Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC Group) is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

. , it was the fifth largest automobile manufacturer in China, with 2.144 million sales in 2021. The company produces and sells vehicles under its own branding, such as Trumpchi, Aion, Hyptec, Hycan as well as under foreign-branded joint ventures such as GAC Toyota and GAC Honda. It also produces electric vehicles under some of the previously listed brandings. It produces buses under the GAC Bus brand. Other brand names associated with GAC are Everus, for consumer vehicles, and Hino. In 2021, GAC was the fourth largest Chinese plug-in electric vehicle manufacturer in the Chinese market, with 4% of market share. It sold 123,660 units of EVs in 2021, and over 20,000 units in March 2022, with plans to double EV production capacity to 400,000 a year by December 2022.

History

Tongsheng Machining Plant, the predecessor of Guangzhou automobile manufacturing plant, was founded in 1948,Milestones
Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group Official Site and in 2005Company Profile
Guangzhou Automobile Group Official Site (Text-only Google cache) become a holding of Guangzhou Automobile Industry GroupGuangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd.
businessweek.com, Company Snapshot and a

joint-stock company A joint-stock company (JSC) is a business entity in which shares of the company's stock can be bought and sold by shareholders. Each shareholder owns company stock in proportion, evidenced by their shares (certificates of ownership). Shareho ...

.Home > About us > Company Profile
Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd Official Site , it was the 6th-largest automaker in China. In 2009, the company acquired 29% of the Chinese sport-utility vehicle maker Changfeng Automobile, becoming its biggest shareholder. GAC purchased the remaining portion of Changfeng in 2011 completing its acquisition of the company. Previously a backdoor listing via Denway Motors, GAC became listed under its own name on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in 2010. In that year shareholders of Denway Motors approved its privatization by GAC. Denway Motors was subsequently delisted on 25 August 2010 and replaced by Guangzhou Automobile Group () on 30 August 2010 via stock swap. In late 2010 GAC purchased 51% ownership of Gonow, a midsize Chinese automaker of sport-utility vehicles, subcompacts, and pickup trucks. In December 2010 GAC launched the new Trumpchi marque. Its initial product was based on the Alfa Romeo 166. In 2010 GAC was among the ten largest Chinese carmakers reaching number six and selling 724,200 vehicles. 2011 saw the company retain its position as the sixth-largest Chinese automaker by production volume, with GAC making 740,400 vehicles in that year. In early 2012, the company was listed on the Shanghai Stock exchange. On 17 November 2023, GAC Group announced the independent development of key technologies, including all-solid-state batteries, cobalt-free batteries, low-cobalt batteries, and sodium-ion batteries. The company aims to achieve the integration of all-solid-state batteries into automobiles by 2026. In 2023 the company developed the first ammonia powered engine for cars. In November 2023, GAC Group and Huawei signed a cooperation agreement that GAC would create a new high-end electric brand in addition to Trumpchi, Aion and Hyptec, both sides will cooperate in product development, marketing and ecological services. On November 2, 2024, GAC Group's headquarters moved from the GAC Center in the CBD of Zhujiang New Town to Panyu Auto City. In March 2025, GAC Group established Huawang Automotive Technology (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd. (trade as Huawang Automotive). The company will collaborate with Huawei to develop an independent high-end automotive brand. Huawang's new models will incorporate Huawei's intelligent driving software, smart cockpit systems, and intelligent vehicle control solutions. On June 12, 2025, GAC Toyota held its 2025 Technology Day event. During the event, GAC Toyota announced the establishment of an AI ecosystem in collaboration with Huawei, Momenta, and Xiaomi.

