(Yicai) Jan. 11 -- Smart Automobile, the electric vehicle joint venture between German auto giant Mercedes-Benz and Chinese carmaker Geely Holding Group, has brought back its China marketing head to strengthen the management ability of its marketing team in the country.

Yi Han has been serving as deputy chief marketing officer of Smart Auto and chief executive officer of China Marketing, the firm responsible for the JV’s marketing, sales, and service businesses in the Chinese mainland, since Jan. 9, Yicai learned from Smart.

Yi worked at Geely for more than 10 years, being responsible for sales and marketing at the firm’s brands Geely, Volvo, Lynk & Co, and Radar Automobile. In 2019, when Geely and Mercedes-Benz founded Smart Auto, he was named the JV’s sales head in the Chinese market. Last year, he left to join the Chinese new energy vehicle maker Xpeng Motors as vice president, taking charge of public relations and marketing.

Yi's comeback will strengthen the core management capabilities of Smart Auto’s marketing team in China, said Tong Xiangbei, chief executive officer of Smart Auto.

This year, Smart Auto will launch a third auto model that will target a new market segment, so while exploring new overseas markets, the firm needs to strengthen its management ability of the Chinese marketing team, the head of Smart Auto’s relevant department told Yicai.

Smart Auto’s sales have declined for a while, given the fierce competition in China’s new energy vehicle industry. It sold around 2,000 Smart #1 and less than 1,000 Smart #3 per month in the second half of last year. In 2023, Smart Auto’s total deliveries, including exports, were close to 70,000 units.

Editor: Futura Costaglione