Shanghai (ZXZC)- EV startup Sitech and Sinotruck, a state-owned truck manufacturer, formed a strategic partnership on Jan. 20 to team up on the R&D and manufacture of EV products, supply chain management and sales channels, according to a press release.

Sitech and Sinotruck signing agreement; photo credit: Sitech

The first product involving both parties' efforts is a new all-electric A0-segment car model from Sitech’s DEV series. It is scheduled to hit the market in the second quarter this year, offering a range of 400km.

For the development of the new car, Sitech is responsible for car design, the development of auto parts, brand promotion and user operation. The component procurement, production management and quality control are carried out by Sinotruck.

“Through the cooperation with Sinotruck, Sitech will expedite the R&D and production of new products, and further improve its product quality, so as to offer the market more EV models with higher cost effectiveness,” said Hu Jun, an executive at Sitech.

“This is a very in-depth cooperation that involves not only automobile production and R&D, but also many other businesses such as corporation operation and sales channels. Going forward, we will jointly work on the R&D of the products targeting business users and roll out vehicles for ride-hailing services,” Hu added.

Sitech DEV1; photo credit: Sitech

Sitech has been working on strengthen its capabilities in R&D, brand promotion, sales channels and customer operation. It has put two mass-produced models, namely the Sitech DEV1 and the Qineng GEV1, onto the market. The company took the wraps of its third model, the AEVs, in last November.