Author: Zheng Senhong
E-AN has set a goal to be in the lead of platforms and architectures of the new energy vehicle era, exceeding Europe and America, with a valuation of over 100 billion Chinese yuan.
Since November, E-AN has successively released the pure electric platform AEP 3.0 and starry electronic and electrical architecture.
These two major new technologies will be first mounted on E-AN’s high-end car model – Hyper GT (with a price range of around 300 thousand) and is expected to debut this year.
AEP 3.0 is E-AN’s third-generation pure electric platform, and the key keyword is “pure electric handling performance“. The most intuitive change of Starry Architecture is to upgrade the intelligent driving safety as the core on EEA 3.0 basis.
It can be said that the new AEP 3.0 platform and Starry Architecture are the two trump cards that support E-AN’s high-end product series “Hyper”.
AEP3.0 Platform: Breaking 100 km/h in the Fastest 1.9 Seconds, Aimed at Tesla’s Positioning
As early as 2017, E-AN launched its first pure electric vehicle model – GE3 on GEP platform, which is centered on “battery”.
Starting from 2019, E-AN changed its all car models to the second-generation GEP platform which is centered on “battery + electric drive”.
Compared with the first generation GEP platform, the second generation GEP platform has undergone a comprehensive upgrade in the aspects of the body, chassis, battery, and electrical system, including the high integration of components, the reduction of the whole vehicle weight, the optimization of the whole vehicle layout, as well as the improvement of energy consumption efficiency and reliability.
For example, a very superior indicator of the second generation GEP platform is the “axle ratio” (the ratio between wheelbase and vehicle length).
Taking AION V with a wheelbase of 2830mm as an example, although it is positioned as a compact car, the interior cabin space is comparable to that of a medium-sized car, and AION V has an axle ratio of 61.7%, which is higher than that of Tesla Model 3’s 61.2%.
Now, E-AN has changed the name of the third-generation platform to AEP from GEP. In addition to continuing the technological advantages of the previous two generations, the upgrading core of AEP 3.0 is driving pleasure, and it claims that platform technology has “completely surpassed Tesla”.
On September 15th, Aiways launched the million-level supercar, Hyper SSR, at the brand’s renewal conference. One impressive parameter of the Hyper SSR is its acceleration time from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.9 seconds, making it the “fastest car on the planet,” according to Aiways.
The AEP 3.0 platform, with “performance” as its first gene, introduced the electric drive technology of the Hyper SSR supercar.
According to official information, the AEP 3.0 platform can ideally reach a top speed of 300 km/h, and the four-wheel-drive and multi-motor version can achieve a 1.9-second acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h. Even the single-motor rear-wheel drive can compress its 0-100 km/h acceleration to as fast as 4.9 seconds. By comparison, the Model 3 rear-wheel-drive version accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds, and the four-wheel-drive version in 3.3 seconds.
To achieve this top speed, how difficult is it?
Limited by the heating problem of the motor itself, the output time of peak power for general passenger cars’ motor is locked within 10 seconds. After ten seconds, the motor’s output power begins to decline, especially when the vehicle’s speed exceeds 150 km/h, the vehicle’s power is no longer continuously outputting high power.
That’s why the acceleration time of NIO ET7 from 0 to 100 km/h is 3.8 seconds, but its maximum speed is only 200 km/h. By comparison, Audi S3, which is 100,000 yuan cheaper than the former, has a maximum speed of 250 km/h.
It can be said that the AEP 3.0 platform of Aiways has outperformed most electric vehicles with its record-setting speed of 300 km/h.
The support behind this comes from Aiways’ X-pin flat wire technology and an intelligent multi-mode shifting system, which keeps the motor in the most efficient operating range, while improving starting torque while reducing high-speed energy consumption.
To solve the issue of poor handling of electric cars, Ai An utilizes the AICS Intelligent Chassis System to adjust the output torque of the wheels, brake torque, and suspension stiffness based on a series of parameters such as throttle, wheel speed, steering angle, and lateral swing velocity, achieving multi-system dynamic matching control.
Moreover, the AEP 3.0 platform also borrows from the low center of gravity and lightweight body structure of supercars, achieving a higher handling limit in a rear-wheel-drive layout.
The data speaks for itself – the Ai An electric car with a 3-meter wheelbase:
- Improved steering precision and sensitivity by 30%
- Reduced tilting by 40% when turning, with a turning radius of only 5.3 meters
- Braking distance below 35 meters at 100 km/h
These data refer to the Model 3 with a 3-meter wheelbase and rear-wheel-drive layout.
Essentially, the significance of platformization lies in achieving scale as much as possible, allowing a platform to produce various car models, making cars a more profitable business.