Brands

Trumpchi/GAC

Trumpchi is an automotive marque owned by GAC Group and launched in December 2010. Trumpchi brand is marketed as GAC outside China. It was launched in December 2010. The Trumpchi brand is operated in Chinese domestic market while it is rebranded as GAC Motor in overseas markets. File:Trumpchi GS8 II 007.jpg, Trumpchi GS8 II File:2022 GAC Trumpchi M8.jpg, Trumpchi M8 II File:2021 GAC Trumpchi Empow (front).jpg, Trumpchi Empow

Aion

Aion is the mainstream brand of GAC Aion, the subsidiary for electric vehicle of GAC Group. It was founded in 2017 as the GAC New Energy Automobile. Its current name was adopted in November 2020. It produces battery electric vehicles under the eponymous Aion brand and the premium Hyptec brand. , GAC Aion is the third-largest battery electric vehicle brand after Tesla and

BYD Auto BYD Auto Co., Ltd. ( zh, s=比亚迪汽车, p=Bǐyàdí Qìchē) is the Automotive industry, automotive subsidiary of BYD Company, a publicly listed Chinese multinational manufacturing company. It manufactures passenger battery electric vehicle ...

, both in China and globally by producing 480,003 vehicles. File:2022 GAC Aion LX Plus (front).jpg, Aion LX File:2023 GAC Aion S Max front.jpg, Aion S Max File:Aion V II 001.jpg, Aion V

Hyptec

Hyptec is the premium brand under GAC Aion.The brand was created in September 2022 as Hyper, with a goal to expand GAC Aion's portfolio with a separate premium brand. Hyptec's first product is the Hyptec SSR hypercar. Production of the SSR began in October 2023. In 2023, the Hyper lineup was further expanded with a second model, the Hyptec GT sedan, which went on sale in July 2023. In October of the same year, the mid-size SUV coupe Hyptec HT debuted, with sales beginning in the domestic market in November 2023. In August 2024, the brand's English name was changed from Hyper to Hyptec. File:Aion Hyper GT 008.jpg, Hyptec GT File:Aion Hyptec HL 003.jpg, Hyptec HL File:Aion Hyper SSR 001.jpg, Hyptec SSR

Former brands

Changfeng Motor (Leopaard)

In 2009, GAC owned 29% ownership of this SUV-maker a purchase supposedly imposed by the Chinese state as a condition of a then-upcoming joint venture with

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...

. GAC completed its acquisition of Changfeng in 2011. In 2012 Changfeng Group began moves to re-enter the vehicle business culminating in the move to a new headquarters in Changsha in January 2013 and the establishment of a new subsidiary, Hunan Liebao Automobile Co. Ltd., alongside the continuing Anhui Changfeng Yangzi Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd., to oversee manufacturing and marketing of vehicles under the Liebao or "Leopaard" brand. File:Leopaard CS3 BEV 001.jpg, Leopaard CS3 BEV File:Leopaard CS9 001.jpg, Leopaard CS9 File:Leopaard Mattu.jpg, Leopaard Mattu

Gonow

Gonow (officially Zhejiang Gonow Auto Co., Ltd.) is a Chinese manufacturer of automobiles, commercial vehicles and SUV's headquartered in Taizhou, Zhejiang and a subsidiary of GAC Group. It markets its products under the brand name GAC Gonow in China and as Gonow in other markets. File:Gonow Emei 2 China 2015-04-06.jpg, Gonow Emei File:Gonow Aoosed G5 01 China 2015-04-10.jpg, Gonow G5 File:GAC Gonow Way 1000 2015 (19003365221).jpg, Gonow Way M1

Joint venture brands

GAC Honda

Guangqi Honda is a 50:50 joint venture between GAC and

Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...

, which has been making a number of Honda and Acura-branded vehicles for the Chinese market since 1999. It started sales of its own brand, Everus in 2011. File:Everus S1 facelift 01 China 2014-04-15.jpg, Everus S1 (facelift) File:Everus VE-1 001.jpg, Everus VE-1 EV

GAC Wuyang-Honda

Wuyang-Honda markets Honda Motorcycles for the Chinese market.

GAC Toyota

GAC Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. is a 50:50 joint venture between GAC and Toyota Motor Company which manufactures Toyota vehicles for the Chinese market. It was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Guangzhou.

GAC Hino

GAC Hino is a joint venture between Hino and GAC aimed at producing Hino-based trucks.

Former joint ventures

Guangzhou Isuzu

Guangzhou Isuzu Bus Co., Ltd. was a coach manufacturing joint venture between GAC (51%),

Isuzu , commonly known as Isuzu (, ), is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its principal activity is the production, marketing and sale of Isuzu commercial vehicles and diesel engines ...

