Chinese automaker BAIC’s EV arm partners with Japan’s TURING to sell EVs in Japan in 2024

By Kate Yuan

(JW Insights) Oct 10 -- BAIC BJEV (北汽新能源), the energy vehicle arm of BAIC Group (北汽集团), has signed a letter of intent with Japan's TURING to sell EVs in the Japanese market in 2024, according to their agreement signed on October 8.

The two parties will provide advanced intelligent driving products for the Japanese market and explore the commercial autonomous driving opportunities in Japan.

Their first cooperative car model will be based on Arcfox αS, and TURING will make intelligent modifications to the model to meet the needs of the Japanese market. TURING is a Japanese startup dedicated to mass-producing fully autonomous EVs.

Founded in 2009, Beijing-based BAIC BJEV is the first enterprise to obtain the qualification for the production of new energy vehicles in China, said its official website. Arcfox is the high-end intelligent EV brand of BAIC BluePark, the parent company of BAIC BJEV.

BAIC BluePark is currently developing three different product lines, including the Alpha series models, scenario-based models, and intelligent cooperative models, the company said during a recent session of the institutional investors’ Q&A on September 27.

BAIC BluePark also revealed that the production capacity of the Arcfox scenario-based new product, called the Kaola, is rapidly increasing and is expected to reach full capacity in the fourth quarter of this year.