Shanghai (ZXZC)- The president for Asia Pacific of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) led a team to visit Hawtai Motor on November 7, sources familiar with the matter said recently.

In order to meet the government’s requirements on new energy vehicles, many foreign automakers choose self-owned auto brands as partners and make efforts to adjust themselves to the development of a policy-oriented market. During the past several months, there are many cooperation examples between foreign and self-owned automakers, such as Renault-Nissan and Dongfeng, Ford and Zotye. Against this background, the contact between FCA and Hawtai has been thought as another similar case.

FCA’s needs for new energy credits may account for its interest in the potential cooperation. The American automaker locally produced 183,000 vehicles in the first ten months of this year, which, according to our government’s policy, are in need of up to 18,000 credits. Consequently, FCA may need the help of a local automaker.

HAWTAI Motor Group, headquartered in Tianjin, covers automobile R&D, core components production, auto manufacturing, auto sales and capital operation. Even though it has a history of 18 years, the annual sales were around 30,000 units in 2011 to 2013. Last year, its sales reached 60,000 units. It has launched such popular models as Santa Fe and Terracan, but its cumulative sales performance seems not good enough.

In 2017, Hawtai bought 5.28 percent and 14.49 percent shares of SG Automotive Group. What’s more, Hawtai managed to get 1.5 percent vote right of SG, thus becoming the actual controller of the latter. In this way, Hawtai has begun its strategic layout in new energy vehicle segment.

SG, listed on the Shanghai Exchange Stock, formed 5 main series of products including Huanghai brand commercial vehicle, passenger vehicle, mini bus, special purpose vehicle as well as SG brand axles and axle parts. What matters is that SG boasts 10 new energy buses and occupies certain market shares in new energy bus segment.

With SG, the cumulative sales of Hwatai new energy vehicls reached 6,126 units and could gain 17,000 new energy credits. Its total sales in the first ten months were 93,000 units and can have a surplus of 7,422 credits, one of few automakers which have positive credits.

As to the other party Hawtai, it is likely that Hawtai wants to enhance its brand power and get the sources of Alfa Romeo. However, unnamed people present at the meeting said, “At the moment, they were in the communication.” The Asia Pacific part seemingly has not enough voice in the ownership of Alfa Romeo.