(33.67%) and Isuzu (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (15.33%) that was established on 6 March 2000. Isuzu light trucks and buses were also built by Guangzhou Yangcheng Automobile (), a joint venture with Hong Kong China Lounge Logistics. Their light trucks are based on the Isuzu Elf and are marketed under the "YCACO" brand. Yangcheng's various bus building operations were merged with Guangzhou Isuzu Bus and Denway into the Guangzhou Bus Co., Ltd. in September 2008. At the same time, Guangzhou Yangcheng's truck making arm was merged into Guangzhou Hino.

Guangzhou Peugeot

One of the first Sino-western joint venture auto-making companies,Changing lanes in China: foreign direct investment, local government, and auto sector development (page 137)
Eric Thun. Cambridge University Press, 2006. 326 pages. Guangzhou Peugeot Automobile Co. Ltd. was a

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...

set up by PSA Peugeot Citroën and the

Municipal government between 1985China CEO: a case guide for business leaders in China (page 78)
Juan Antonio Fernandez, Liu Shengjun. John Wiley and Sons, 2007. 286 pages. and 1997. Over its eleven-year lifespan, the company produced about 100,000 cars.China CEO: a case guide for business leaders in China (page 86)
Juan Antonio Fernandez, Liu Shengjun. John Wiley and Sons, 2007. 286 pages. Sales began in 1989 mainly as automobiles for government officials and taxis. Its model line comprised the Peugeot 505 and 504.Changing lanes in China: foreign direct investment, local government, and auto sector development (page 138)
Eric Thun. Cambridge University Press, 2006. 326 pages.

GAC Fiat Chrysler

signed on to a joint venture with GAC on 6 July 2009, and GAC FIAT Automobiles Co Ltd was incorporated on 9 March 2010. The new company has a production base in

Changsha Changsha is the capital of Hunan, China. It is the 15th most populous city in China with a population of 10,513,100, the Central China#Cities with urban area over one million in population, third-most populous city in Central China, and the ...

Hunan Hunan is an inland Provinces of China, province in Central China. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the Administrative divisions of China, province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to the east, Gu ...

Province, that opened on 28 June 2012 to manufacture the Fiat Viaggio.

GAC Mitsubishi

GAC Mitsubishi Motors is a joint venture between GAC and the Japanese automaker

Mitsubishi Motors is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.

. It became operational in September 2012 following a late 2010 memorandum of understanding.

GAC BYD

GAC BYD is a joint venture between GAC (49%) and BYD (51%) to produce BYD-designed buses under GAC's brand name.

Sales

International operations

GAC Group has been vocal about its plans to introduce models into the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Trumpchi made its first appearance at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2013, where the Trumpchi E-Jet concept made its world debut. In 2017, the company returned to Detroit and showed three SUVs and two sedans. In January 2018, Trumpchi brought five new models and a concept SUV, the Enverge. GAC established research and development teams in

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that is a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical area of the Santa Clara Valley ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in 2017 and 2018, respectively. During the 2019 Detroit Auto Show they announced delays to their sales plans to the first half of 2020. On 22 May 2019, the company indefinitely postponed their US market plans due to Donald Trump's trade war with China. On 15 May 2015, GAC Group launched a ceremony to celebrate the opening of its Lebanese office under Bazerji Motors SAL. On 29 May 2015, GAC Group partnered with Doha Marketing and Services Company (DOMASCO), to market and sell their vehicles to the local customers in the Middle East. On 20 November 2020, GAC Group established a branch in Chile.

Sponsorships

GAC was the sponsor of the 2011 World Table Tennis Championships held in Rotterdam and the title sponsor of the 2012 ITTF World Tour. GAC was the title sponsor of the 2013 World Team Cup Table Tennis tournament held in its home city of Guangzhou.

References

External links

* {{authority control Companies formerly in the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index Companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Companies listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1955 Government-owned companies of China Car manufacturers of China Electric vehicle manufacturers of China H shares Chinese companies established in 1955 Chinese brands Bus manufacturers of China Truck manufacturers of China