Gasgoo Munich-The first trial-production run of the Wink Y01 International Edition rolled off the line at Zotye Auto’s Yongkang plant on Sept. 22, Gasgoo has learned. Chairman and President Han Biwen joined employees to mark the milestone, launching the initial vehicle off the assembly line. According to the company, the event signals a new phase in product and process development. Full-tooling vehicle validation is now underway, with the four core manufacturing processes—stamping, welding, painting, and final assembly—fully linked. The focus now shifts to comprehensive system validation across personnel, machinery, materials, methods, and environment.
Image credit: Zotye Auto
Addressing the ceremony, Han reflected on gratitude, original aspirations, and craftsmanship—tying those values to the drive to resume production, the core purpose of building cars, and an unwavering focus on quality. He highlighted the supplier network and credited the equipment team for a three-month push that brought the production line online and secured delivery readiness.
For Zotye, rolling out trial vehicles and pushing toward a production restart is about more than just restoring output; it carries the weight of expectations from employees, partners, and users alike, while charting an independent path to revival. On quality, the company holds to the mantra "building cars is like building character," enforcing strict controls over exterior finish, panel gaps, critical dimensions, weld points, and final assembly.
Still, the company struck a cautious note. The rollout remains part of the trial-production phase and isn’t expected to materially impact current financial results—nor does it guarantee future mass production, market launches, or sales targets. The model still faces performance calibration, reliability testing, process refinement, and supply-chain validation. Timing for mass production and overseas deployment remains uncertain, vulnerable to shifts in technology, supply-chain dynamics, foreign trade policies, and market demand.
The Wink Y01 International Edition targets overseas markets and is not yet available for sale. Zotye continues to face financial strain; scaling up to mass production and market deployment requires sustained investment, and uncertain funding could slow overseas sales. The company urged investors to rely solely on official disclosures for progress updates, pledging to advance operations in compliance with regulations while cautioning them to weigh the risks and make rational decisions.
