Weltmeister (marque)

File:Weltmeister Logo.png

In January 2015, Freeman Shen, former manager of Geely Automobile and former president of the Chinese branch of Volvo,{{cite web |access-date=2020-07-08 |language=en |title=Freeman Shen |url=https://www.credit-suisse.com/microsites/conferences/aic/en/speakers/speakers/freeman-shen.html}} founded startup WM Motor Technology.{{cite web |access-date=2020-07-08 |language=en |title=Major shakeout in Chinese electric cars seen by top startup |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Electric-cars-in-China/Major-shakeout-in-Chinese-electric-cars-seen-by-top-startup}} His goal was to put on sale self-built electric cars competitive with similar, short-lived Chinese startups working on vehicles with new propulsion sources.{{cite web |access-date=2020-07-08 |language=en |title=Weltmeister brand |date=18 December 2017 |url=https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1114361_weltmeister-ex5-first-electric-car-from-1-billion-chinese-company-youve-never-heard-of}} The startup's investors included Chinese technology giants such as Baidu and Tencent.{{cite web |access-date=2020-07-08 |language=en |title=Chinese EV startup WM Motor raising at least $288 million from Baidu, others: sources |website=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-wmmotor-fundraising/chinese-ev-startup-wm-motor-raising-at-least-288-million-from-baidu-others-sources-idUKKCN1MZ0AC}} In November 2016, WM Motor launched its first production plant in Wenzhou in Zhejiang province,{{cite web |access-date=2020-07-08 |language=en |title=WM Motor Manufacturing Facility |url=https://www.wm-motor.com/en/plant.html}} in turn, in January 2018, before the premiere of the first vehicle, A Chinese company has started building a second factory in the city of Huanggang in Hubei province.{{cite web |access-date=2020-07-08 |language=en |title=Weltmeister Motor Technology Group Co., Ltd. [China] |url=https://www.marklines.com/en/global/9532}}

Official premiere of the first car, along with the announcement of the "Weltmeister" brand, under which WM Motor products will be offered, took place in May 2018. The EX5 model took the form of an SUV with an electric drive,{{cite web |access-date=2020-07-08 |language=en |title=Weltmeister EX5 Electric SUV Launched On The Chinese Car Market |date=23 April 2018 |url=https://carnewschina.com/2018/04/23/weltmeister-ex5-electric-suv-launched-on-the-chinese-car-market/}} going into production and sale on the internal Chinese market at the end of 2018.{{cite web |access-date=2020-07-08 |language=en |title=WELTMEISTER EX5 CHINA AUTO SALES FIGURES |url=https://carsalesbase.com/china-weltmeister-ex5/}} In May 2019, during the Shanghai Auto Show, the manufacturer presented a study announcement of the next flagship model in the form of the Evolve Concept,{{cite web |access-date=2020-07-08 |language=en |title=WM Motor Debuts EX5 Pro at Auto Shanghai EX6 and EVOLVE CONCEPT Introduced |url=https://www.wm-motor.com/en/news/detail/283.html}} as well as the second, this time production model - an electric SUV larger than the EX5 EX6.{{cite web |access-date=2020-07-08 |language=en |title=WM EX6 Limited Unveiled on 2019 Shanghai Auto Show, The 2nd All-Electric SUV from WELTMEISTER Motor |date=9 May 2019 |url=https://www.chinapev.com/ev-2/wm-motor/wm-ex6-limited-unveiled-on-2019-shanghai-auto-show-the-2nd-all-electric-suv-from-weltmeister-motor/}}

In spring 2021, Weltmeister began the next stage of expanding its offer. The model range has been enriched with the mid-size SUV-a W6,{{cite web |access-date=2021-08-09 |language=en |title=Weltmeister W6 SUV EV hits production in China |url=https://www.formacar.com/en/news/view/32533.html?country_code=fr}} and, moreover, WM Motor also announced plans to start the production of classic passenger vehicles. After the Maven prototype{{cite web |access-date=2021-08-09 |language=en |title=Weltmeister Maven EV Concept Does 800 KM (500 Miles) Only in Conceptland (Yet) |date=11 May 2020 |url=https://www.autoevolution.com/news/weltmeister-maven-ev-concept-does-800-km-500-miles-only-in-conceptland-yet-143511.html}} production sedan called E5 was presented.{{cite web |access-date=2021-08-09 |language=en |title=Sedan Weltmeister E5 will help the brand to conquer Europe – DRIVE |url=https://tekdeeps.com/sedan-weltmeister-e5-will-help-the-brand-to-conquer-europe-drive/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809202557/https://tekdeeps.com/sedan-weltmeister-e5-will-help-the-brand-to-conquer-europe-drive/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=9 August 2021}} In November 2021, the offer was expanded by another classic sedan in the form of the M7.{{cite web |access-date=2023-01-05 |language=en |title=Weltmeister M7 Is A New High Tech Chinese Electric Car |date=13 November 2021 |url=https://carnewschina.com/2021/11/13/weltmeister-m7-is-a-new-high-tech-chinese-electric-car/}}

