With Zhao Yongpo taking office, Great Wall Motor's WEY brand has officially welcomed its ninth CEO. A review of WEY's CEO succession history reveals that each departure of an external executive has been followed by an immediate internal replacement. Notably, the tenure of external executives has been decreasing over time—for instance, the previous WEY CEO, Feng Fuzhi, served for only eight months.
Zhao Yongpo's emergency appointment has reignited discussions about WWEY's frequent leadership changes. On December 22, Great Wall Motor Chairman Wei Jianjun responded to this topic, stating that finding a successful CEO capable of steering the brand effectively is challenging, as it requires exceptionally well-rounded qualities. "It's not that we dismissed them or forced them out—they felt immense pressure themselves. WEY isn't just a brand; it involves R&D, production, supply chain, sales, and service systems," Wei explained.
Currently, WEY's sales are rising steadily through its direct sales model. In November, the brand sold 12,800 units, marking an 81.14% year-on-year increase. The newly launched WEY Gaoshan model achieved sales exceeding 10,000 units for two consecutive months. From January to November this year, WEY's cumulative sales reached approximately 89,000 units, up 93.94% year-on-year, making it the fastest-growing brand under Great Wall Motor.
"This is a promising start, and we will introduce newer products soon," Wei Jianjun revealed. He added that WEY, like the ORA brand, will adopt a "one vehicle, multiple powertrains" and "one vehicle, multiple categories" strategy, covering nearly all powertrain types except hydrogen fuel.
Earlier, Wei had publicly solicited name suggestions for this new multi-powertrain platform. The concept involves offering a single vehicle model with gasoline, pure electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and diesel powertrain options. For example, the recently launched ORA 5 is available not only as a BEV (battery electric vehicle) but also in ICE (internal combustion engine), HEV (hybrid), and PHEV (plug-in hybrid) variants.
Wei emphasized, "Great Wall Motor has heavily invested in pure electric, hybrid, gasoline/diesel, and hydrogen technologies. Relying on a single powertrain to cater to all users globally is impractical." By integrating multiple powertrains into one vehicle design, the company can broaden market appeal while achieving platform commonality and cost efficiency through this strategy.
Wei also disclosed, "Among China's legacy automakers, Great Wall Motor currently holds the highest average selling price. Including overseas markets, our average price exceeds 180,000 RMB, while competitors peak at around 130,000 RMB. Domestically, our average selling price reaches 200,000 RMB—driven not by brand value alone but by product and category value."
Regarding WEY's premium positioning, Wei asserted, "It must remain unchanged. Strictly speaking, China hasn't yet developed a true premium brand—what we have are premium products, not brands with added value. Great Wall is no exception; we're still in the premium product phase."
Wei believes a true luxury brand must occupy a clear position in consumers' minds. Building a premium brand requires premium products first—attempting to create one with low-end products is impossible. While premium products don't guarantee a premium brand, they are a prerequisite, along with advanced technology.
For example, the newly launched WEY Lanshan Smart Advanced Edition features the VLA AI model, enabling intelligent closed-loop functions like voice-controlled driving, CoT reasoning cards, defensive driving, and special scenario comprehension. Currently, it is one of only three models—alongside the XPeng P7 and Li Auto i8—equipped with this system.
Wei acknowledged the challenges: "To elevate our brand, we've invested over 2 billion RMB in direct sales. However, the automotive industry's complexity and rapid technological evolution make brand management far more difficult than in other sectors. Regardless, Great Wall remains committed to building quality vehicles and moving forward."
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