Chongqing.
A planned production base will produce own-brand autos using Saab technology. It may be located in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, or at Sanxiang town, Zhongshan city, Guangdong province, and could become operational in June 2011.
The company said production bases in at least 26 Chinese cities. This count most likely includes component manufacturers as well.

Current subsidiaries

BAIC Motor

BAIC Motor Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of BAIC Group which manufactures passenger cars and microvans sold under the Senova and Weiwang marques, respectively. Founded in 2010 and based in Beijing, Daimler AG acquired a 12% stake in BAIC Motor in November 2013. Other shareholders of BAIC Motor was Beijing State-owned Assets Management.

BAW

Beijing Automobile Works Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of BAIC based in Beijing which produces light off-road vehicles, trucks, and military vehicles.

BJEV

BAIC BJEV is a subsidiary of BAIC for electric vehicles, producing electric passenger vehicles mainly based on Senova passenger cars. BAIC owns 60% of the company, while the other 40% of the shares are divided among other shareholders including LeEco, the creator of the LeSEE electric super sedan.
Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of BAIC which designs and manufactures trucks, buses, sport utility vehicles, and agricultural machinery. It is headquartered in Changping, Beijing.
Foton makes commercial trucks in a joint venture with Daimler AG, called Beijing Foton Daimler Automobile Co., Ltd., which sells its products under the "Auman" brand name.

Former subsidiaries

BLAC

The Beijing Light Automobile Company, until 1988 the Beijing Automobile Factory No. 2, started in the late 1960s when production of the independently developed BJ130 began. Its introduction was slowed considerably by the upheavals of the Cultural revolution. In 1984, assembly of the Isuzu Elf/NHR began. In 1988, a new plant for these trucks was built with aid from the Japanese, and petrol and diesel light truck engines were also produced. BLAC went bankrupt in 2002.

Joint ventures

BAIC has several joint ventures with foreign automakers—including two with Daimler AG.

Current joint ventures

Beijing Hyundai

Beijing Hyundai Motor Co., Ltd. is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Beijing, China, and is a 50:50 joint-venture between BAIC and Hyundai Motor Company. Established in 2002, it manufactures in Shunyi District, a satellite city of Beijing, producing Hyundai-branded automobiles for the Chinese market. New models designed for the Chinese market are due to appear.

Beijing Benz

As of 2010, Beijing Benz, a BAIC joint venture with German automaker Daimler AG, makes the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class models for sale in China and seeks to make more of the models it sells in China locally.

Beijing Foton Daimler

Beijing Foton Daimler Automobile Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between Daimler and a BAIC subsidiary, Foton Motor, which makes commercial trucks.

Former joint ventures

Beijing Jeep

Beijing Jeep Corporation became China's first Sino-western automotive joint venture when it was established in 1984 with American Motors Corporation. Beijing Jeep subsequently became Beijing Benz-DaimlerChrysler Automotive Co Ltd and then Beijing Benz Automotive Co Ltd.