Chery Becomes First Chinese Manufacturer to Join Le Mans in 2030

KatadataOTO – Chinese car manufacturer, Chery will join the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in the upcoming 2030.

This makes Chery the first Chinese manufacturer to join Le Mans.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is an endurance race, requiring cars to record the furthest distance or the most laps over 24 hours, starting from four in the afternoon local time.

Chery will use a car from their premium sub-brand, Exeed, to compete in the race.

Photo: Exeed

This was announced directly by Exeed on Monday (15/12). They have signed a cooperation agreement with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) as the organizer of Le Mans.

The durability of Exeed products will be pitted directly against various other well-known brands already participating in Le Mans, such as Toyota, Porsche, Aston Martin, and BMW.

“Exeed announced a five-year roadmap titled Road to Le Mans in an effort to participate in the prestigious racing event,” wrote a Carnewschina report on Monday.

In detail, there are three main preparation phases undertaken by Chery. First, launching a local endurance racing selection system, the Exeed Unified Race.

This step is said to help the manufacturer in developing vehicle technology, preparing the best team and drivers to compete under its banner.

The second stage, Chery will join the Asian Le Mans Series or ALMS, covering three main classes: Le Mans Prototype 2, Le Mans Prototype 3, and Le Mans GT3 (LMGT3).

LMGT3 has its own requirements. The manufacturer must be able to produce more than 2,500 passenger vehicles per year.

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The final phase is the formation of the Exeed Le Mans Team, which will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In addition, Chery and ACO also agreed to build a Le Mans-certified track in the Wuhu area to host other prestigious racing events.

Chery's decision to compete in Le Mans is believed to have many other impacts. Such as the brand becoming better known to global consumers and an increase in quality, especially for the premium Exeed line.