Recently, Jonathan Hewett, CEO of Thatcham Research - an authoritative insurance rating agency, led a core business team to visit the Panyu headquarters of GAC. Zhao Yue, General Manager of Horiba MIRA, also brought a team to join the visit. They held multi-dimensional and in-depth discussions with relevant leaders of GAC on topics including optimization of vehicle insurance ratings, product layout in the European market, and long-term cooperation directions, laying a solid foundation for subsequent collaboration between the two parties.
Feng Xingya, Chairman and President of GAC Group, and Yu Jun, Vice President of GAC Group; Wei Haigang, President of GAC INTERNATIONAL, Thomas Schemera, President of GAC INTERNATIONAL Europe Regional Center, and Jon Wakefield, General Manager of UK Joint Venture Sales Company between GAC and ALJ, participated in the reception.
Delegation Led by Jonathan Hewett, CEO of Thatcham Research, Visits GAC's Panyu Headquarters
On-site Visit: Gain an In - depth Understanding of GAC's Technological Strengths
Thatcham Research is a member of the European Research Committee for Automobile Repairs and the only "non -profit research organization " in the UK funded by the insurance companies. As early as May 2025, GAC Europe had contacted Thatcham Research, and the two parties formally signed a cooperation agreement in July of the same year, laying a solid foundation for this visit.
Accompanied by representatives of GAC, Jonathan Hewett, CEO of Thatcham Research, and his team first visited the T2 Lobby and Technology Exhibition Hall of GAC Group. Through the technical displays, product models, and interactive demonstrations in the exhibition hall, they systematically learned about GAC's core R & D achievements in the fields of new energy vehicles and intelligent driving, and intuitively felt GAC's innovation capabilities and technological accumulation.
Delegation Led by Jonathan Hewett, CEO of Thatcham Research, Visits the Exhibition Hall in GAC's T2 Lobby
Subsequently, the team went to the T1 Crash Test Laboratory to conduct an on - site inspection of the standard procedures and technical details of vehicle safety tests. This further deepened their understanding of the rigor of GAC's product R&D system and laid a clear cognitive foundation for subsequent professional exchanges on vehicle optimization and insurance ratings.
In - depth Communication: Focus on Core Needs and Explore Cooperation Directions
After the visit, Jonathan Hewett, CEO of Thatcham Research, and his team held in-depth discussions with relevant leaders of GAC around the core goals of GAC's development in the European market. Yu Jun, Vice President of GAC Group, first extended a sincere welcome to Jonathan Hewett for his visit. Then, the two parties reached a high degree of consensus on the collaboration directions in key areas, with GAC's strategic needs of deeply developing the European market as the core.
At the seminar, the two parties clearly agreed to advance cooperation from multiple dimensions around the core of "strengthening GAC's adaptability to the European market". Firstly, provide key support for GAC's products to successfully enter the European market and remove core obstacles in market access through professional capabilities. Secondly, promote the advancement of cooperation, integrate the core technical standards and professional suggestions of the European market into the entire R & D process of GAC's new models for Europe, so as to improve the adaptability of products to the local market from the source and reduce subsequent adjustment costs.
It is worth noting that insurance rating, as a core criterion for vehicle market access in Europe, is directly related to product market recognition, user trust, and sales expansion results. It is a key support for GAC to enter and deeply develop the European market. During this seminar, the two parties focused on this core link and clearly stated that they would enhance the adaptability of product insurance ratings through professional collaboration, laying a solid foundation for the steady expansion of GAC's sales network in Europe.
On-site Discussion at the Seminar
This cooperation plays a key enabling role in GAC's European strategy. On the one hand, by leveraging Thatcham Research's professional advantages in the field of insurance ratings, it can effectively enhance the market competitiveness of GAC's vehicle models and reduce the cost of accessing the European market. On the other hand, the cooperation between GAC and Thatcham Research will help GAC build a localized technical service network in Europe, providing support for the subsequent expansion of multiple vehicle models in multiple markets.
In the future, GAC will continue to deepen collaborative cooperation with Thatcham Research, constantly improve its product and service system in the European market, and take technological innovation and localized services as the driving force to steadily advance the layout of global intelligent mobility.