Shanghai (Gasgoo)- GAC New Energy Automobile Co.,Ltd (GAC NE) will mass produce L3 autonomous vehicles in 2019, Gu Huinan, general manager and board member of GAC NE, revealed in an interview on August 16. His statement indicates that the Guangzhou-based NEV maker probably become China's first automaker that actually brings volume self-driving vehicles to market.

Registered on July 28, 2017, GAC NE embodies the intelligent manufacturing operation of GAC Group. Since its first all-electric SUV Trumpchi GE3 went on sale in July, 2017, the automaker has successively expanded NEV sales networks in such megacities as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Beijing.

According to relevant data, the NEV maker handed over 7,675 vehicles in total for the first seven months, a splendid year-on-year growth of over 700%. The Trumpchi GA3S PHEV, the Trumpchi GS4 PHEV and the Trumpchi GE3 all presented strong competitiveness in sales. Particularly, the Jan-July sales of the GS4 PHEV exceeded 1,250 units, ranking among top 3 PHEV models in China. Meanwhile, the sales of the Trumpchi GE3 totaled 679 units from January to July, skyrocketing 146% compared with the same period of the previous year.

The Trumpchi GE3 530, the upgraded version of the existing Trumpchi GE3, will hit the market on August 28. The new model is powered by a ternary-lithium battery pack with a battery capacity of 54.75kWh, which is more than that of the outgoing model. In addition, the Trumpchi GE3 530 features the energy density of 160Wh/kg with a combined mileage of 410km.  

Gu Huinan disclosed that GAC NE has been conducting road tests for autonomous vehicles. Considering the utility value and traffic safety, the company will focus on launching L3 autonomous vehicles next year despite the L4 vehicle under test.