Newrizon

Brand Overview

Newrizon (derived from “New Horizon”) is a China-based technology company focused on intelligent connected new energy commercial vehicles. The brand operates under Shanghai Newrizon Automotive Technology Co., Ltd., which was established on September 25, 2020, and is headquartered in Anting Town, Jiading District, Shanghai. The company has a registered capital of USD 20 million and operates as a wholly foreign-owned enterprise from the Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions, with Huang Shuyuan serving as the legal representative. The brand name “Newrizon” is inspired by the phrase “the road ahead is bright with promise,” symbolizing the company’s ambition to illuminate the future of the logistics industry through technology.

Newrizon was founded by Dr. Huang Chadong, former Senior Vice President of Nio. Dr. Huang possesses extensive expertise in automotive engineering and technology, having participated in the development of NASA’s Pluto probe “New Horizons.” He previously served as Vice General Manager of SAIC’s New Energy Division, where he was responsible for hydrogen fuel cell technology, and later became Senior Vice President of New Power at Nio. He is also regarded as a senior technical expert in electric powertrain systems and autonomous driving technologies. The company’s core management team comes from leading automotive companies including Ford, Nio, Delphi, SAIC, Volvo, and Foton, bringing decades of industry experience and extensive expertise in pure electric, battery-swapping, and hydrogen-powered heavy truck development.

Newrizon adheres to the brand vision of “Technology Conveys Warmth” and the mission of “Creating Ultimate Operational Efficiency for Users.” By leveraging advanced intelligent connected new energy commercial vehicle technologies and full lifecycle management systems, the company aims to improve the operational profitability and efficiency of logistics customers, positioning commercial vehicles not merely as tools for generating income, but as reliable and worry-free business partners. The company currently employs around 150 people, with more than 50% dedicated to R&D. To date, Newrizon has secured 304 patents and software copyrights, including 224 patents — 30% of which are invention patents — as well as 80 software copyrights, forming a solid technological foundation and competitive moat.

Development History

Newrizon’s development history is centered around the core themes of “rapid iteration, forward development, and global expansion.” Following its establishment in September 2020, the company quickly began building both its product portfolio and capital foundation. In March 2021, Newrizon signed an agreement with the Jiangyin Municipal Government to invest a total of RMB 5.18 billion in the construction of an intelligent connected commercial vehicle R&D and manufacturing base, while the company’s headquarters officially settled in Jiangyin High-tech Zone during the same month. In August of that year, the brand officially launched “Newrizon” and introduced two products — the EC1, co-developed with Sinotruk Haixi, and the fully forward-developed iC1. In September, the company won the Overall Gold Award at the 6th China New Energy Logistics Vehicle Challenge.

In October 2022, the 1,000th EC1 production unit rolled off the assembly line, setting a new record for the fastest mass-production delivery among emerging commercial vehicle startups. The year 2023 marked a major technological leap for the company. Early in the year, Newrizon secured over RMB 100 million in Series B+ funding from Nio Capital. In August, the fully forward-developed iC1 officially launched, ushering in the “3.0 Era” of new energy light trucks through its intelligent connected architecture based on the concept of “Software Defines Hardware.”

2024 marked the beginning of Newrizon’s global expansion strategy. In January, the first batch of iC1 vehicles was exported to the Middle East, making Newrizon the first Chinese intelligent connected new energy commercial vehicle startup brand to enter the region. In October, the company signed an intention agreement for 4,800 vehicles with Pandan Group, one of Europe’s largest light commercial vehicle dealer groups, officially entering the European and Israeli markets. In 2025, the company’s overseas business continued to accelerate, reaching strategic cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia’s largest light commercial vehicle dealer group and the UAE-based Global Comprehensive Company. Product exports expanded across three major regions: the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. In 2026, Newrizon secured another Series B+ investment exceeding RMB 100 million from Nio Capital. The funding will be used to support the R&D and mass production of light trucks, vans, and other models, while further accelerating supply chain integration and expansion across both domestic and international markets.

Brand Matrix / Product Line

Newrizon follows the core philosophy of “Scenarios Define Products,” building an electric commercial vehicle portfolio centered around light trucks while gradually expanding into van and closed-box truck segments. Its current mass-production lineup mainly consists of the EC1 and iC1 new energy light trucks, with additional future products such as the IV1 already in development plans.

