On June 20, Great Wall Motors announced that, based on the company’s development needs, Lv Wenbin would succeed Zhao Yongpo as the General Manager of the Ora brand, responsible for the overall management of the Ora brand.
Public records show that Lv Wenbin was born in 1983, at the age of 42, and is from Lingbao, Henan. Although his educational background has not been officially disclosed, Lv Wenbin is listed on the official website of Henan Polytechnic University, where he graduated in 2004 with a degree in Automotive and Tractor Manufacturing and Maintenance. From his career history, although Lv Wenbin has mainly been responsible for technical work, he has also appeared in public frequently in recent years. In 2019, Lv Wenbin was interviewed as the Pick-up Product Director at Great Wall Motors. In 2020, he held various positions, including Deputy General Manager of Great Wall Motors’ Chongqing branch and Deputy General Manager of the Yungchuan Production Base. Since November 2020, Lv Wenbin has appeared publicly as the General Manager of Technology for Great Wall Motors’ Haval brand.
Zhao Yongpo, who announced in February this year that he would concurrently serve as General Manager of the Ora brand, is also the General Manager of the Haval brand, but he held the position of General Manager for Ora for less than half a year. Zhao Yongpo, born in 1980, has worked in the Great Wall Motors system for quite some time and is considered an old veteran within the company. Early in his career, he focused on automotive technology and research and development. In 2021, Zhao Yongpo was promoted to Deputy General Manager of the Great Wall Motors Technology Center, where he was responsible for vehicle platforms, vehicle bodies, performance, and chassis research and development. In November 2023, he became the General Manager of the Haval brand, fully overseeing the brand.
Ora is the pure electric brand under Great Wall Motors, with current models including the Ora Good Cat, Ora Lightning Cat, and Ora Ballet Cat. The majority of Ora’s sales come from the Ora Good Cat. Retail data shows that from January to May 2025, the Ora brand’s cumulative sales reached 5,242 units, with the Ora Good Cat accounting for 4,945 units, while the other two models had only around a hundred units each.
Ora can be considered Great Wall Motors’ most challenging brand at the moment. Since its establishment in 2018, the Ora brand has played a significant role in the company’s transformation into the new energy vehicle sector. Ora positioned itself as a brand “more loved by women,” specifically targeting the female car market segment. Models like the Black Cat, White Cat, and Good Cat quickly became popular in the sub-100,000 yuan electric vehicle market due to their cute designs and relatively high cost performance. However, due to profitability concerns, Great Wall Motors discontinued the Black Cat and White Cat models, leaving only the Ora Good Cat, which resulted in a significant drop in Ora’s sales. Later, the Ora brand launched the Ballet Cat and Lightning Cat models, but these higher-priced models have not been able to gain traction in the market. Since 2023, Ora has not released any entirely new models, seemingly putting the brand on pause in the fast-developing new energy vehicle market. Currently, only the Ora Good Cat, Ballet Cat, and Lightning Cat models are available for sale, and the limited product line cannot meet the increasingly diverse demands of consumers.
In the context of the booming domestic new energy vehicle market, with overall sales continuing to rise, Ora’s sales performance stands out as being out of sync. Wholesale data shows that from January to May 2025, the Ora brand’s cumulative sales were 10,625 units, a year-on-year decline of 58.69%.
Recently, the 2025 Ora Good Cat began pre-sales, with three models available, priced between 89,800 and 109,800 yuan. At the same time, the 2025 Ora Good Cat GT Magnolia Edition also began pre-sales, with two models available, priced between 102,800 and 112,800 yuan. The 2025 Ora Good Cat primarily upgrades the front face and interior, with a particular focus on the smart experience. The reference price for the 2024 Ora Good Cat was between 105,800 and 135,800 yuan, so the pre-sale price of the 2025 model has been lowered, and there may be further price reductions when the vehicle is officially launched.
In terms of pricing, the core competitors for the 2025 Ora Good Cat are the BYD Dolphin, which sold 45,016 units from January to May, and the Aion UT, currently priced from 69,800 yuan. Both vehicles have similar sizes, positioning, and range to the Ora Good Cat. Compared to the past, there are now more competitors in the small electric car segment, and winning over consumers will require more strategies.
At present, both Ora’s market reputation and sales are not optimistic. How to turn the situation around in a short period remains a difficult challenge. Furthermore, the new energy vehicle market is fiercely competitive, with brands like BYD and Tesla continuing to intensify their efforts. For Ora to break through, the difficulty is clear.
