Chinese manufacturer Aways will sell its electric SUV in Europe
An SUV the size of a Volkswagen Tiguan with an electric motor and a long range should arrive on the European market this summer: the Aiways U5.
The Chinese manufacturer will open orders for its SUV, exclusively online, from the end of April and the first deliveries should a priori begin in August in Europe. 50,000 copies are planned for 2020, an estimate to be taken with a grain of salt, given the evolution of the coronavirus crisis.
Aiways U5: the Chinese SUV that targets the heart of the family market
With its new U5, Aiways intends to offer the ideal vehicle for families, at the best price. The size of a Volkswagen Tiguan and powered by an electric motor, it responds to a market segment where demand is strong while filling the void left by the competition in terms of electric vehicles.
The U5 will only be available for rental in Europe for less than €400 per month, equivalent to the cost of a model sold at around €35,000. For a price usually corresponding to mid-range vehicles, the U5 Airways should offer equipment premium coupled to the electric transmission.
Great autonomy, equipment premiumcontained price: the new U5 SUV shows its cards
Aiways announces a range of 500 km according to the NEDC cycle for the U5, enabled by a 65 kWh battery. Another, smaller, is in preparation to further reduce the price of the SUV for drivers who do not necessarily need such great autonomy on a daily basis.
Initially offered with an electric motor driving only the front wheels, the SUV could in the future become a 4×4 with all-wheel drive. Aiways will thus offer an SUV premium equipped with the latest technologies for half the price of an equivalent model from Audi or Mercedes. Chinese competition will be tough for German manufacturers.
Strategy and deployment of the Chinese group Aiways: the United Kingdom and the revival of Gumpert
The Chinese manufacturer is expected to offer the U5 in the UK in 2021 with right-hand drive. At the same time, the brand presented the U7, which shares the same architecture, at the Shanghai Motor Show in 2019. The latter should also offer electric all-wheel drive and different battery capacities.
Incidentally, the Aiways group is resuscitating the German brand Gumpert through an electric supercar also presented last year. Called “Nathalie”, it will be equipped with a fuel cell and four electric motors developing 544 horsepower. Technology transfers between Aiways and Gumpert will take place, but the two entities will remain independent.
Source: Coach
