Founded in 2000,[1] it is, as of May 2011, owned by Zhang Xiugen, a Chinese entrepreneur.[3] Initially producing an SUV,[8] a 2002[1] cooperation with Hyundai allowed it to manufacture Hyundai-branded SUVs starting in 2003,[8] which it also started selling under its own name in 2004.[10] Only the engines may have differentiated these Hawtai-branded offerings.[citation needed] The company added sedans to its product line in 2010,[11] and these are probably the first vehicles it both designed and manufactured.[citation needed]