The Jidu car brand went bankrupt in China: it officially came to Russia

Two weeks ago, the brand announced the start of sales in our country and certification of the Robocar 01 crossover, and now the company’s staff has been disbanded due to financial problems. Jidu’s management is suspected of fraud, the “hole” in the budget is seven billion yuan (about one billion dollars). The employees were fired without severance pay, and not everyone was paid off.

Chinese journalists found out that Jidu CFO Liu Jining disappeared along with his family and accounting data. According to unconfirmed reports, he is hiding in Singapore. About 70% of parts for Jidu cars were purchased from Geely, and as of February this year, debts to the automaker amounted to one and a half billion yuan ($200 million).

Electric Lotus Eletre S – just a name from Lotus? The Chinese appreciated the real power reserve of Zeekr, Li Xiang and Voyah Chinese partners refused to assemble Aurus in St. Petersburg

Several dozen electric vehicles were delivered to Russia at prices starting from 6.6 million rubles. There were plans to officially certify the crossover and adapt it for Russian buyers, but now expansion into foreign markets is unlikely. In terms of technology, Jidu cars are close to Zeekr, but Chinese observers recalled the electronic architecture: without the support of the automaker, there is a risk of disabling a number of functions and even blocking them.

Jidu’s bankruptcy has so far been denied, but only an interested investor can save the brand. Whether such a thing will appear is an open question. This year, another young Chinese brand, HiPhi, went bankrupt, and none of the competitors showed interest in the assets.

Great Chinese price: cool cars from China