Reuters, Dec. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Great Wall Motor plans to launch a new independent brand of smart electric vehicles, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Internally codenamed "SL Project," it will be called "Sha Sha" for the time being. Currently tentatively named "Sharon Auto", the future will focus on high-end new energy vehicle market, and Azure, Lantu and other direct counterparts.

"Salon car" brand name in English or will be "Saloon", according to people familiar with the matter, because its English meaning is parlor, four-door sedan. It is reported that "Saloon Auto" will be the founder and CEO of Xindou Intelligence Li Peng as a legal person and chairman of the board.

Li Peng, founder and CEO of Xindou Intelligence, was the general manager of Horizon Intelligent Driving Division, Continental's Intelligent Transportation business unit and infotainment and intelligent communications business unit director in China.

In April 2020, Great Wall Motor set up a first-tier department called "Digitalization Center", which covers all Great Wall Motor brands, including intelligent driving, intelligent cockpit, digital marketing platform, data center, user operation platform, etc., in order to promote the Group's digitalization business progress. as Great Wall Motor's CDO (Digital Center Executive Officer). This is the first time that Great Wall Motor has created this position.

People familiar with the matter said that the Salon Auto project has been in the works for just two to three months, but the idea and technical reserves have been incubated internally for several years. Salon Cars' first new car could be on the market as early as 2022.

Brand upward has always been the bottleneck faced by traditional car companies, for Great Wall, despite the previous launch of the WEY brand, but from the sales point of view, slightly weak. Starting from the new energy brand to build a high-end brand has become the main strategic position of traditional car companies in 2020.

July this year, Dongfeng Motor officially released a new high-end electric brand "Lantu"; December 18, Lantu's first production car Lantu FREE will be the global debut in Shenzhen. November 14, Changan Automobile announced that Huawei, Ningde Times **** with the creation of high-end intelligent car brand! On November 20, Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) officially made its EAN brand independent as a high-end intelligent brand, and GAC New Energy officially changed its name to GAC EAN New Energy Vehicle Co.

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