ZO Motors and Weichai New Energy Establish Strategic Cooperation, Announcing Global Brand Strategy and Executive Team

ZO Motors has signed strategic cooperation agreements with Weichai New Energy, initiating comprehensive and in-depth collaboration in fields such as new energy vehicle manufacturing, joint product development, and global sales. ZO Motors has launched a global brand strategy; its mass-produced vehicle models will successively enter markets such as Japan, the USA, South America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The ZO Motors team is composed of senior management professionals from globally renowned automotive companies and high-tech industries, including Tesla, Volvo, Toyota, Ford, and Rivian.

QINGDAO, China, Jan. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — ZO Motors Holdings Limited, a global leader in innovative new energy commercial vehicles, announced that it has officially signed a series of strategic cooperation agreements with Weichai Commercial Vehicle New Energy Co., Ltd. ("Strategic Agreement"). The Strategic Agreement, marks a full-scale and profound collaboration in new energy vehicle manufacturing, joint product development, and global sales. Both parties have announced that new energy products will be the collaborative models, leveraging Weichai New Energy’s third-generation pure electric platform as a foundation for the joint development of left-hand and right-hand drive products suitable for regional market demands, to be sold in global markets outside China. The company also announced its global brand strategy and that its executive team is comprised of senior management talent from the automotive and high-tech industries.

ZO Motors, an intelligent new energy commercial vehicle brand originating from Japan, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ZO Future Group [Hong Kong stock code: 02309], a company listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. It mainly engages in the research, development, manufacturing, and sales of intelligent new energy commercial vehicles. According to the Strategic Agreement, ZO Motors will leverage Weichai New Energy’s product platforms and production bases to develop and manufacture ZO Motors brand intelligent new energy commercial vehicles. ZO Motors’ commercial vehicles will primarily target overseas markets and are expected to successively enter markets such as Japan, the USA, South America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East shortly. Furthermore, ZO Motors will continue to explore deeper comprehensive strategic cooperation with Weichai New Energy.

Senior Executive Team with a Global Perspective

At the press conference, ZO Motors announced its senior executive team comprised of professionals from globally renowned automotive and high-tech companies:

Mr. Joost de Vries, the Global CEO, has over 35 years of experience in commercial vehicle manufacturing, operations, and management across North America, South America, the Middle East, China, and Japan. Prior to joining ZO Motors, Mr. de Vries held various executive positions at well-known automotive companies such as Volvo Trucks, Volvo Buses, Tesla, Mack Trucks, and DeLorean Motor Company. Mr. de Vries led the construction of Tesla’s European assembly plant in the Netherlands and established Tesla’s global after-sales service system. He also represented Volvo Buses in managing their bus joint venture in China and was instrumental in setting up an SKD factory for Volvo Buses in Egypt. He is a truly global visionary and a rare senior management talent in the automotive industry, integrating experiences in manufacturing, sales, and service.

Mr. Dong He, Vice President of ZO Future Group and President of ZO Motors Asia Pacific, has over 17 years of senior management experience with passenger car brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Mazda, Volkswagen, as well as commercial vehicle brands including Ouman, Dongfeng, Shaanxi Auto, Heavy Truck, and JAC Motors. Additionally, Mr. He has operated regional hub warehouses for aftermarket brands like Cummins, Weichai, and Foton, possessing years of experience in after-sales service and spare parts operations management. Mr. He has also successfully founded several logistics and warehousing businesses, accumulating extensive practical experience in industrial logistics systems, new energy heavy truck operations, charging networks, and IoT platform establishment.

Mr. Hidetoyo Teranishi, President of ZO Motors Japan Corp., brings over 20 years of global business operations and sales experience. Before his tenure at ZO Motors, Mr. Teranishi served as the Deputy General Manager for the Greater China Region of Resorttrust Inc, Japan’s largest membership-based hotel and medical group. Furthermore, Mr. Teranishi co-founded the Tokyo International Business Club with numerous renowned Japanese entrepreneurs and politicians, aiming to facilitate cooperation between well-known enterprises in Japan and international businesses. Over the past 20 years, he has provided services to more than 1,500 international companies and has gained widespread recognition and a broad network in Japanese political and business circles.

"Since its inception, ZO Motors has built a complete global supply chain system and explored a set of production and manufacturing solutions, all based on forward-thinking philosophy, innovative technology, and an experienced executive team," said Mr. Joost de Vries, Global CEO of ZO Motors. "Through deep strategic cooperation with Weichai New Energy, we hope to make a greater contribution to zero emissions in the global commercial vehicle sector and to the profitability of the transportation industry, while continuously creating value for commercial vehicle owners and users."

"Making Green Affordable"

As a technology-driven new energy commercial vehicle enterprise, ZO Motors revealed its new LOGO at this press conference and officially launched its global brand strategy. Mr. Joost de Vries, CEO, stated that ZO Motors has now initiated a global expansion with strategic locations in the United States, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and other regions, establishing corresponding regional headquarters.

ZO Motors is committed to driving the electrification of the commercial vehicle field, accelerating the transition from traditional to green energy, and assisting customers in developing more efficiently through advanced green technology, all while striving to protect the earth’s ecology. The company will focus on its smart new energy commercial vehicles, integrating high-tech innovations such as intelligent connectivity and autonomous driving, to provide a safer, more cost-effective, and holistic eco-friendly intelligent logistics service chain for logistics enterprises, e-commerce companies, government public sectors, and various commercial vehicle customers.

"This vision is not about selling slogans!" Joost emphasized, "Commercial vehicles are responsible for a significant portion of exhaust pollution, and their electrification is key to reducing emissions. ZO Motors’ commitment to green new energy commercial vehicles does not mean we advocate for more expensive green options. Relying on a comprehensive global new energy industry supply chain and mature technology, with the support of Weichai New Energy’s global layout and international team, ZO Motors will offer commercial vehicle users more economical green solutions compared to fuel vehicles, creating a more efficient, convenient, and advanced commercial vehicle operating ecosystem. Our aim is to make green no longer expensive, truly driving sustainable development for our planet."

About ZO Motors

ZO Motors, a subsidiary of the ZO Future Group [Hong Kong stock code: 02309], is a globally innovative leader in new energy commercial vehicles originating from Japan.

Official Website of ZO Motorshttps://zo-motors.com 

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