Geely Galaxy Starship concept unveiled at 2024 Beijing Auto Show

Geely Galaxy Starship concept unveiled at 2024 Beijing Auto Show

Geely previewed its new PHEV flagship SUV at the Beijing Auto Show. The concept called Galaxy Starship gives an idea of what the new model will look like when it goes on sale next year.

By the time the Galaxy Starship goes on sale it is likely to be called the Geely Galaxy L9. When the Galaxy brand was unveiled last year it was stated that there would be four PHEV models over the following two years consisting of the L5, L6, L7 and L9.

A large SUV at over 5 meters long the concept is very distinctive thanks to HiPhi like doors which combine elements of both suicide and gull wing – the lower parts open like suicide doors while the glazed areas open upwards like gull wing. This feature will almost certainly not be making it to production. However, other design features may well be seen on the L9.

The front face of the Galaxy Starship is enclosed and has a dot matrix design similar to that seen on the Galaxy E8. On the side the lines on the body are straight very much in the style of some of the Chinese EV startups. There are concealed door handles but also very noticeably triangular wheels. These are meant to be low drag but it seems a pinch to believe that they would actually make it to production. At the back the car has twin shark fins on the roof along with a through light bar. Interestingly this is dual layer with the top U shaped element broken by the Geely logo while the lower element serves to underline the logo.

Inside the cabin things get rather sci-fi with things like a seat that not only can recline flat but also drive out of the car as final mile transportation! There’s also an AI ecosystem with things like holographic projection and custom image. Some of the more realizable elements such as picture and video interaction are likely in an OTA on the Galaxy E8 later this year. Powering the cockpit is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip driving the Geely self-developed operating system. There should be integration for things such as AI phones, drones and smart glasses.

Also debuted by the concept are a number of technological elements that should start making their way to production Galaxy cars soon. Firstly the Galaxy Starship rides on the new GEA (Geely Electric Architecture) platform which is derived from Geely’s SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture) platform which has been used to underpin a variety of Geely group products since 2021. GEA is able to be used for pure electric, range extended, and plug-in powertrains.

The Starship concept is a PHEV using Geely’s next generation Thor (NordThor) system. This uses an engine with the world’s highest thermal efficiency of 46% and is claimed can deliver a combined range of over 2000 km CLTC with fuel consumption under 3.0 l/100 km.

Geely’s GEA platform unlocks an AI digital ecosystem for new energy vehicles and is an AI digital chassis. Self-developed by Geely it integrates technologies such as steer-by-wire, intelligent driving, and individual wheel drive. Response time is 4 ms meaning vehicles can undertake automatic control and risk avoidance under extreme conditions. Apparently it can also achieve driverless drifting as demonstrated by a Geely E8 prototype!

Also new on the Galaxy Starship was an 11-in-1 intelligent electric drive system. Geely say it’s the lightest, smallest and most efficient intelligent electric drive in the industry. Not only does this make the electric drive smaller and lighter but it improves energy efficiency and power performance translating into a car that can go further and faster. Motor efficiency is claimed to be 90.04% under CLTC conditions and it weighs 79.8 kg. Equally operating at 78 dB it is relatively quiet.

Geely additionally claim to have mastered silicon carbide hybrid drive integration technology meaning that the amount of silicon carbide needed is reduced by 75% for the 800V architecture platform.   

Sources: Geely, Fast Technology