EV competition heats up in China as Geely’s Galaxy brand launches E8 starting under $25k

Less than a year after its launch in China, Geely’s sub-brand Galaxy has begun selling its first all-electric model – the E8. Starting at a price below $25,000, the Galaxy E8 sedan looks extra sleek, and it touts some more than adequate EV technology, arriving as a genuine contender in an ultra-competitive Chinese market.

You may not have heard of Galaxy yet, but if you’re an avid reader on Electrek, chances are you’ve heard of its parent company – Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, or Geely for short. The Chinese auto conglomerate launched Galaxy in February 2023 as a premium marque offering an electrified product series.

Its lineup began with two plug-in hybrids – the L7 crossover and the L6 sedan. However, at the time of its debut, Galaxy was already sharing details of a third model in the works – an all-electric Sedan called the E8.

Galaxy’s first EV model debuted in China last year before beginning pre-orders in mid-December, starting at RMB 188,000 ($26,400). Today, however, the E8 has officially launched overseas, arriving at a lower price than initially advertised, setting the stage for a showdown with several other Chinese automakers selling consumer-friendly EVs.

Per CnEVPost, Galaxy has officially launched the E8 EV in China, starting at RMB 175,800 ($24,700), almost $2,000 less than initially advertised in December. The young brand’s first BEV model sits atop Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), offering 400V performance.

The top-tier trim of the E8 is powered by 800V architecture, offering the ability to recoup 180 kilometers (112 miles) of range during a five-minute fast charge. The toper level trim also comes equipped with a dual-motor silicon carbide electric drive system capable of accelerating 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.49 seconds. The five available trims of the new Galaxy EV are priced as follows:

• RMB 175,800 ($24,700)
• RMB 185,800 ($26,100)
• RMB 198,800 ($27,935)
• RMB 218,800 ($30,750)
• RMB 228,800 ($32,150)

Even at its most expensive level, the new Galaxy E8 is quite reasonably priced. It arrives much lower than many of its competitors, and its three battery pack options of 62 kWh, 75.6 kWh, and 76 kWh offer respective ranges of 550 km (342 mi), 620 km (385 mi), and 665 km (413 mi). Again, it is on par with its competitors in the B-segment sedan market in China.

With today’s launch, E8 deliveries are underway as the sedan kicks off Galaxy’s full-EV lineup, which should see two more BEVs join the family by 2025. This will be an EV to watch as Geely Auto hopes to garner a large chunk of the country’s largest automotive segment.