AIWAYS
Chinese brand wants to revolutionize electrified car market in Europe
On 29 November, sales of the Aiways U5, a battery-powered SUV, which, if already featured in the Guinness Book of Records, are set to begin in China as the first 100% electric vehicle of a brand. to be traded on European soil. This is because Aiways, a Shanghai-based under-three startup, has obtained from TÜV Rheinland the certification needed for U5 to be sold in any European Union market.
The model, which comes to rival proposals such as the Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Kauai Electric, outperformed the so-called European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA), meaning that the competent authorities consider that the Chinese electric SUV meets the due standards. safety and environmental requirements which enable it to be offered to European consumers.
“This was not the initial plan,” confessed Aiways vice president of Overseas Operations and Product Strategy. "But we couldn't ignore the huge opportunity in this market that is clamoring for an affordable electric SUV, free from the constraints of European manufacturers," Alex Klose told Auto Futures.
The reason was not simply the desire to respond to European demand for cheaper battery models. With sales in China falling, after government incentives to buy electric vehicles were reduced this year, the brand quickly came up with a new strategy and pointed to Europe to seek to offset the drop in domestic sales. But he decided to do so without cutting short (literally): In a mix of marketing and testing, two U5 prototypes linked Shanghai to Frankfurt. The journey was aimed at securing a triumphal entry into the Germanic hall, where most of the traditional builders were not present, but would eventually pay off more than that.
The trip began in Xi'an on July 17 and ended on September 7 in Frankfurt. It took 53 days on the road and 12 countries crossed (China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Germany) to prove the validity of Chinese electrical technology. And that says a new entry in the Guinness Book of Records, which attests to the fact that the prototypes made the longest “electric” trip ever. There were 15,022 km, including areas where the loading infrastructure is not plentiful - just think of the Gobi Desert, the Kazakh steppe or the Ural Mountains… Still, nothing stopped the Chinese. To the point that the advertised Mini Cooper SE trip from Munich to Frankfurt, also to the German hall, seems to be a 'boy's play' compared to this epic Aiways crusade.
After all, what is this SUV and how much will it cost?
Given the current supply of electric vehicles, the U5 is closest rivals to South Koreans Hyundai Kauai Electric and Kia e-Niro. Since April, it aims to compete in one of the most desirable segments of the market (C-SUV) and intends to do so through low prices, but offering a good value for money ratio. First of all, because it is slightly larger than the competition: its 4680 mm in length exceeds e-Niro's 4375 mm and leaves behind Kauai Electric's 4180 mm. To get an idea, the Chinese electric SUV can be larger than an Audi Q5 (4663 mm in length), which makes it closer to a midsize model than a compact one. It is 1880 mm wide and 1680 mm high.
To space is inevitably added one of the most valued arguments in the act of purchase: the price. Bloomberg says the base value will start at € 25,000, which means that the Chinese SUV is not only a serious threat to electric competitors, but even competing with conventional rivals, gasoline and diesel.According to Automotive News, the U5 announces a range of 460 km, which can be stretched to560 km if the customer chooses to rent additional modules. The publication does not specify under which measurement protocol these values were determined, but on the company's website the reported value is 503 km and it is clearly assumed that the number was still obtained in the light of an approval in the unusual NEDC cycle. which would mean a real range under 400 km. Still, would we be talking about reasonable autonomy? Undoubtedly: to be competitive, it will be enough for the U5 to approve in WLTP a range over 320 km. Just see that the new Zoe, coming these days to Portuguese dealers, is proposed for € 31,990 and announces a range of approximately 313 km when equipped with the 110 hp engine and the battery limited to 41 kWh. And we are not even comparing the same type of tram, separated by body, size, but also because the U5 uses a 65kWh battery, with a density of 181 Wh / kg, capable of going from 30 to 80% in just 27 minutes or 0 to 80% in 44 minutes using a 50 kW DC quick charger.
On the global website, the brand reveals that the permanent magnet electric motor delivers a maximum power of 125 kW (170 hp) to the front wheels, but Autocar, which had first contact with the Chinese SUV in Germany, says 190 cv. Interestingly, the torque coincides: 315 Nm.
