Chinese EV maker on the world's longest prototype drive
Wednesday, 4 September 2019
What's the best way to get your new electric SUV prototypes to the Frankfurt motor show? Well, if you are Chinese EV manufacturer Aiways, you drive them. From China, that is.
The Shanghai-based 'personal mobility provider' (as the company likes to call itself) recently set out on what it claims is the longest point-to-point drive of a prototype electric vehicle ever attempted with a pair of its U5 battery-electric SUVs.
The EVs departed from Xi'an in China on the 17th of July and are currently being driven 14,231 km to Frankfurt, Germany, where they will go on display at the motor show that starts on the 12th of September.
The epic drive is not actually to save on transport costs or even just a publicity stunt (although it is that as well) - the U5 is nearing the end of its pre-production development and Aiways is using the trek as a final validation drive.
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The company says the drive will give its engineers the chance to subject the car to a demanding, long-distance examination and that testing two vehicles on some of the world's 'most demanding urban and rural roads' over a combined distance of more than 28,000 kilometres will help it evaluate quality and reliability, and determine optimal chassis settings.
The data captured from the drive will also allow engineers to validate energy consumption in varying conditions, charging and fast-charging capabilities, and the vehicle's low state-of-charge performance.
'This unprecedented drive presents a unique chance to validate and fine-tune key aspects of the U5, from powertrain characteristics to the durability of thousands of components,' said Alexander Klose, Executive VP Overseas Operation at Aiways.
'By traversing thousands of kilometres in some truly challenging conditions we will demonstrate how simple and easy EV ownership can be for today's car buyers.'
The ambitious EV engineering drive involves the two U5 prototype vehicles and a team of engineers, travelling first through the Gobi Desert of northern China. Then, following routes used for centuries by Silk Road traders, the convoy arrived in Kazakhstan at the end of July.
The convoy then entered Russia, passing through Moscow and St Petersburg before entering Europe through Finland. The northernmost leg of the drive takes the prototypes above the Gulf of Bothnia, with scheduled stops in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, before entering Germany.
Once in western Europe, the cars will also visit Amsterdam, Paris and Zurich, before a final drive over the Alps and back into Germany. The journey will end in front of the Frankfurt exhibition halls during the first week of September, shortly before the IAA (Frankfurt International Motor Show) opens its doors to the public.
'To date, the development process has enabled us to create a user-friendly SUV with great depth of ability, and this long-distance engineering drive on some very challenging road conditions will ensure the car offers the real-world electric performance, reliability and range demanded by Chinese and European consumers,' said Aiways Chief Technical Officer Winter Wang.
Aiways is using the current season of European motor shows to pave the way for the U5's launch into Europe by April 2020.
The U5 is based on Aiways' aluminium-steel 'More Adaptable Structure' (MAS) platform, and will lead the company's product offensive, which will add a new model each year after the U5's debut.
Aiways says its fully-electric 'E-Drive' powertrain is the most compact electric powertrain of any zero-emission vehicle and the U5 will boast a range of up to 460km on a charge.