BELGEE plans to produce 1,000 electric vehicles in 2021

To launch production of a new car model in the midst of a pandemic - not every plant will dare to do this. Belarusian-Chinese enterprise "BELGEE" took such a step. The company not only assembles a traditional line, but also tests pilots of electric cars, and will present new crossover models in November. MLYN.BY correspondents learned about how the residents of Borisov worked in conditions of closed borders, and why the crisis is a new opportunity for mechanical engineering.

When many car dealers were negative, BELGEE increased sales. According to the director of the enterprise, Gennady Svidersky, in the first half of the year alone the plant increased its production capacity by 11%. Moreover, the level of localization of domestic spare parts exceeded 50%. Now the cars have Belarusian batteries, starters, glass and even seats.

- Our company is young and we are taking the first steps. The investment project itself is designed until 2026. And if in 2018 they talked about whether these cars were needed, then already in 2019 we successfully sold more than 20 thousand Geelys, recalls Gennady Svidersky. - Despite the quarantine due to the "covid" infection, 9.6 thousand cars were produced in the first half of the year. And, what is important, they did it. Neither production volumes nor exports have decreased. If you look at the statistics of the new passenger car market both in our country and in Russia, then in general the volume of sales fell by 20% (in relation to last year). At the same time, we increased our volumes and increased sales. If last year our share in the Belarusian market was 11.5%, today it is 19.5%.

By the results of the third quarter, the BELGEE plant finally came out on top in terms of sales, surpassing the world's brands. By the way, this year products worth $ 130 million have been exported. According to the director, next year the export task is to “enter” Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Lithuania and other countries. Negotiations are already underway.

Not so long ago, the plant showed a new youth model with a panoramic roof, car parking, a comfortable and stylish interior. Coolray can be found quite often on Belarusian roads. Gennady Svidersky emphasizes that this model is becoming the same flagship as Atlas.

Now the company produces four different models and in November two more new ones will appear in showrooms (budget and premium crossover).

“If earlier we focused on buyers of moderate income, now those who have increased requirements for a car will be able to satisfy their needs thanks to the new Tugella crossover,” says Gennady Svidersky. - We already see that there are many pre-orders for this car. The second model Geely GS is also an urban crossover, but at a more affordable price.

Another topic for which the future belongs is the production of electric cars. Green energy is trending today. And there are not so many manufacturers of electric cars. This means that this segment of the market can be occupied: BELGEE plans to produce a thousand electric vehicles in 2021. They promise 2 times cheaper than those of auto competitors.

- In the second half of next year we will introduce an electric car, - Gennady Svidersky specified.

The main and priority in the work of the company remains the increase in the share of sales in the market, the release of new and modern models and, of course, the work of service casing and with clients at the proper level.