Geely Group Has Launched 48 New Models Since Tesla Revealed the Cybertruck

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One of the things people have been warning about for years, long before Elon Musk brought a blowtorch to the Tesla brand, is the fact that Tesla has quite a limited, simple product line. Whereas Chinese EV producers are rolling out new models approximately twice a day (or, well, that’s just what it feels like sometimes), and even European legacy automakers and some American automakers keep introducing new models and currently have quite broad lineups with a lot of customer choice, Tesla has: two mass-market models, a … unique … truck/SUV that has created its own vehicle class, and two premium models introduced more than a decade ago that keep seeing their sales decline.

Last week, we noted that BYD opened up pre-sale of 4 new models in the course of two weeks. That’s impressive, especially with regard to Tesla’s slow rollout of new models. However, I was not at all prepared for the shocking stat another reader sent in.

“We know that western auto firms are getting overwhelmed by the proliferation of innovative new EV models coming out of Chinese auto companies. Out of curiosity, I pulled a list of the new models the Geely Group has released to market since Tesla first revealed Cybertruck. As you will see, during the time Tesla launched ONE new model, Geely launched FORTY-EIGHT new models by my count (I think I missed a couple). Western automakers cannot possibly compete given how insanely slow they are at launching new models,” Robert Lukefahr wrote.

HOLY COWABUNGA! Seriously — 48 new models. At least.

Robert brought receipts, too. Here’s the list of the 48 models that have been launched since Tesla revealed the Cybertruck (info coming from brand pages and Wikipedia):

1. Geely Xingyue S / Tugella (export-only since 2023), compact coupe SUV
2. Geely Xingyue L / Monjaro (2021–present), mid-size SUV
3. Geely Haoyue/Okavango (2020–present), mid-size SUV
4. Geely Boyue/Cityray (2023–present), compact SUV
5. Geely Boyue L / Starray / Atlas (2023–present), compact SUV
6. Geely Binyue/Coolray (2018–present), subcompact SUV
7. Geely Icon/Cowboy (2020–present), subcompact SUV
8. Geely Haoyue Pro (2024–present), compact SUV
9. Ji Yue 01 (2023–present), mid-size SUV, BEV
10. Ji Yue 07 (2024–present), mid-size sedan, BEV
11. London EV Company LEVC VN5 (2020-present) electric Van
12. Lotus Evija: (2023-present) limited production electric sports car
13. Lotus Emira: (2022-present). final vehicle powered by ICE
14. Lotus Eletre: (2024-present) electric SUV
15. Lynk & Co 05 (2019–present), compact coupe SUV
16. Lynk & Co 06 (2020–present), subcompact SUV, ICE/PHEV
17. Lynk & Co 07 (2024–present), mid-size sedan, PHEV
18. Lynk & Co 08 (2023–present), mid-size SUV, PHEV
19. Lynk & Co 09 (2021–present), mid-size SUV, ICE/PHEV
20. Lynk & Co 900 (upcoming), full-size SUV, PHEV
21. Lynk & Co Z10 (2024–present), full-size sedan, BEV/PHEV
22. Lynk & Co Z20 (2024–present), compact SUV, BEV
23. Livan 7 (2022–present), coupe compact SUV, BEV
24. Livan 9 (2022–present), mid-size SUV, rebadged BEV variant of Geely Haoyue
25. Livan 8 (2024–present), compact MPV, rebadged BEV variant of Geely Jiaji L
26. Maple 60S (2021–present), compact sedan, rebadged Geely Emgrand EV Pro
27. Maple 80V (2020–present), compact MPV, rebadged BEV variant of Geely Jiaji
28. Polestar 2 (2020-present) Compact Car
29. Polestar 3 (2024-present) SUV
30. Polestar 4 (2024-present) Compact Couple SUV
31. Proton X50 (2020–present; B-segment SUV)
32. Proton X90 (2023–present; D-segment SUV)
33. Proton S70 (2023–present; C-segment sedan)
34. Proton e.MAS 7 (2024–present; C-segment electric SUV)
35. Radar/Riddara RD6 (2022–present) Electric Truck
36. Smart #1 (2022–present)
37. Smart #3 (2023–present)
38. Smart #5 (2024–present)
39. Volvo EX30 2023–present (M/Y 2024–present)
40. Volvo C40 2021–present (M/Y 2022–present)
41. Volvo EX90 2022–present (M/Y 2024–present)
42. Volvo EM90 2024–present (M/Y 2024–present) [114]
43. Zeekr 001 (2021–present), full-size shooting brake, BEV
44. Zeekr 007 (2023–present), mid-size sedan, BEV
45. Zeekr 009 (2023–present), full-size MPV, BEV
46. Zeekr X (2023–present), subcompact SUV, BEV
47. Zeekr 7X (2024–present), mid-size SUV, BEV
48. Zeekr Mix (2024–present), compact MPV, BEV

Oh, by the way, that excludes Farizon and smaller models….

Honestly, in this light, it’s shameful to think about how slow Tesla has been to introduce new models. You can also create an insane list for BYD, I’m sure, and even be impressed by the new models introduced by smaller EV companies XPENG and NIO.

Elon Musk once responded to a CleanTechnica article that the “pace of innovation” was all that mattered. It’s hard not to look at Tesla today and conclude that its pace of innovation is far behind that of competitors in China, and even perhaps (probably?) legacy automakers from Europe and the US! This was not the Tesla story a decade ago, but it is today.

“Why are Chinese companies able to launch models so quickly? These are internationally competitive vehicles and many are sold in highly stringent regulatory markets like Australia and the EU. In 2022 Geely sold 2.3 million vehicles. In 2024 it sold 3.3 million and it has a target of 3.65 million this year. But the backward looking data does not tell the tale, it is the forward looking data that does! Geely has well over 50 NEV models in every segment and across every geography and brand that will be the foundation for future growth. Meanwhile, even the biggest and most prolific Western companies, like GM, have fewer than 10 new models, and laggards like Tesla or Ford have 1 or 2 new models (and a couple of refreshes),” Robert adds.

Indeed. Well said.

“What will it take to get Western auto to be able to compete on speed to market and innovation? Unless they fix this they are dead, and right now they are not even talking about the strategic need to cut product development time by 80% or more, but that is what needs to be done!”

Exactly. I don’t know what more I have to add. It’s a stunning divergence in innovation and product development, and we are being left in the dust, even (or especially) nimble, young, tech-centric market disruptor Tesla. Tesla now comes across as one of the complacent old legacy automakers living on their laurels and barriers to entry that the startup originally came in to disrupt. There’s the idea that, “Oh, the Model Y and Model 3 are so popular, there’s no need to do more right now — they will continue to dominate for years.” You get the feeling from Elon Musk that he just feels like they won and the game is over now. (Of course, there’s also the side matter of his obsession with vision-only self-driving, which is almost a decade behind schedule and not exactly proof at this point that Tesla’s innovation gene is alive and kicking.)

Whether Tesla is innovating in other ways or not, it’s become extremely slow creating and rolling out new models. It could have a van or two, a normal pickup truck, a compact car, a new sports car, a large SUV without wings, a station wagon, or other models on the market by now as well. It’s been sitting on cash — a lot of it — instead of doing what Geely, BYD, and others have been doing to win more and more market share, the auto industry of the future. When taking that into consideration, it’s hard to be optimistic about Tesla’s future. And that’s even before getting into the political mess Elon Musk has created for Tesla!