Great Wall Motor chairman Wei Jianjun used the launch of the Wey V9X to argue that competitors need to pay attention to GWM’s new One platform if they want to stay relevant globally. The platform is designed to support multiple powertrains and body styles, reflecting a broader industry shift away from a purely battery-electric strategy. Early sales data, however, suggest GWM still faces a major challenge in turning technical ambition into market strength.
Great Wall Motor chairman Wei Jianjun used the pre-sales debut of the Wey V9X to make a pointed argument about the direction of the global auto industry. His message was that rivals should study GWM’s new One platform closely, or risk losing competitiveness in overseas markets.
The comments came as GWM introduced the Wey V9X, the first production model built on the company’s latest architecture. While the launch was focused on one SUV, the larger strategic play is the platform itself, which GWM wants to use as the foundation for a wide range of future vehicles.
What GWM One is designed to do
GWM One, also called the Gui Yuan platform in China, is built to support a broad mix of drivetrains. According to the company, it can be used for plug-in hybrids, self-charging hybrids, battery electric vehicles, conventional internal-combustion vehicles, and fuel-cell models.
That flexibility is central to GWM’s pitch. The company says the platform can also underpin several vehicle types, including SUVs, sedans, MPVs, and pickups, with more than 50 future models expected to be developed from it.
In other words, GWM is trying to avoid building separate engineering programs for each powertrain. Instead, it is betting that one adaptable base can reduce complexity while allowing the company to respond quickly to changes in customer demand.
Why Wei Jianjun is targeting competitors
During the event, Wei suggested that the people paying the closest attention to the Wey V9X were not buyers, but rival carmakers. He said other brands would quickly begin drawing lessons from the One platform and implied that those who failed to follow a similar approach would struggle to establish themselves outside their home markets.
His remarks appear to be aimed at companies that remain heavily committed to single-powertrain strategies, especially pure EV lineups. They also seem to take aim at automakers that rely on extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, as a way to ease range concerns for customers.
GWM has long been critical of EREV technology. The company has previously said such systems are at least 13% less efficient than direct-drive setups and has described them as a compromise. Senior vice president Mu Feng has even said GWM would “rather die than make extended-range vehicles.”
The market is shifting away from a single-tech bet
GWM’s timing is notable because 2026 has brought a cooling of enthusiasm for pure battery-electric strategies in several markets. Interest has increased in plug-in hybrids, hybrids, and range-extending options, both in China and abroad.
That trend has pushed some brands that once leaned heavily into EV-only planning to broaden their portfolios. Smart and Leapmotor, for example, have introduced models with internal-combustion components, reflecting a more cautious approach to electrification.
For GWM, this changing backdrop gives extra importance to the One platform. By supporting multiple drivetrains from the beginning, the company is trying to position itself ahead of demand rather than reacting to it later.
Sales show the scale of the challenge
There is still a major gap between GWM’s strategic ambitions and its current domestic sales scale. According to China EV DataTracker, GWM’s Wey, ORA, and Tank brands delivered 20,200 units in China in March 2026.
That figure is respectable, but it is far below the monthly volume posted by leading Chinese EV players. It is also smaller than the sales of individual high-volume models such as the Tesla Model Y or Geely’s Geome Xingyuan, also known as the Geely EX2 [VERIFY].
By contrast, BYD delivered 165,942 vehicles in the same month, underscoring how far GWM still has to go if it wants its platform strategy to translate into real market dominance.
Why this matters
GWM’s platform strategy is important because it reflects a broader industry question: should carmakers bet on one dominant technology, or build architectures flexible enough to survive multiple market cycles? Wei Jianjun is clearly arguing for the second approach.
If the One platform succeeds, it could help GWM move faster across different regions and customer segments without redesigning its core engineering each time. If it fails, it will be another reminder that technical flexibility alone does not guarantee sales strength.
For now, the Wey V9X serves as both a product launch and a test case. Its reception may help determine whether GWM’s multi-powertrain strategy becomes a blueprint for others, or just a bold statement from a company still trying to close the gap with the market leaders.
Why This Matters
GWM’s One platform is more than a new vehicle architecture; it is a bet on how the industry will evolve after the first wave of EV enthusiasm. By supporting PHEV, HEV, BEV, ICE, and fuel-cell applications, the company is signaling that flexibility may matter more than commitment to a single drivetrain.
The story matters because many automakers are still deciding how much to invest in pure EVs versus hybrids and other transitional technologies. GWM’s strategy offers one possible answer, and its results could influence how rivals structure their own global product plans.
It also highlights the gap between engineering ambition and market performance. Even with a broad platform strategy, GWM will need stronger sales to prove the concept works at scale.
Key Specs
- Platform: GWM One, also called Gui Yuan in China
- Powertrain support: PHEV, HEV, BEV, ICE, and FCEV
- Body styles supported: SUVs, sedans, MPVs, and pickups
- Planned future models: More than 50
- First model on platform: Wey V9X
- GWM domestic deliveries in March 2026: 20,200 units across Wey, ORA, and Tank
- BYD March 2026 deliveries: 165,942 units
- GWM claim on EREV efficiency: At least 13% less efficient than direct-drive applications [VERIFY]
Source: CarNewsChina
