(Yicai Global) Aug. 4 -- Chinese new energy vehicle startup Hozon Auto has dismissed its marketing chief and other members of the same department for discussing having actor-singer Kris Wu, who has been detained by police in Beijing on suspicion of rape, to represent the brand.

The remarks of individual staff seriously challenge social values, have a very bad influence, and violate the principles and missions of the company, the Shanghai-based carmaker said in a statement posted on social media Weibo yesterday.

Marketing head Peng Gang had proposed that Wu become the automaker’s brand ambassador. “Hozon can give everyone a second change,” Peng said in the department’s WeChat group, which was subsequently posted on Weibo yesterday. He even said that if the move upset the public, they could simply apologize and blame it on junior employees.

More than 10 brands and partners that had penned endorsement deals with Wu, including Tencent Video, have terminated the contracts.

Hozon Auto has fired Peng and the team members who participated in the discussions to make them pay for what they said, Chief Executive Officer Zhang Yong said in a post on WeChat Moments, following the company’s official statement.

Qihoo 360, the automaker’s leading backer, also made an announcement condemning the incident and demanding the dismissal of the staff involved.

Hozon Auto raised about CNY3 billion (USD464.2 million) in its Series D financing round in April, led by Qihoo 360. A month later, it set up Nezha New Energy Vehicle Manufacturing, a wholly-owned unit based in Zhejiang province. The carmaker launched its first EV model, the Neta N01, in 2018.

Editors: Xu Wei, Futura Costaglione