HOZON Auto, who owns the EV brand NETA, delivered 69,674 new vehicles in 2021, a remarkable year-on-year growth of 362%. By the end of Dec. 2021, the startup had delivered 95,977 vehicles in total.

The startup also vigorously pushed ahead with its roll-out of new products, financing progress as well as the external cooperation last year. Let’s review the noteworthy stories for HOZON Auto's 2021.

HOZON Auto builds long-term strategic partnership with Thailand's energy titan PTT

HOZON Auto signed on Nov. 10 a framework agreement with PTT Public Company Limited (PTT), the biggest refiner and seller of petroleum products in Thailand, to build a long-term strategic partnership, the EV startup announced via its WeChat account.

Through the partnership, both parties will be dedicated to developing the smart car ecosystem that integrates value-added services and infrastructures with user experience, in a bid to provide consumers in Thailand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with high-quality China-made intelligent vehicles.

CATL to participate in HOZON Auto's D2 round of financing

HOZON Auto on Nov. 8 inked an agreement with CATL to carry out a strategic cooperation on technology R&D and supply chain support, HOZON Auto announced via its WeChat account.

Under the agreement, the Ningde-based battery giant will take part in HOZON Auto's D2 round of financing.

HOZON Auto nets 4 billion yuan in D1 funding round, led by 360 Security

HOZON Auto nabbed 4 billion yuan ($625.322 million) in its D1 funding round, the Chinese EV startup announced on Oct. 27.

This financing round was led by Chinese Internet safety giant 360 Security, who plowed 2 billion yuan ($312.661 million), and involved the participation of CCB International, CITIC Securities, GF Venture Capital, as well as a new energy industrial fund under Shenwan Hongyuan Securities (H.K.) Limited.

360 to invest RMB2.9 billion to be second-largest shareholder of HOZON Auto

China's cybersecurity service provider, 360 Security Technology Inc. (360), released a notice stating the company’s plan to invest RMB2.9 billion ($451 million) in HOZON Auto. If the investment goes through, 360 will own 16.594% of HOZON Auto’s stake as its second-largest shareholder after the latter's management team.

HOZON Auto partners with China's AI company SenseTime

HOZON Auto announced in mid-Oct. a strategic partnership with SenseTime, China's leading artificial intelligence technology developer for intelligent driving and smart cockpit. 

Building on HOZON Auto's intelligent ecosystem business layout, the two companies will work together in in-vehicle visual perception technologies, intelligent driving data and platform construction, and more. Meanwhile, they will also cooperate in the AI field based on the automaker's self-developed vision algorithms.

HOZON Auto introduces first digitalized model: NETA S

HOZON Auto introduced its self-developed digitalized new model, the NETA S, during the World Internet Conference.

The NETA S is the automaker's first B-class digital electric sport-sedan powered by its self-developed architecture. The new model, equipped with HUAWEI's high computing power platform, features highway, urban road NOP function, and L4 autonomous driving application under various scenarios like vehicle parking and remote summon.

HOZON Auto to make inroads into ASEAN's NEV market

At the 18th China-ASEAN Expo kicking off on Sept. 10, HOZON Auto announced its foray into the new energy vehicle (NEV) market of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) with the right-hand drive NETA V launched at the same time, according to a post on the startup's WeChat account.

HOZON Auto also claimed the yet-to-be-launched NETA S, which embodies the company's efforts to explore future auto intelligence, will be exported to European markets after the model going on sale in China in 2022.

HOZON Auto partners with Horizon Robotics to build smart cars

HOZON Auto, the Chinese startup owning the NEV brand NETA, entered into a long-term strategic agreement with Horizon Robotics in early Sept.

According to the agreement, based on HOZON's needs for diverse intelligent products, Horizon Robotics will provide HOZON with relevant products and technical support for automotive grade computing chips with high computing power. NETA will launch its Journey-powered model in the next year.

HOZON Auto, Huawei join hands to develop smart driving tech, digital energy, cloud service

HOZON Auto and Huawei Technologies Co.,Ltd. inked an agreement on August 25 to develop a long-term win-win partnership, aiming to co-advance the ecosystem of intelligent vehicles into a higher level, according to HOZON Auto's press release.

Under the agreement, the two companies will carry out all-around cooperation on smart connectivity, in-car computing, intelligent driving, digital energy, and cloud-based service, on the foundation of such core technologies as IoT (Internet of Things), cloud computing, and big data.

360 Security to co-build cars with EV startup HOZON Auto

360 Security announced on May 10 its partnership with EV startup HOZON Auto on car building business. The information was afterwards confirmed by HOZON Auto via its Sina Weibo account.

360 Security leads Series D round of EV startup HOZON Auto

HOZON Auto announced on April 26 the beginning of its Series D financing, which is intended to raise roughly 3 billion yuan ($462.57 million) and is strategically led by Chinese Internet security firm 360 Security.

HOZON Auto secures 5 billion yuan credit line from China CITIC Bank

HOZON Auto was granted a credit line worth 5 billion yuan ($786 million) by China CITIC Bank on March 1, the company said via its WeChat account. The capital will be poured into the R&D of the technologies related to the likes of intelligent cockpit and smart driving.