Geely has unveiled yet another sub-brand, this time a new luxury electrified offshoot, dubbed Geely Galaxy. The company is leaving no stones unturned, with an ambitious seven model line-up already planned for the next two years for the new sub-brand.
The seven models will include four long-range plug-in hybrids (PHEV), and three fully-electric battery electric vehicles (BEV), two of those were showcased at the brand’s launch yesterday: a production-ready PHEV SUV called the Galaxy L7, and an EV concept dubbed Galaxy Light.
The Galaxy sub-brand is said to integrate Geely’s global car development capabilities to offer its customers “best in class intelligent and electrified vehicles”. The full EVs will be built on a “dedicated smart electrified architecture”, which we assume is likely to be derived from its existing Scalable Electric Architecture (SEA), while the PHEVs will utilise the E-CMA platform.
The Geely Galaxy models will also feature a new “futuristic” design language that was created specifically for the sub-brand. As seen from the photos of the L7 and Galaxy Light, the design is characterised by slim lighting elements and sharp angles throughout the entire vehicle.
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In terms of model launches, the PHEVs will be arriving first, starting with the Geely Galaxy L7 SUV as previewed yesterday in the second quarter of 2023. This will then be followed by a yet unseen L6 sedan in the third quarter.
The hybrid models will feature the Geely’s latest generation of PHEV powertrain, dubbed NordThor Hybrid 8848, which boasts a maximum thermal efficiency of up to 44.2%. Paired to a three-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) and what the marque calls “the industry’s first predictive energy management system”, the new hybrid powertrain is said to improve fuel economy by up to 15% over Geely’s existing PHEVs.
On the Geely Galaxy L7 SUV, this translates to a fuel consumption of 5.23 l/100 km, or roughly 1,370 km of range from a single tank of fuel in hybrid driving conditions – pure electric range will be announced later. In terms of performance, the hybrid SUV is able to sprint from 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds, onward to a top speed of 200 km/h.
As for the EVs, the first to launch will be the Galaxy E8 flagship, which is scheduled for the fourth quarter of the year. It’ll be the first to utilise Geely’s latest Aegis battery safety system, which promises increased protection against direct impacts to the battery during crash situations.
The new battery safety system works together with the vehicle’s Wise Star Cloud Connected Central Computing System, allowing the car to accurately predict and pre-empt thermal runaways and other dangerous situations, and thereby increasing its battery life by up to 20%.
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Geely did not explicitly mention this, but it’s likely that the Galaxy Light is indeed a preview to the upcoming fully-electric Galaxy E8. The model’s design will most likely be toned-down for production, but the large screen within the cabin will most likely remain in some form, running the marque’s latest smart vehicle operating system called Galaxy N-OS.
The vehicle will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8155 vehicle processor, which enables what Geely calls “the fastest system startup and response time in its class”, taking only half a second to be operational from boot up.
The operating system will also be connected to Geely Holding Group’s network of satellites, which allows for “centimetre-accurate precision positioning” and “high-precision maps to assist in intelligent driving functionality”.
The company expects to launch all 72 satellites by the end of 2025, providing “full global coverage” for its new Galaxy models – which could hint at Geely’s export plans.
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