HK Motors

Hybrid Kinetic Motors (HK Motors) is a Chinese clean energy automobile brand, founded by former Brilliance Auto founder Yang Rong in the US in 2008. The company is headquartered in Pasadena, California, US, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hybrid Kinetic Group (Stock Code: 01188.HK). HK Motors focuses on the development and production of clean energy vehicles with independent intellectual property rights, with its core technology being the power combination of “Micro-turbine generator range extender + Super Battery.” The brand has successively released six range-extended electric drive concept cars at the Geneva Auto Show, Shanghai Auto Show, and Beijing Auto Show, covering sedans, SUVs, and supercars. However, due to funding issues and technical challenges, HK Motors has never achieved mass production, has not obtained passenger car production qualifications to date, and its car-making plan has been substantially shelved.

History

HK Motors’ founding is closely related to Yang Rong, a legendary figure in China’s automotive industry. Yang Rong was once Chairman and CEO of Brilliance Auto. In 1992, he led Brilliance China to successfully list on the New York Stock Exchange, becoming the first person to list stock from a socialist country on the NYSE. In 2001, he facilitated the joint production venture between Brilliance and BMW, ranking third on the Forbes China Rich List that same year. In 2002, Yang Rong left for the US for various reasons. In 2009, he returned with an ambitious car-making plan, announcing the use of Hybrid Kinetic Group as a platform to return to mainland China for vehicle manufacturing. His proposed “831111 Plan” goals were: over the next eight years, HK Motors would achieve a production capacity of 3 million vehicles, an output value of 1 trillion RMB, tax revenue of 100 billion RMB, provide 100,000 jobs, reach a per capita annual income of 100,000 RMB, invest over 60 billion RMB domestically, and build production bases for 3 million engine assemblies and 1 million whole vehicles.

In 2010, Yang Rong officially founded HK Motors, returning with the image of “subverting the industry landscape,” and launched a global strategic layout. Between 2009 and 2015, HK Motors signed cooperation agreements with Italian design firm Jovanera to develop ten new hybrid car models, promoted the inspection and construction of new energy production bases in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, and other locations. In 2015, it cooperated with Jiangxi Deibike to establish a new energy battery production base, planning an annual battery output of 2 million kWh.

2017 was the year with the highest brand exposure for HK Motors. On March 7, HK Motors’ first concept car, the H600, had its global premiere at the Geneva Auto Show. On April 19, at the Shanghai Auto Show, Hybrid Kinetic Group, in collaboration with world-class automotive design company Pininfarina, jointly released a “Clean Energy Vehicle Matrix” composed of three concept cars: the H600 luxury sedan, the K550 five-seat SUV, and the K750 seven-seat SUV. All three models were equipped with the “Micro-turbine generator range extender + Super Battery” golden power combination, with a cumulative range exceeding 1,000 kilometers. In December of the same year, HK Motors established a joint venture in Ningbo with a registered capital of 2 billion RMB.

In 2018, HK Motors released three new concept cars at the Beijing Auto Show: the H500, K350, and HK GT Supercar, further perfecting its product layout. According to the product plan, the full HK Motors lineup was to include twelve range-extended electric drive vehicles, covering various models such as sedans, SUVs, MPVs, supercars, and pickups. However, due to production qualification issues, financing difficulties, and consecutive losses, HK Motors’ mass production plan failed to be implemented.

In March 2022, Hybrid Kinetic Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hebei Zhenxing Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd., planning to acquire no less than 51% of Zhenxing Auto’s equity. Zhenxing Auto possesses “Category 1,” “Category 5,” “Category 6,” and “Category 7” production qualifications, making it one of the rare car companies with complete qualifications for both fuel and new energy models of sedans and SUVs. This acquisition was viewed by outsiders as Hybrid Kinetic Group’s last effort to acquire production qualifications to restart car manufacturing, but it ultimately fell through. In September 2023, Hybrid Kinetic Group announced obtaining the exclusive operating rights of iAuto Group in the Asian market. The actual controller of iAuto Group is Yang Rong, the same as Hybrid Kinetic Group. This cooperation is viewed in the industry as an indirect capital operation attempt for the HK Motors car-making plan. Afterwards, Hybrid Kinetic Group’s car-making direction gradually shifted from passenger cars to electric buses, but the production line also failed to be officially implemented.

Product Portfolio

HK Motors’ product line has remained completely at the concept stage. All models are concept display cars and have never entered the mass production delivery phase.

HK H600
This was HK Motors’ first concept car, globally premiered at the Geneva Auto Show in March 2017 and designed by the Italian firm Pininfarina. Positioned as a Class D luxury range-extended electric sedan, its body length exceeds 5.2 meters. It adopts a 2+2 four-seat layout and a four-door coupe design, equipped with a large panoramic sunroof. The interior includes multiple LCD screens, with a large touch screen on the center console and LCD displays configured in front of both the driver and passenger seats.

