The Wink Y01 international edition in an official image released by Zotye on September 9, 2026. The export-focused EV has entered batch trial production. Credit: Zotye.
- Zotye said its export-focused Wink Y01 international edition has entered batch trial production, marking a step toward restarting vehicle production.
- The company’s shares edged lower on Thursday after hitting the daily limit for 2 consecutive trading sessions.
Long-dormant Chinese automaker Zotye Auto (SZSE: 000980) is seeking a comeback with a small electric vehicle aimed at overseas markets, as progress toward restarting production draws renewed investor attention to the company following its bankruptcy restructuring.
Zotye announced on Wednesday that the Wink Y01 international edition had officially entered batch trial production, marking a step toward resuming vehicle manufacturing. However, the company remains under financial pressure, and the new model has yet to generate sales.
Zotye’s Shenzhen-listed shares rose by the daily limit of 10% on both September 8 and September 9. The stock was down 1.98% on Thursday at the time of writing.
The rally came amid a series of updates on the company’s production restart. Zotye previously announced that tooling for the new model had been delivered, while the paint line at its production base in Yongkang, Zhejiang province, had moved from equipment commissioning to process testing.
Built on Zotye’s S platform for small battery electric vehicles, the Wink Y01 international edition is a key model in the company’s overseas expansion plans.
The vehicle measures 3,912 mm in length, 1,745 mm in width and 1,545 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,520 mm. It is designed for urban commuting and other uses, according to information Zotye released on Wednesday.
Zotye has yet to disclose pricing, driving range or detailed powertrain specifications. It has also provided no firm dates for mass production or deliveries.
In a filing on unusual share-price movements released on Wednesday, the company said the new model primarily targets overseas markets, where regulatory certification, sales network development and demand remain uncertain.
Mass production and the market roll-out will require continued investment. Uncertainty over whether funding will be secured could affect the timetable for overseas sales, Zotye said.
While batch trial production advances the restart plan, the company still has some way to go before the new vehicle can generate steady revenue.
Zotye’s financial performance in the first half also reflects that challenge. Revenue fell 32.08% year-on-year to 190 million yuan ($28 million), primarily from its auto parts and door businesses.
Net income attributable to shareholders totaled 80.39 million yuan, compared with a loss of 148 million yuan a year earlier.
However, excluding nonrecurring items, the company posted a loss of 152 million yuan, widening from 108 million yuan a year earlier.
Zotye previously said in an earnings forecast that the improvement in profit mainly reflected compensation related to closing inefficient or inactive subsidiaries, branches and production sites, as well as gains from litigation settlements.
The company is also using debt settlements to help restore production. An agreement reached in June covered about 170 million yuan in debt and allowed Zotye to recover a final assembly line and equipment previously dismantled under court enforcement.
For Zotye, trial production marks an interim step toward restarting its business. Securing funding for mass production, completing overseas certification and establishing sales channels will determine how far the comeback can go.
Rumors of Tesla acquiring other car companies’ production lines and building a second factory in China are popping up amid severe capacity constraints.
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