Arcfox (极狐) is a Chinese marque of electric passenger cars and SUV owned by BAIC BluePark based in Beijing founded in 2017.
History
Beginning
In 2017, the Chinese automotive giant BAIC Group decided to create a new subordinate brand dedicated to the development of electric cars. The first model to go on sale locally was a microcar called Lite aimed at the premium class.[1] In March 2019, the global premiere of the Arcfox brand took place during the Geneva Motor Show, expressing the goals of expanding the Chinese brand's operations also on the European continent.[2]
The designs presented under the Arcfox brand in Europe were completely different from the concept of the Lite. The first vehicle was a prototype of a large SUV ECF, whose styling was designed by designer Walter de Silva known for his work for Volkswagen Group.[3] The second vehicle that participated in the world premiere of the Arcfox brand was the supercarGT, intended to present the capabilities of the BAIC Group designers.[4] The vehicle was presented in both a basic and a special variant called Race Edition.[5]
Further development
In 2020, the company focused on completely new designs built for the Chinese market in the form of technically advanced electric crossovers. In May 2020, the mid-size Alpha-T model debuted,[6] and a year later the offer was expanded by the large crossover Alpha-S[7] from then on, serving as the flagship design. In 2022, Arcfox started cooperation with the Chinese giant Huawei, equipping its cars available on the domestic market with the operating system.[8]
In 2023, Arcfox began to further expand its model portfolio, launching in September this year the sale of a compact minivan Kaola with unusual interior design solutions aimed at mothers of small children.[9] In December of the same year, the range was expanded by the compact crossover Alpha T5,[10] and in the spring of 2024, Arcfox introduced the first classic passenger car - the Alpha S5 limousine.[11]
For a period of time a few years after Arcfox was founded, the market performance was poor, with insufficient sales in 2021 Xpeng, Nio, Li Auto One-twentieth.[12] The sales volume in 2022 will be 11,895 units, which is only equivalent to the sales volume of the leading new car manufacturing force in one month.[13] Sales volume will increase significantly to 30,016 vehicles in 2023.[14]
On July 24, 2024, an Arcfox αS spontaneously caught fire in Hangzhou. After firefighters brought the fire under control, Arcfox staff turned their clothes inside out and forcibly removed the car's emblem without the owner's consent. The next day, Arcfox issued an apology on Weibo for the "improper handling of the incident" by their staff.[16][17][18]
^"给自燃车撬车标盖黑布？极狐汽车道歉了" [Arcfox apologized for prying off the logo of a self-ignited car and covering it with black cloth]. stcn.com. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
^极狐电车自燃 厂家来人第一时间撬车标盖黑布？极狐汽车道歉了 [Arcfox Electric Car Catches Fire: Manufacturer's Staff Pry Off Emblem and Cover It with Black Cloth? Arcfox Issues Apology]. Sina Finance. National Business Daily. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
^"极狐起火：工作人员将衣服反穿、盖黑布、撬车标 回应来了" [Arcfox caught fire: Workers put their clothes on backwards, covered with black cloth, and pried off the car logo. The response is here]. finance.ifeng.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 8 August 2024.