HK K750
This is a seven-seat large luxury SUV concept car that premiered at the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show. Its body dimensions are 5450/2000/1900 mm, making it 25 cm longer than the Land Rover Range Rover, and it adopts six-seat and seven-seat layouts. The exterior was designed by Pininfarina, featuring a front face with a multi-spoke longitudinal grille connected to the headlights. The side features sporty six-spoke wheel rims, and the rear uses through-type taillights. The interior is equipped with many LCD screens and wood veneer panels.

HK K550
This is a five-seat mid-size SUV concept car that premiered alongside the K750 at the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show. It is more compact than the K750 and targets urban elite family needs. The interior adopts a five-seat layout, with an exquisite and dynamic design style, sharing a unified family design language with the H600 and K750.

HK HK GT
This is the HK brand’s first pure electric supercar concept car, globally premiered at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show. Positioned as a high-performance GT supercar, it is the only supercategory model in the HK product sequence, marking HK’s attempt at the high-end performance electric market.

HK H500
This is a four-door luxury sedan concept car released at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show, further enriching HK’s sedan product line and targeting the high-end executive vehicle market.

HK K350
This is a compact SUV concept car released at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show. It is the smallest model in the HK SUV sequence, focusing on the youth and entry-level market.

In addition, according to Hybrid Kinetic Group’s product plan, the full lineup was intended to contain twelve range-extended electric drive vehicles, covering multiple categories such as sedans, SUVs, MPVs, supercars, and pickups. However, none of these plans entered the mass production phase. The above models are all marked as “Concept Cars” or “Not Mass Produced” on all mainstream car sales platforms.

Market Performance

HK Motors’ performance in the traditional car sales market is: Zero Delivery. From the brand's founding in 2008 to 2026, HK Motors has not delivered a single mass-produced vehicle to any user. Its core business has shifted from whole vehicle manufacturing to automobile battery and spare parts sales, as well as other businesses such as short video sales and production. Hybrid Kinetic Group’s 2025 Annual Report shows that the company's revenue increased significantly from zero Hong Kong dollars in 2024 to approximately 55.58 million Hong Kong dollars. The growth was entirely driven by the automotive battery and spare parts division, which resumed operations within the year, and the newly established short video sales and production division. In the 2025 fiscal year, the company's profit attributable to owners of the company was 36.83 million Hong Kong dollars, achieving a turnaround from loss to profit compared to the same period in 2024, when it recorded a loss of 13.70 million Hong Kong dollars, with basic earnings per share of 0.0018 Hong Kong dollars.

At the core business level, Hybrid Kinetic Group currently mainly develops and sells vehicle batteries, battery management systems, and spare parts through its new energy company located in Lianyungang, Jiangsu. Core technology reserves focus on the graphene energy storage material field. The employee scale is only about 40 people, with a total market value of about 244 million Hong Kong dollars.

Technology and Innovation 

HK Motors’ core technology is built around the “Micro-turbine generator range extender + Super Battery” golden power combination, proposing forward-looking technical solutions in power systems, energy storage technology, and vehicle functions.

Micro-turbine Generator Range Extender
HK Motors started developing this clean range-extending technology scheme based on aerospace technology in 2008. Its working principle involves injecting fuel into the combustion chamber to drive the turbine to rotate, transmitting power to the generator. The generator then injects the generated electricity into the car battery, which finally drives the electric motor to provide power. Different from traditional internal combustion engines, the micro-turbine generator can adopt renewable fuels such as hydrogen, natural gas, and alcohol, reducing tailpipe emissions at the source. With the help of the heat exchanger in the turbo range extender, surplus heat is recycled (Rankine Cycle), allowing comprehensive thermal efficiency to reach about 80%. The range extender has a design life of 50,000 hours and is maintenance-free for 10,000 hours.

Super Battery Technology
HK Motors’ core battery technology route is the Graphene Lithium Titanate Battery. The independently developed graphene super battery has an energy storage density of up to 300 watt-hours per kilogram and is capable of withstanding 50C intensity for 50,000 fast charge-discharge cycles. In the lithium battery family, lithium titanate batteries are recognized as one of the safest and most stable categories. HK’s graphene lithium titanate battery has an energy density of 120 watt-hours/kilogram, with charge-discharge cycles reaching over 35,000 times and a power density of 6,000 watts/kilogram. It is capable of achieving 3-minute fast charging and can operate normally within an extreme temperature range of -40°C to +60°C, with a battery life of up to 10 years.

