HiPhi Chooses Germany and Norway to Kick-Off Global Expansion
Chinese automaker HiPhi has confirmed Munich and Oslo as the first city retail hubs in its global expansion strategy.
The brand made the announcement at Auto Shanghai along with revealing the third member of its BEV model line-up, the HiPhi Y which will join the dual flagship models, X and Z. The automaker plans to get the first customer cars on European roads within 2023, to be followed by the Middle East soon after.
Reasons for choosing Germany is that it is the largest BEV market in Europe while nearly 80% of cars sold in Norway during 2022 were BEVs. The physical hubs will work alongside a new global website and an upcoming app. HiPhi’s X Super SUV has already received European Union Individual Vehicle Approval, with the Z Digital GT to follow shortly. This milestone will allow for both cars to be sold in key European markets as a first step into markets outside of China where the HiPhi X is already the best-selling luxury EV domestically.
Currently, HiPhi Y has completed multiple engineering tests, including winter testing, with mass production preparations progressing. Its wing-opening doors, technologies and electric powertrain draw from its sibling flagship models claiming a 372-mile range. HiPhi founder, chairman and CEO David Ding said: “HiPhi has been committed to building a global high-end brand from China since its inception, so while we delve deeply into the Chinese market, we also look globally. In 2023, we will launch a global brand strategy and expand into overseas markets, with the European and Middle Eastern markets the focus of our first wave of expansion.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