It is reported that the AEP 3.0 platform can adapt to the development of different-sized sedans, SUVs, and MPVs, and has performed well in aspects such as body structure, lightweight design, energy consumption, and low-temperature endurance:
- Reduced overall energy consumption by 15%
- Increased low-temperature endurance by 10%
- Zero component commonality rate reaches 78%.
Looking at the trend of electric car development, developing exclusive pure electric platforms has gradually become mainstream, and the platforms put into production include Volkswagen MEB, Dongfeng ESSA, BYD e-Platform, and Geely SEA grand platform. These pure electric platforms have basically formed an electric car paradigm:
- To free up more cabin space, the entire car chassis will be rearranged, shortening the front and rear suspensions, and lengthening the wheelbase;
- To level the rear floor, the battery pack is arranged in the center of the vehicle’s underside, lowering the center of gravity and balancing the front and rear loads;
- To improve cornering and stability at high speeds, optimize lightweight design and safety improvements, etc.
From GEP 1.0 to AEP 3.0, EONWAY has gradually achieved improvements in handling, range, and comfort through the technological iteration of the three generations of electric vehicle platforms.
On the R&D level, the AEP 3.0 platform further increases the component-sharing rate, shortens the validation cycle of underlying functional modules, and lowers R&D costs, accelerating product development and updates.
As Manfred Schoch, Chairman of the Works Council of BMW Group, said, “If BMW does not want to be overtaken by Tesla and Chinese competitors, it needs a dedicated electric platform.” This also demonstrates that the role of a pure electric platform cannot be ignored in making vehicle products more competitive.
If platformization determines the physique of a car, then the electronic and electrical architecture determines the “soul” of a car. Smart cars cannot do without sensors, chips, or advanced electronic and electrical architecture support.
Without advanced electronic and electrical architecture support, no amount of intelligent functions can support continuous updates, reduce vehicle costs, and bring high efficiency in production and R&D. In short, the electronic and electrical architecture determines the upper limit of the intelligent function of smart cars.
At the 2021 Guangzhou Auto Show, EONWAY launched the third-generation electronic and electrical architecture – the StarLing Architecture (EEA3.0).
From the perspective of the underlying structure, the StarLing architecture is composed of three functional domain controllers and four area controllers for front, rear, left, and right, similar to the fourth-generation electronic and electrical architecture of Great Wall Motors.
Among them, the three domain controllers are the central processing unit, intelligent driving domain, and cabin domain:
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The Central Processing Unit (body control + new energy control): Equipped with the NXP S32G399 high-performance gateway computing chip.
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Intelligent Driving Domain: Equipped with the Huawei Ascend 610 high-performance chip, with a computing power of 400 TOPS, which can be expanded up to 2000 TOPS.
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Cabin Domain: Equipped with Qualcomm 8155/8295 chips, providing 105K DMIPS computing power.
Compared with the previous generation of electronic and electrical architecture used by GAC motor, Xingling architecture has increased its computing power by 50 times, its data transmission rate by 10 times, reduced its wiring harness loop by about 40%, reduced its controllers by about 20, and through the use of high-speed Ethernet for vehicles, have doubled the data transmission speed, achieving hardware plug-and-play and software being constantly updated.
In terms of intelligent driving, in addition to carrying high-definition cameras, millimeter-wave radar, and ultrasonic radar, Xingling architecture also uses infrared sensing technology, and 39 perception sensors including three second-generation variable focusing laser radar.
Zhang Xiong, Deputy General Manager of GAC E-Auto, stated that autonomous driving is still in its initial stage, and with regards to the controversy between the two schools of pure vision and multi-sensor fusion, E-Auto chose the “Vision+Radar+Infrared” multi-fusion perception solution:
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Infrared sensing can make up for the “Radar+camera”‘s recognition ability in extreme scenarios. Even in scenarios such as encountering oncoming cars at night that alternate between strong and weak light or glare, the image remains clear.
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Equipped with the second generation of intelligent variable focal laser radar from STJ Technology, the refresh rate can be intelligently adjusted to between 10-30Hz. The response speed is three times faster than the first generation, and the resolution can be intelligently adjusted between 0.2°-0.05°, making it capable of detecting objects from farther away and with greater clarity than the first generation.
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Innovative application of aerospace-grade star-based fusion positioning technology combined with high-precision maps and inertial navigation units, achieving full-range centimeter-level vehicle positioning.
Hardware cannot function without the cooperation of software capabilities. “Mere hardware stacking cannot truly achieve safe and intelligent driving, and software algorithm capability is the key to success,” said Jiang Jianshan, Chief Engineer of ICV at GAC E-Auto’s R&D Center.
It is known that E-Auto currently has more than 2000 software developers, and the R&D team accounts for more than 50%.
Early electronic electrical architecture was a means for automakers to reduce costs and increase efficiency, only responsible for delivering products to users.
Today, user-defined experience has become the mainstream R&D route, and users are starting to participate in product feature development, making the importance of architecture greatly enhanced at this point.