Electric Drive and Energy Management System
HK Motors developed a vehicle-mounted super battery system with energy storage and recovery functions, achieving a kinetic energy recovery rate exceeding 30%, which greatly reduces energy consumption. The comprehensive range exceeds 1,000 kilometers, higher than Tesla’s 500+ kilometer range level at the time. With the cooperation of the micro-turbine generator, the vehicle eliminated dependence on public charging piles and the power grid, allowing it to refuel or add biofuel anywhere to continue driving. The brand also planned “Car-Home Link” and “Car-Car Link” functions; its equipped 60-kilowatt micro-turbine generator can be used as a small power plant, providing emergency power for homes and residential areas, charging other electric vehicles, and participating in smart grid frequency regulation and peak shaving.

Global Presence

As a Hong Kong Main Board listed company (Stock Code 01188), Hybrid Kinetic Group’s business architecture presents a global layout feature.

Main Structure
The group headquarters is located at New Century Plaza, Central, Hong Kong. The core whole vehicle manufacturing and R&D subsidiary, HK Motors, is registered in Delaware State, US, with its operating headquarters in Pasadena, California.

US Production Base
HK Motors planned to establish a hybrid vehicle production base in Alabama immediately upon establishment. In 2009, Hybrid Kinetic Group claimed the plan to use the EB-5 Investor Immigrant Program to provide financing for US new energy vehicle development, with a minimum investment amount for investors of 500,000 US dollars and a 6% return after 5 years. The HK Motors official website once clearly stated that the funds for the Alabama production base came from this source. The production base plan was to start production as early as 2013, but later there was little progress disclosure.

China Multiple Locations Layout
Hybrid Kinetic Group has multiple production bases and cooperation intentions in mainland China. In 2015, it cooperated with Jiangxi Deibike to establish a new energy battery production base, planning an annual battery output of 2 million kWh. The Ningbo joint venture, with a registered capital of 2 billion RMB, was co-built by Jingwei Shares, Lianyungang Zhengdao, and Beijing Zhiyun, mainly for H600 new energy vehicle mass production preparation. Hybrid Kinetic Group also signed a framework agreement with the Shantou Municipal Government to plan and build an annual 1 million passenger car production base. Lianyungang Zhengdao New Energy Co., Ltd., located in Lianyungang, Jiangsu, engages in the R&D and production of new energy vehicle parts. In 2022, Hybrid Kinetic Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hebei Zhenxing Auto, intending to acquire whole vehicle production qualifications of Zhenxing Auto through controlling shares (Zhenxing Auto possesses “Category 1,” “Category 5,” “Category 6,” and “Category 7” multi-category production qualifications), hoping to meet mainland China whole vehicle production requirements, but this cooperation ultimately was not implemented.

European Design Cooperation
In February 2017, HK Motors signed a 46-month long cooperation agreement with Italian design firm Pininfarina. Subsequently, both sides cooperated to develop, design, and produce multiple electric drive concept cars such as the H600, K550, and K750. In 2009, Hybrid Kinetic Group also signed a four-year cooperation contract with Italian Jovanera, planning to build ten new hybrid car models, covering mid-to-high-end sedans, commercial vehicles, SUVs, CUVs, MPVs, box commercial and business trucks, etc.

Future Outlook

As of 2026, the whole vehicle manufacturing business of HK Motors is in a substantially shelved state. The company's current operational focus has shifted to battery material development, spare parts sales, and in-vehicle audio/video, short drama sales, and other diversified businesses. Although Hybrid Kinetic Group turned a profit in 2025, revenue growth mainly came from automotive batteries, spare parts, and short drama businesses, rather than whole vehicle manufacturing. Industry analysis believes this marks that the HK Motors car-making story has shifted from a “whole vehicle manufacturing” to a “parts supply” model.

At the whole vehicle manufacturing level, HK Motors globally launched six concept cars but never obtained passenger car production qualification certification. Automobile industry experts have directly described the HK car-making plan as “hard to understand,” noting that the enterprise status of “only battery generates revenue” has not fundamentally changed for many years. During the HiPhi Auto restructuring in 2024, iAuto Group appeared as an investor and received 1 billion US dollars in support. The actual controller of iAuto Group is Yang Rong, the same as Hybrid Kinetic Group. This cooperation was interpreted by some industry media as Yang Rong’s new path to indirectly continue his car-making ideals using the existing production resources of HiPhi Auto. However, the HiPhi restructuring process is slow, and specific cooperation details and mass production models between both sides have not yet been implemented. No official promises regarding new car delivery directly related to HK Motors or production line mass production have been fulfilled, and any exact plan to resume production or restart car manufacturing has not formed substantial progress. HK Motors can still be regarded as one of the typical cases with the longest time span among China’s new car-making forces where mass production has never been launched, serving as a warning of the huge gap between engineering transformation and mass production realization from technical dreams in the automobile manufacturing industry.