EC1: Built on Newrizon’s forward-developed “Vision” electric chassis platform, the EC1 differs from traditional “oil-to-electric” conversion solutions by adopting a more integrated architecture optimized for lightweight design. The platform also reserves hardware interfaces for advanced autonomous driving functions and future system upgrades, making the EC1 a key pioneer model for Newrizon’s mass-production validation efforts.

iC1: The iC1 is Newrizon’s first fully forward-developed model, positioned as the “Benchmark for the 3.0 Era of Intelligent Connected New Energy Commercial Vehicles,” with intelligence and scalability as its core highlights. The vehicle measures 5,995 × 2,180 × 3,120 mm (L×W×H), while the aluminum alloy box cargo body weighs as little as 2.85 tons. Its cabin design significantly departs from traditional light truck layouts, featuring a 1,750 mm-high stand-up flat-floor cabin, one-step entry, integrated bench seating, and 19 independent storage compartments. Cabin space has been increased by 60% compared to conventional light trucks. In terms of range, the iC1 is equipped with an 85.4 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery supplied by Farasis Energy, delivering a combined operating range of over 255 km. In addition to fast and slow charging, the vehicle also supports battery swapping. Furthermore, the iC1 incorporates VEOS energy-saving technology, dynamic load estimation, and other innovative systems, while also reserving interfaces for L4 autonomous driving and supporting FOTA remote upgrades.

IV1: The IV1 is a planned new energy van product line from Newrizon. Together with the EC1 and iC1, it will form the company’s complete “Light Truck + VAN” product portfolio for the urban logistics and distribution market.

Market Performance

Newrizon demonstrated a strong growth trajectory during the early stage of its product rollout, although actual performance ultimately fell short of the aggressive targets set during its initial expansion phase. Just one year after launch, the EC1 achieved cumulative sales of more than 1,000 units, consistently ranking among the top five new energy light truck brands nationwide for five consecutive months, while annual sales also entered the industry’s top ten. In October 2022, the company completed the rollout of its 1,000th production vehicle, setting a new industry record for the fastest mass-production delivery among emerging commercial vehicle brands.

However, the medium-term target of “30,000–50,000 units by 2025,” proposed by the company’s founder in 2023, was not achieved in subsequent market performance. According to industry tracking data, Newrizon’s actual annual sales remained significantly below the projected target scale. Competition across the new energy light truck sector intensified sharply between 2024 and 2025, with the company facing substantial pressure from factors including aggressive price wars, the dominance of leading brands, and extended financing cycles. Nevertheless, Newrizon’s rapid overseas expansion partially offset the slowdown in domestic market growth. The accumulation of international orders helped the company maintain a certain level of delivery volume and market visibility during a period of broader industry adjustment.

In terms of customer structure, Newrizon has successfully entered the supply chains of major logistics companies including Lalamove, SF Express, JD Logistics, ZTO Express, and Yunda Express. From a financing perspective, the company has secured tens of millions of USD in angel investment from Lightspeed China, more than RMB 100 million in Series B+ funding from Nio Capital, and an additional Series B+ investment exceeding RMB 100 million from Nucleus Capital. In addition, Jiangyin High-tech Zone is reportedly exploring potential participation in Newrizon’s future development through equity investment.

Core Technologies

Newrizon’s technology system is built around the core principles of “forward development” and “full-stack in-house development,” fundamentally differentiating it from the traditional “oil-to-electric” conversion approach still widely seen across the industry.

The “Vision” Forward Electric Chassis Platform is Newrizon’s most important core technological asset. Both the EC1 and iC1 are built on this platform. Rather than simply integrating an electric powertrain into a conventional fuel-vehicle chassis, Newrizon developed a dedicated EV platform entirely from the ground up. Its coaxial electric drive axle significantly reduces system inertia while maintaining transmission efficiency, while the highly integrated component layout effectively cuts overall vehicle weight by more than 400 kg. Compared with similar products, the platform improves driving range by approximately 10% to 20%.

The Three-Electric Integration System serves as another key technological pillar for Newrizon. On the battery side, the company adopts an integrated large flat water-cooled battery pack combined with a five-layer thermal isolation protection structure, a self-developed BMS battery management system, and intelligent battery monitoring functions. Following equivalent validation tests exceeding 4,000 charging cycles, battery lifespan is reportedly more than 15% longer than that of conventional light trucks. The powertrain is equipped with a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering peak output of 145 kW (approximately 197 hp), providing ample power reserves for urban logistics and distribution operations. In addition, the self-developed electronic control system supports FOTA remote upgrades, enabling continuous optimization of vehicle performance across different operating scenarios.

The Domain Controller Architecture and AI Dynamic Energy-Saving Algorithm form the foundation of Newrizon’s intelligent vehicle capabilities. Its self-developed vehicle network architecture is built around domain controllers, enabling optimized powertrain coordination and AI-driven dynamic energy management. Under identical energy consumption conditions, the system can improve driving range by approximately 10% to 20%, while also supporting future hardware upgrades for advanced autonomous driving functions.