In the second half of 2022, WM Motors found itself in a bad financial situation, which was caused by growing debt and losses recorded despite attempts to increase sales and product portfolio. As a result, the company was unable to put the flagship M7 model on sale, and moreover - it ended the production of all its existing models at the end of 2022, laid off staff and closed most sales points.{{cite web |access-date=2023-10-12 |language=en |title=Big Read – How Niutron failed to build its car |date=19 February 2023 |url=https://carnewschina.com/2023/02/19/big-read-how-niutron-failed-to-build-its-car/}} The following year, the president of WM Motor started looking for new sources of financing and implemented a savings plan.{{cite web |access-date=2023-10-12 |language=en |title=WM Motor files for bankruptcy |date=11 October 2023 |url=https://www.just-auto.com/news/wm-motor-files-for-bankruptcy/?cf-view}} These actions were unsuccessful, and as a result, in mid-October 2023, WM Motor announced bankruptcy.{{cite web |access-date=2023-10-12 |language=en |title=Chinese electric vehicle maker WM Motor files for bankruptcy |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/Chinese-electric-vehicle-maker-WM-Motor-files-for-bankruptcy}} Freeman Shen indicated that the factors preventing the company from remaining on the market were the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, stagnation of the capital market and the increase in raw material prices.{{cite web |access-date=2023-10-12 |language=en |title=WM Motor's bankruptcy highlights challenges faced by EV startups in China |date=11 October 2023 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/10/wm-motors-bankruptcy-highlights-challenges-faced-by-ev-startups-in-china/}} The bankruptcy of the company led to radical difficulties for the current owners of Weltmeister. A day after the bankruptcy application was accepted by the Shanghai court, drivers lost access to the WM Motor mobile application, the website stopped working and contact with the support center disappeared, leaving after-sales and service support in question.{{cite web |access-date=2023-10-12 |language=en |title=EV maker WM Motor suspends in-car services, files for bankruptcy: report |date=12 October 2023 |url=https://technode.com/2023/10/12/ev-maker-wm-motor-suspends-in-car-services-files-for-bankruptcy-report/}}

In January 2024, WM Motor announced that the court had accepted the company's application for pre-reorganization to reorganization.{{Cite news |author=陈镜安 |date=2024-01-03 |title=威马汽车"自救"新进展！法院受理预重整转重整的申请 |trans-title=New progress in WM Motor's "self-rescue"! The court accepted the application for pre-reorganization to reorganization |url=https://m.mp.oeeee.com/a/BAAFRD000020240103896211.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240121113434/https://m.mp.oeeee.com/a/BAAFRD000020240103896211.html |archivedate=2024-01-21 |accessdate=2024-01-21 |work=南方都市报}}

File:WM Motor Wenzhou Plant.jpg

Wenzhou Plant has a site area of 650,000 sqm, and is currently operational.  The plant currently has an operating capacity of 100,000 units per annum. Construction of the facility began in September 2016, and mass production commenced on 28 September 2018.{{cite web|url=http://autonews.gasgoo.com/Detail.aspx?ClassId=2&ArticleId=70015220|title=WM Motor delivers first batch of EX5, to hand over 100,000 EX5 cars next year|website=Gasgoo|access-date=11 November 2019}}

WM Motor's second manufacturing facility in Huanggang, Hubei Province, was scheduled for completion in early 2020. Due the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it only produced 10,000 vehicles of its planned 2022 production capacity of 150,000.{{Cite web |title=探访威马黄冈基地：老实造车的"冰与火" |url=https://www.guancha.cn/ChanJing/2023_03_17_684524.shtml |access-date=2023-10-20 |website=www.guancha.cn}}

WM Motor operates a proprietary app called GETnGO ({{zh|links=no|s=即客行}}), which is primarily aimed at offering search, navigation and payment options for public chargers in China. As of October 2019, the GETnGO app had registered 200,000 public chargers to the service through its partnerships with public charging providers, including the State Grid.

• Weltmeister E5 (2021–2022), an electric compact sedan
• Weltmeister EX5 (2018–2022), an electric compact SUV
• Weltmeister M7 (2022), an electric mid-size sedan
• Weltmeister EX6 (2019–2022), an electric mid-size SUV
• Weltmeister W6 (2021–2022), an electric compact SUV

File:Weltmeister E5 IMG001.jpg|Weltmeister E5

File:Weltmeister EX5 China 2019-03-20.jpg|Weltmeister EX5

File:Weltmeister EX5 Pro 001.jpg|Weltmeister EX5 Pro

File:Weltmeister EX6 Limited 001.jpg|Weltmeister EX6 Limited

File:Weltmeister W6 002.jpg|Weltmeister W6

File:Weltmeister Evolve Concept 001.jpg|Weltmeister Evolve Concept

File:Weltmeister Maven Concept 001.jpg|Weltmeister Maven Concept

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• {{official|http://www.wm-motor.com}}

{{Weltmeister (automobile manufacturer)}}

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Category:Car brands

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Category:Electric vehicle manufacturers of China