Today a GAC Aion official commented that the company’s factory in Thailand will be completed in mid-July and at the same time the second generation Aion V would be launched globally. It is not currently clear if there is a connection between these reports.
Previous reports indicated the Aion Y Plus would be the first model produced at the Thai plant, located in Rayong Province in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). GAC announced plans for the factory in November last year and broke ground on January 26, this year. Due for completion later this month is the first of two phases of the factory. Total investment in the plant is 2.3 billion Thai Baht (64.8 million USD), with a 50,000 car output. It will be GAC’s first plant outside China and will produce right-hand drive models. Judging from the investment and renderings of the site, the factory is unlikely to do much more than assemble CKDs.
The new factory is part of plans for Aion which call for both production and sales of 1 million cars in 2025. At the 40th Thailand International Motor Expo last November, Aion showcased five vehicle models and EV technologies. The brand has also reportedly entered into distribution agreements with a number of Thai dealer groups and identified 34 possible sales centers. The Aion brand has been busy entering various Southeast Asian markets and is also building a factory in Indonesia.
Said to be launching on July 23 the second generation Aion V is the first GAC Aion car to be purposely designed as a global model This means that even if it is not the launch model for the Thai and Indonesian factories it will likely be produced at them later on.
Chinese prices are reported to start around 149,800 yuan (20,600 USD) and it measures in at 4605, 1854 and 1660 mm (l/w/h), with a 2775 mm wheelbase. Buyers can choose from either a 150 or a 165 kW electric motor. Although there is no news on battery capacity it’s known that range is up to 750 km. The platform is 400V but it applies silicon carbide for the first time. Using a lithium iron phosphate battery it has 3C fast charging. Thanks to the new technology it has shortened charging times by 60% meaning it can take on the equivalent of 370 km range in 15 minutes. The Aion V rides on the new self-developed AEP pure electric digital platform.
External power discharge is up to 7 kW. The center console storage compartment has 6.6 liters of space and can provide heating, cooling and freezing modes with temperatures reaching from -15°C for freezing up to 50°C for heating. GAC claims energy consumption for this is 0.5 kWh per day, The seats can fold down to make a bed and there is a 2.14 m² panoramic sunroof.
High-spec versions will come with a high degree of driving assistance through an Nvidia Orin X chip making sense of inputs from a high-thread Lidar unit, 5 millimeter wavelength radars, and 11 cameras. It will provide driving assistance (NDA) in urban areas as well as on highways without the need for high-precision mapping.