From this perspective, Hyper Series models, based on the Starling architecture, will include two meanings:
First, product features can be updated and iterated, and hardware support is essential at the same time;
Second, the update and iteration of these functions can be defined by users, making the product responsive to users’ needs quickly.
The Second Time High of Aiways
As of October this year, Aiways has broken the single-month sales volume of 30,000 vehicles for two consecutive times, with a cumulative delivery volume of 212,384 vehicles, achieving the annual sales target of 200,000 vehicles two months ahead of schedule.
If the sales volume is broken down by specific models, AION S and AION Y, which are under 200,000, account for more than 90% of the total sales volume. This data shows that “cost-effectiveness” is Aiways’ primary selling point.
According to Citic Securities data, in 2021, Aiways supplied about 60-70% of its models to B-side markets such as operation and leasing, and its main cooperative object was Guangzhou Automobile Group’s ride-hailing platform, Ruqi Travel.
As a travel platform company with a complete vehicle factory background, Ruqi Travel’s main procurement channel is electric vehicles under Guangzhou Automobile Group, and Guangzhou Aiways is the main product, with sales volumes increasing from 42,000 vehicles in 2019 to 120,000 vehicles in 2021.
However, the downside of relying on ride-hailing to increase sales volume is also apparent. It is easy to lower the overall brand positioning, and higher-priced models often have poor sales, ultimately obstructing profits.
Financial statements of Guangzhou Aiways showed that from 2019 to the first half of 2022, Aiways’ losses increased year by year, with a total net loss of more than 3.7 billion yuan and a total debt of up to 9.85 billion yuan.To a certain extent, the embarrassing fact that Aiways has weak profitability can’t be concealed despite its high sales output.
In order to break through the price range of over RMB 200,000, Aiways needs high-end models.
On September 15th, at the brand night, Aiways changed its logo and also released a new electric supercar priced at over one million yuan, as well as its Hyper series products. Descriptions such as “China’s first supercar” and “competitors are all over RMB 5,000,000” exposed Aiways’ anxiety to enhance its brand value.
Feng Xingya, the General Manager of GAC Group, said that the logo change is to adapt to the consumers’ demands for intelligent connected new energy vehicles with high-end features. We hope that with a brand new image, consumers will perceive Aiways as a more advanced and valuable brand.
With Hyper SSR and Hyper as benchmarks, this is the second time Aiways has raised its profile in five years.
At the beginning of the founding of the Aiways brand, in order to quickly boost sales, the prices of the initial Aiways models were set between RMB 150,000 and RMB 250,000.
AION S comes from the GEP 2.0 platform, and among the analyzed models, it has very clear product strength advantages in terms of appearance design, power and control, and space size, which is currently the best-selling model for Aiways.
After the success of AION S, in 2019, Aiways took the opportunity to launch AION LX, with a price for the first time exceeding RMB 300,000.
From a product layout perspective, GAC Aion currently has five models for sale: AION S, AION S Plus, AION Y, AION V Plus, and AION LX, with prices ranging from RMB 130,000 to RMB 470,000, covering a relatively complete range of vehicle types.
However, in 2021, Aion’s total sales were only 123,700, with AION S and AION V accounting for more than 82% of the total, while AION LX, priced at over RMB 300,000, sold only a little over 1,000 vehicles for the entire year.
It can be said that Aion’s first attempt to go high-end was not successful.
According to the data from the China Passenger Car Association, in 2021, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles priced below RMB 250,000 was below 10%, while the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in the price range of RMB 250,000 to RMB 400,000 was 30%, 18%, and 17%, respectively.
This also means that Aion will face more severe market competition in the higher price range. After all, in the price range of RMB 250,000 to RMB 500,000, this is the main battlefield for Tesla, NIO, XPeng, Li Auto, and Jidu Auto. Aion’s high-end strategy is under considerable pressure.
Now, taking advantage of the launch of the Hyper high-end product series, Aion has launched a second attempt to go high-end, trying to anchor the market above RMB 300,000 and form a certain price gap with existing Aion models.
Aion is not the first automaker to use supercars to enhance the brand’s image. This approach has also been adopted by Tesla, NIO and other car companies by positioning “million-dollar supercars” as the foundation of brand building, and then producing other key products in large quantities.
In addition to the million-dollar supercar, the Hyper series plans to launch three new models, a sports car GT, a large five-seater SUV, and an MPV, in 2023.
This means that Aion’s future high-end position will depend on the sales performance of these products.
If the Hyper series can achieve expectations, Aion will likely split the Hyper series into a high-end brand, just as BYD explores high-end market with a new sub-brand called “Tang.”# High-end and low-end are hard to balance in one bowl, and the best strategy is to operate separately.
For E-ON, Hyper is an inevitable choice after the brand has developed to a certain stage. However, whether it can achieve good results and win the market still requires time to give an answer.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.