Great Wall Motor (GWM) is celebrating its 2nd anniversary of business operations in Thailand and has revealed its success in driving forward the country’s EV industry and society. Having achieved total sales of 11,616 units in 2022, GWM will continue to underscore its xEV leadership with four proactive strategies: branding, products, sales, and aftersales services, while preparing to bring five xEV models to the Thai market this year, including the TANK 500, TANK 300, and ORA Grand Cat.
Michael Chong, General Manager of Great Wall Motor (Thailand), said: “Throughout the past two years, we have welcomed more than 15,000 families into the GWM family, with the launch of five xEV models. There are more than 16 social media communities, comprising 530,000 users in total, and there are more than 126,825 users on the GWM Application. There are more than 1.1 million followers on all of our social media platforms combined. We have expanded our stores and service centers to more than 80 key locations in Bangkok and 82% of provincial areas.
To reinforce our xEV leadership this year, we have launched our ‘ONE GWM’ strategy to build the GWM brand in all aspects on the global stage, through marketing, communications, and building partner networks in the global market. This is to reflect GWM as a truly global automotive brand. Additionally, in 2023, we will continue to grow our business through the 5+3 strategy to expand our path in ASEAN markets. As of now, GWM officially operates in five ASEAN countries including Thailand, Laos, Brunei and Malaysia. We have plans to launch our brand in three more countries: Vietnam, the Philippines, and Singapore. We will also continue pushing Thailand and our factory in Rayong to be a production and export hub for electric vehicles.”
Narong Sritalayon, Managing Director of Great Wall Motor (Thailand), said: “The year 2022 was a golden year for electric vehicles. We are proud to have taken part in igniting the growth of electric vehicles in Thailand. This was shown by the 15,318 vehicles delivered to Thai consumers over the past two years. GWM has delivered 11,616 units of its five xEV models: the HAVAL H6 Hybrid SUV, All New HAVAL H6 Plug-in Hybrid SUV, HAVAL JOLION Hybrid SUV, ORA Good Cat, and ORA Good Cat GT – a year-on-year increase of 214%. The company expects that in 2023, the automotive industry will achieve sales of around 920,000 units, year-on-year growth of 7%. Meanwhile, electric vehicles or xEVs will achieve 70% growth or around 164,500 units, of which, 25% or 40,000 units will be pure electric vehicles, a year-on-year increase of almost 150%.”
In response to the exponential growth of xEV vehicles, GWM is focusing on four aspects of proactive strategies for 2023:
- Brand strategy: GWM will continue undertaking its consumer-centric approach to build brand awareness in various forms. This year, GWM will strengthen its brand by portraying itself as a global brand, communicating its intelligent technology leadership, creating brand lifestyles through partner collaborations, and underlining user cooperation through the GWM Owner’s Club and User Committee, making them representatives of car owners and resulting in further interaction between the brand and its users. This is to build strong user communities, which will lead to sustainable growth together.
- Product strategy: In 2023, GWM will launch five xEV models in Thailand including a new premium flagship brand ‘TANK’. The three main models for this year:
- TANK 500: This premium off-road SUV comes with luxurious design, powerful driving performance, and intelligent driving technology that will elevate the driving experience and provide a superior image.
- TANK 300: This off-road SUV for an outstanding lifestyle is equipped with robust design for joyous driving experiences, creating sensational adventures every day.
- ORA Grand Cat: This premium pure electric coupé for sporty driving experiences comes with intelligent technology that will elevate the pure EV segment in Thailand to a higher level.
There will be two more models launched in 2023 and they will join the fleet of GWM vehicles to drive Thailand’s EV industry to another level.
- Product strategy: In 2023, GWM will launch five xEV models in Thailand including a new premium flagship brand ‘TANK’. The three main models for this year:
- Sales strategy: To provide inclusive services that better cover the market variety and to increase business opportunities in 2023, GWM will improve the efficiency of its sales operations in four areas:
- Sales networks: As of now, there are 80 officially appointed GWM stores, including Direct Stores and Partner Stores. Of these, 62 are now in operation and 18 are under construction. These stores cover key locations in Thailand. This year, we aim to open 20 more stores, which will bring the total number to 100 across the country, providing greater convenience and responding to the continuously increasing number of customers.
- Charging stations: GWM is continuing to strengthen the EV ecosystem through the expansion of the G-Charge super charging station, G-Charge at Partner Stores, and Destination Charge through collaboration with various partners. In 2023, GWM aims to have opened charging stations in 55 locations, eight of which will be fully constructed and ready to open in February. GWM’s charging stations are DC-charging type of 120 kilowatts and open 24 hours every day. They cover locations in Bangkok and main provinces, supporting all brands and models of electric vehicles.