Given the data that is now known, how does U5 then stand up to its closest opponents? On a purely price versus autonomy basis, the Chinese model and the € 25,000 it will require in the first place promise to stand out. The purely electric variant of the Niro is 289 km long with the smallest battery (39.2 kWh), but this is no comparison. It will be necessary to consider the larger accumulator (64 kWh), which certifies 455 km in WLTP. In Portugal, the importer of Kia foresees for this version of 204 hp a price of 49,500 €. In Hyundai's case, the Kauai Electric's maximum range is 449 km, also in WLTP, but requires a disbursement of € 44,500. In either case, you could almost buy two U5…
As for benefits, the brand is not aiming to get any record in Nürburgring. The 0 to 100 km / h is reached after 9.0 seconds (Kia 7.8 seconds; Hyundai 7.6 seconds) and the top speed will be limited to 100 km / h for greater autonomy. Is this not a problem for Europeans? Alex Klose argues that time trials are a thing of the past and that mentalities are changing:
The automotive industry has always been driven by top speed. I think we are reaching a point where this is no longer relevant. If we wanted U5 to stand out for its performance, we would have designed it for that purpose. But that's not the notion we have for an electric vehicle. ”
Can you trust this “Made in China”?
Yes, it does. Failure to do so would immediately question the competence of the entities that validated the commercialization of U5 in Europe. Then, unlike other startups with a very fleeting lifespan, Aiways seems to be about not to disappear but to appear - in the sense of catching up. This is because the company has already invested more than 1.2 million euros in a factory in southeast China in Shangrao, Jiangxi province.
Another of the points that Aiways may be worthy of is that it plans to design a comprehensive product portfolio, exclusively on battery power. The manufacturer's range is expected to be made up of smaller SUVs, a five-door coupe and even a super sports car. The latter's prototype, called Nathalie, was introduced in 2018 and aims at low volume production. According to the brand, the construction uses a tubular steel chassis and the interior has a protective cage to increase rigidity and make it safer at high speed on track. The acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h will be completed in 2.5 seconds.
But, perhaps more important than all these arguments, are the people and companies involved in this admittedly global project. Aiways was founded in 2016 by former CFO of Chinese giant SAIC, Gu Feng. Its product manager has a well-known name among traditional carmakers, Roland Gumpert, who was at the head of Audi Sport, the four-ring sports division. Gumpert, meanwhile, formed Apollo Automobile precisely to continue his passion for sports. That is why the Chinese manufacturer is keen to remember all the time that he has in the company prominent places old paintings with a strong connection to Germany. Not only from Audi, but also from Volkswagen. To get an idea of the melting pot of nationalities, even former General Motors designer in Europe Ken Okuyama is now campaigning for Aiways.
So in statements quoted by Bloomberg, one of the Asian builder's co-founders points out: “Even though most of our engineers are Chinese, we can say that we are a German technology-based company.” Fu Qiang's statement will not go far indeed, starting with the fact that Aiways uses a steel and aluminum chassis developed by Bosch. However, the German company is not the only big name with links to Aiways, as also the American Lear, one of the largest suppliers in the automotive industry, with over 160,000 employees worldwide, is involved in U5.
At home, the Chinese SUV will sell for between 200,000 and 300,000 yuan, about 25,880 euros and 38,800 euros. In Europe, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands are Aiways' priority targets, although top management has already advanced that Aiways intends to cover much of the European market. To do so, local partnerships, pop-up stores and, of course, an online sales scheme will be established. This means that the brand prefers to provide roadside assistance or on-site maintenance agreed with the customer rather than relying on its own workshops and dealers. A bit like Tesla does, so far it has not prevented a rise in sales of the US brand…
“We are the first. We will not be the only ones ”
In Shanghai, Aiways co-founder Fu Qiang has admitted that he sees advantages in being the first Chinese electric vehicle brand authorized to sell in Europe. However, he himself stressed that this competitive advantage will be short-lived as there are other Chinese brands preparing to make their entry into the Old Continent.
While estimates for adherence to electric mobility are not keeping up with the most optimistic forecasts, most analysts agree on one point: the future of electromobility will be determined in China, with a growing number and manufacturers based there targeting the US markets. and European. It turns out that on this side of the Atlantic, Chinese cars have so far been a laughing stock. Whether due to the critical quality of materials and finishes, aesthetics not in line with European standards, or the dramatic safety test results. All of this contributed to a bad image of Chinese cars.
One thing is certain: In the past, when a Chinese brand introduced a new car, the conventional industry didn't even bother to realize if this news could be a threat. With the boom of electric vehicles this is no longer so. When manufacturers like Wey, Hongqi or Byton go to specialty salons, conventional brands (and the press itself) are already pausing to see what might come. Geely is in the pipeline, so is Byton. They will certainly not be the only ones and this can be an advantage for the buyer, because either the price of trams offered by traditional brands goes down, or the quality of Chinese cars has to rise to convince European customers.
Autonews/Mundoquatrorodas
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