The Evolvable Vehicle Architecture and Charging/Battery Swap Ecosystem reflect Newrizon’s forward-looking product strategy. The iC1 is equipped with autonomous driving-compatible interfaces as well as intelligent features such as dynamic load estimation, while reserving OTA-compatible hardware and software interfaces for continuous functional upgrades based on real-world usage scenarios. The vehicle also supports battery-swapping operation and vehicle-battery separation models. Going forward, Newrizon plans to further expand battery asset management and intelligent charging infrastructure through ecosystem partnerships with Nio Power and Chainlink Smart Energy.

Overseas Layout

Newrizon’s overseas expansion has become the core growth engine of its globalization strategy. In January 2024, the first batch of iC1 vehicles was shipped to the Middle East, making Newrizon the first Chinese intelligent connected new energy commercial vehicle startup brand to export to the region. Within just one year, the company completed its initial market expansion across the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, evolving from a “Chinese new force” startup into a recognized pioneer in overseas commercial vehicle markets.

The Middle East market serves as both the starting point and strategic focus of Newrizon’s global expansion efforts. In May 2024, the company signed a distribution and order agreement with Al Yemni, Saudi Arabia’s largest light commercial vehicle dealer group. In June, it signed a 100-unit intention order agreement with a UAE-based technology logistics company. In April 2025, Newrizon further signed a strategic cooperation and procurement MOU with UAE Global Comprehensive Company, an international logistics service provider, which placed a large order for the iC1. In early 2025, the first batch of 100 iC1 refrigerated trucks was delivered to the UAE, with a total contract value of approximately RMB 30 million.

In the European and Israeli markets, Newrizon signed a distribution and strategic cooperation agreement with Pandan Group in October 2024, including an on-site intention order for 4,800 vehicles. Pandan will act as Newrizon’s exclusive distributor across Europe and Israel, overseeing market development, sales, and after-sales services. Both parties also jointly established a dedicated project team focused on developing light truck products tailored to local market requirements.

The African market represents another important direction in Newrizon’s international expansion strategy. Leveraging opportunities created under the Belt and Road Initiative, the company has steadily expanded exports of new energy commercial vehicles into African markets.

Overall, Newrizon’s overseas strategy demonstrates a clearly differentiated approach. Rather than directly targeting the highly competitive mainstream European and North American markets from the outset, the company strategically chose the Middle East as its first major stepping stone, leveraging its identity as “the first Chinese new force commercial vehicle brand” to establish early market recognition. To date, Newrizon’s product exports have expanded across three major regions: the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.

Future Outlook

Newrizon’s future development strategy is centered around three major directions: “Product Advancement, Technology Evolution, and Global Expansion.”

Product Line Expansion will be Newrizon’s next strategic priority. The company’s Series B+ financing will primarily be used to support the R&D and mass production of light trucks, vans, and other future models. In addition to the planned IV1 new energy van, the company also possesses technical reserves in pure electric, battery-swapping, and hydrogen-powered heavy trucks. Over the medium to long term, Newrizon is expected to expand its product portfolio beyond urban logistics light trucks into broader commercial vehicle segments.

Continuous Technology Iteration will remain another key focus. The company plans to further enhance its FOTA upgrade capabilities, enabling more scenario-based functions to be upgraded on demand. At the same time, Newrizon will continue improving its battery-swapping ecosystem while deepening collaboration with Nio in areas such as battery asset management and intelligent data systems, ultimately building a closed-loop full lifecycle battery operation platform.

Deepening Global Market Expansion will serve as Newrizon’s core future growth engine. The company plans to further strengthen its presence across the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, while establishing a more comprehensive overseas sales and operational network. Under the cooperation agreement with Pandan Group, both parties will jointly develop light truck products tailored to the needs of the European and Israeli markets. This partnership is expected to become a key breakthrough point for Newrizon’s entry into the European market.

From a capital markets perspective, Newrizon has secured multiple rounds of Series B+ financing exceeding RMB 100 million since 2023, including investments from Nio Capital and Nucleus Capital. As product development continues and overseas business expands, the company is expected to attract additional rounds of capital support in the future, helping it evolve from a “new force startup” into a significant player in the global intelligent commercial vehicle industry.

Leveraging its three core strengths — forward development, intelligence, and globalization — this commercial vehicle startup founded in 2020 is striving to carve out its own breakthrough path amid the next wave of competition in the new energy commercial vehicle sector.