Blue Whale Motor, January 20, Gaohe Automobile issued a statement saying that Renault's newly applied figurative trademark is similar to Gaohe's trademark, issued a lawyer's letter to Renault, and applied for a temporary injunction from the German court.
It is reported that The parent company of Gaohe Automobile, Huaren Express Holdings (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., has registered and protected pictorial trademarks in major global markets (including the European Union) since August 2018, incorporating the HiPhi icon into the design of many automotive products and applying for global patent layout protection; Gaohe Automobile has obtained authorization from Huaren Express to use these trademarks.
Renault applied for two figurative trademarks in the European Union and China, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Brazil, Russia and other countries since January 2021, and applied for a vehicle appearance patent containing the Renault icon in China in June 2021, and had used the Renault icon on its official website, auto show and other occasions.
Gaohe Automobile believes that the Similarity between the Renault icon and the HiPhi icon (especially in the case of rotating parts and different angles of observation) has brought certain uncertainties to the brand development of Gaohe Automobile and the ongoing Business Expansion Plan in Europe.
In October 2021, after sending a lawyer's letter to the author of a no-show, Huaren Express applied for a provisional injunction from a German court; Renault German was required to suspend the use of the Renault icon in Germany. The parties are currently in the midst of routine court hearings, trademark oppositions and cancellation proceedings. When the conditions are ripe, Huaren Express and Gaohe Automobile will disclose the results of relevant legal procedures to Volkswagen.
According to the sales volume previously released by Gaohe Automobile, the cumulative sales volume of Gaohe Automobile in 2021 reached 4,237 units, and the cumulative sales volume of Gaohe Automobile reached 3,724 units from July to December. Among them, in December 2021, Gaohe Automobile sold a total of 919 new cars, an increase of 20.4% month-on-month.
According to the data of China Automobile Center, in the sales list of more than 500,000 luxury brand electric vehicles, Gaohe HiPhi X reached the top and won the championship. In other words, Gaohe Automobile has gained a firm foothold in the high-end new energy market.