Chery's “Double T” plan: build like Toyota, innovate like Tesla, stay affordable
cheryinternational.com
In an interview, chairman Yin Tongyue laid out Chery's European playbook: Toyota-grade quality, Tesla-style technology and prices that stay within reach.
China's Chery is gearing up for a more aggressive push into Europe, and it is openly naming its role models. In an interview, group chairman Yin Tongyue spelled out a strategy he calls “Double T”: the first T stands for Toyota, the second for Tesla.
From Toyota, Chery wants to borrow quality, manufacturing culture and service standards. Tesla matters to the company as a benchmark in HMI, new technology and autonomous driving. On top of that, Chery adds a point of its own: cars should stay affordable to buy and maintain, and lean more heavily on green energy.
The scale is already there. Chery is China's largest car exporter, with the group's vehicles sold in more than 120 countries. In the Netherlands it started with Omoda Jaecoo, then rolled out the Chery brand, and by the end of the year it plans to add iCar. That last one will get a bold off-road look with hints of the Land Rover Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser.
In Europe, Chery admits the main challenge: it is not a single market but a patchwork of countries with different rules, taxes, languages and buyer tastes. So the group is betting on regional dealers and a clear split between brands: Omoda Jaecoo for a more modern, premium image, Chery for family cars, and iCar as a separate off-road story.