- Fleet business: GWM launched its fleet business in 2022, achieving sales of over 200 units and earning the trust of prominent car rental companies, which have chosen to purchase its vehicles for rental purposes, serving both individual customers (B2C) and expanding to cater to organizations and bulk vehicle users (B2B). In 2023, GWM intends to consistently broaden its customer base, with a focus on both large corporate entities – including car rental companies as well as targeting small and medium-sized businesses, government agencies and state enterprises, and encouraging professional groups such as judges, police, soldiers, and civil servants. Additionally, GWM is ready to collaborate with partners to create electric charging cards for its corporate customers and will continue to increase the availability of charging stations to instill confidence among short-term car rental customers.
- Used car business: In 2023, GWM will embark on a used-car venture, offering comprehensive services to support individuals seeking to change their vehicles, as well as those in search of quality, used GWM vehicles. GWM will also provide convenient used-vehicle valuation services through its website WWW.GWM.CO.TH. The GWM Certified Pre-Owned program comprises four key components: quality standard inspection of 219 checkpoints, vehicle usage of no more than five years, mileage of no greater than 150,000 kilometers, no history of flooding or fire, and no severe accidents. This program offers numerous benefits including:
- Extending the car warranty and the 24-hour emergency assistance service period to two years
- Extending the GPSI maintenance package to one year or 20,000 kilometers
- Offering complimentary first-class insurance coverage for one full year
- Providing preferential financing options at special interest rates
- Facilitating free home delivery of the vehicle
- Guaranteeing quality satisfaction with a seven-day or 500-kilometer refund option in the case of quality issues or non-compliance with standards
- After-sales service strategy: During the past two years, GWM has aimed to enhance the customer experience in three areas:
- Worry Free – Enjoy peace of mind with the best-in-class new car warranty, covering up to five years or 150,000 km. Get extra security with our complimentary battery warranty for eight years, with unlimited mileage for hybrid batteries and eight years or 180,000 km for EV batteries. The coverage comes with a comprehensive five-year distance-based maintenance package and 24-hour Roadside Assistance included in every new vehicle purchase. In addition, GWM has set up an EV Battery Rapid Team, a specialized engineering unit to swiftly provide expert advice and conduct battery condition assessments in the case of accidents, and has established the GWM BATTERY HOTLINE CALL CENTER, a 24/7 hotline for reporting battery issues and making claims, available on 02-668-8888 by pressing 4.
- Convenience – Facilitate convenience for customers seeking aftersales services including a convenient car pick-up option in cases where they are unable to visit the service center. Enhance the maintenance experience with GWM’s Mobile Service. Conveniently schedule off-site periodic checkups through the GWM app, with the assurance of expert technicians utilizing state-of-the-art technology for a service experience comparable to visiting a service center.
- Digital Service Experience – Elevate the customer experience with GWM Smart Service, a technology-driven solution that seamlessly integrates multiple platforms, including Smart Vehicle, Smart Application, Smart System, and Smart Device for enhanced convenience with ease using the GWM app to book service appointments. Upon arrival at the service center, GWM’s License Plate Recognition System will automatically identify your vehicle and seamlessly connect to the GWM Dealer Management System, providing the Service Advisor team with immediate knowledge of your service requests and enabling them to promptly attend to your needs. The innovative technology streamlines the service process, saving valuable time and providing a seamless experience. Moreover, the customer can keep track of the vehicle’s maintenance status with real-time updates through CCTV cameras. With the GWM app, customers also can manage all aspects of the vehicle service from viewing service status, approving repair work, making payments, and even accessing the service history and checking information anytime and anywhere through the GWM app. This represents transparency, sincerity, and prompt service that truly answers the lifestyle of the digital age.
To ensure optimal spare parts management, GWM will enlarge its warehouse area by 75% to accommodate at least nine xEV models by 2023. GWM will enhance the readiness of its Partner Stores by having more rounds of 3-hour express parts delivery in the Bangkok metropolitan area, and nationwide delivery to service centers within one working day while the inventory of spare parts will also be increased to 3,000 items. By reducing the importation of spare parts from overseas and procuring locally, GWM aims to shorten the maintenance time, providing customers with a more efficient and reliable spare parts management system.
Finally, GWM has made an exciting announcement for Thai fans, with the reopening of reservations for the ORA Good Cat, the ever-popular 100% electric vehicle. Two trims of ORA Good Cats will be available for booking: the ORA Good Cat 400 PRO priced at 828,500 baht, and the ORA Good Cat 500 ULTRA priced at 959,000 baht (after discounts following the government’s supportive measures and tax incentives for electric vehicles). In addition, customers will be eligible for numerous benefits under the PREMIERE DEAL campaign, such as special interest rates, free GWM home chargers complete with installation, a complimentary first-class car insurance package, maintenance and spare parts cost according to distance for five years or up to 75,000 kilometers, five-year emergency assistance service, a new vehicle warranty covering five years or 150,000 kilometers, and EV battery warranty for eight years or 180,000 kilometers.
Customers who have reserved the right to pre-order the ORA Good Cat 500 ULTRA since November 30, 2022, until February 9, 2023 at 18.00 hrs. will have a privilege to place the order and pay the deposit from February 9, 2023, at 20.00 hrs., to February 11, 2023 at 19.59 hrs. (within a 48-hour reservation period) via GWM app.
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