This new HiPhi A hypercar is a carbon fiber-clad collaborative EV teasing an awesome future
Luxury EV marque HiPhi introduced its latest model from its native Shanghai this morning and it’s a marvel in futuristic design language. Described by HiPhi’s founder as a “work of art for the new era,” the HiPhi A is the young automaker’s first collaborative model, built with the help of WESAIL New Energy Automotive. This new EV is packed with tech inside and out, so be sure to read on.
HiPhi is the future-focused EV marque that exists under Human Horizons Technology – a Chinese start-up based in Shanghai that develops autonomous driving and EV technologies. After being founded in 2017, Human Horizons launched the HiPhi EV brand a year later alongside designs for three initial vehicle concepts.
One of those concepts became known as the HiPhi 1 SUV, which evolved into the company’s flagship production model, the HiPhi X “Super SUV.” The X was soon joined by a “Digital GT” called the HiPhi Z in 2022, equipped with a robotic touchscreen and automatic suicide doors.
This past spring, HiPhi began the process of TÜV SÜD testing to allow for sales Europe. By June, HiPhi was sharing EU pricing as certification was in place and even shared plans to add its Y SUV to the lineup overseas, following its debut at the Shanghai Auto Show.
With three bespoke models available, or on their way to China and Europe, the automaker has announced a fourth EV called the HiPhi A – its first model designed as a collaboration with other Chinese entities. Check it out.
HiPhi A teased ahead of debut, limited series run
The luxury EV automaker shared the images above following a global livestream event held from its headquarters in Shanghai earlier today. Also present was WESAIL New Energy Automotive – HiPhi’s partner in the A’s design, providing its proprietary Apollo hypercar elements.
HiPhi supplied its own battery and motor technology to the A hypercar, whose design also kicked off a long-term strategic partnership with ShanghaiTech University – also announced today. Together, the partners will work to complete the process of closed-loop EV development.
The EV’s exterior features a carbon fiber and matte paint finish, while below the vehicle is an industry first carbon fiber, bullet-proof bottom shield and a fireproof sprayed carbon fiber top cover. The interior and exterior features aircraft grade TC4 titanium alloy, as well as high-performance aluminum alloys and nano-ceramics.
Overall, the automaker is describing the collaborative HiPhi A as the ultimate 4-door, 4-seater and a “digital EV hypercar for the next generation.” Per company founder, chairman, and CEO, David Ding:
Current trends will always continue to evolve and change with the advancement of technology and the passage of time, while classic and refined luxury has an enduring appeal. From the internal combustion engine era to the new era of intelligent electric mobility, the top hypercars should represent the pinnacle of innovative technology while still paying tribute to the classics, showcasing the transformative nature as a way to look toward the future. The combination of HiPhi’s luxury product concept, first-class development and industrial capabilities with WESAIL New Energy Automotive’s Apollo supercar elements, combined with the technical expertise and innovation from ShanghaiTech University, makes HiPhi A what it is – a true work of art for this new era.
On the performance side, HiPhi says the 4-door A will be its first model to feature its new powertrain developed in-house, equipped with motors that utilize ultra-high-speed carbon-fiber rotors, sitting atop an 800V platform. The automaker says the EV can accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in just over 2 seconds and it is targeting a top speed of nearly 300 km/h (186 mph). Lastly, HiPhi says the battery pack in its platform will be able to discharge 1.5MW of power at its peak.
We will learn more about the HiPhi A when it makes its official debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show later this week. For now however, we do know the company’s latest hypercar is scheduled to begin production and initial deliveries in the first quarter of 2025. Its creators say the A will be produced in a limited series run, but to what scope remains to be known. We will report back once we learn more following the auto show event.
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EV charging veteran ChargePoint has unveiled its new charger product architecture, which is described as a “generational leap in AC Level 2 charging.” The new ChargePoint technology designed for consumers in North America and Europe will enable vehicle-to-everything (V2X) capabilities and the ability to charge your EV in as quickly as four hours.
ChargePoint is not only a seasoned contributor to EV infrastructure but has established itself as an innovative leader in the growing segment. In recent years, it has expanded and implemented new technologies to help simplify the overall process for its customers. In 2024, the network reached one million global charging ports and has added exciting features to support those stations.
Last summer, the network introduced a new “Omni Port,” combining multiple charging plugs into one port. It ensures EV drivers of nearly any make and model can charge at any ChargePoint space. The company also began implementing AI to bolster dependability within its charging network by identifying issues more quickly, improving uptime, and thus delivering better charging network reliability.
As we’ve pointed out, ChargePoint continues to utilize its resources to develop and implement innovative solutions to genuine problems many EV drivers face regularly, such as vandalism and theft. We’ve also seen ChargePoint implement new charger technology to make the process more affordable for fleets.
Today, ChargePoint has introduced a new charger architecture that promises to bring advanced features and higher charging rates to all its customers across residential, commercial, and fleet applications.
ChargePoint unveils maximum speed V2X charger tech
This morning, ChargePoint unveiled its next generation of EV charger architecture, complete with bidirectional capabilities and speeds up to double those of most current AC Level 2 chargers.
As mentioned above, this new architecture will serve as the backbone of new ChargePoint chargers across all segments, including residential, commercial, and fleet customers. Hossein Kazemi, chief technical officer of hardware at ChargePoint, elaborated:
ChargePoint’s next generation of EV chargers will be revolutionary, not evolutionary. The architecture underpinning them enables highly anticipated technologies which will deliver a significantly better experience for station owners and the EV drivers who charge with them.
The new ChargePoint chargers will feature V2X capabilities, enabling residential and commercial customers to use EVs to power homes and buildings with the opportunity to send excess energy back to the local grid. Dynamic load balancing can automatically boost charging speeds when power is not required at other parts of the connected building structure, enabling efficiency and faster recharge rates.
ChargePoint shared that its new charger architecture can achieve the fastest possible speed for AC current (80 amps/19.2 kW), charging the average EV from 0 to 100% in just four hours. That’s nearly double the current AC Level 2 standard (no pun intended).
Other features include smart home capabilities where residential or commercial owners can implement the charger within a more extensive energy storage system, including solar panels, power banks, and smart energy management systems. The new architecture also enables series-wiring capabilities, meaning fleet depots, multi-unit dwellings, or even residential homes with multiple EVs can maximize charging rates without upgrading their wiring configuration or energy service plan.
These new chargers will also feature ChargePoint’s Omni Port technology, enabling a wider range of compatibility across all EV makes and models. According to ChargePoint, this new architecture complies with MID and Eichrecht regulations in Europe and ENERGY STAR in the US.
The first charger models on the platform are expected to hit Europe this summer followed by North
America by the end of 2025.
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Environment
Tanking oil prices could more than double Saudi Arabia’s deficit to $75 billion and threaten spending plans: Goldman Sachs economist
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Johnnygreig | E+ | Getty Images
Crashing oil prices triggered by waning demand, global trade war fears and growing crude supply could more than double Saudi Arabia’s budget deficit, a Goldman Sachs economist warned.
The bank’s outlook spotlighted the pressure on the kingdom to make changes to its mammoth spending plans and fiscal measures.
“The deficits on the fiscal side that we’re likely to see in the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries, especially big countries like Saudi Arabia, are going to be pretty significant,” Farouk Soussa, Middle East and North Africa economist at Goldman Sachs, told CNBC’s Access Middle East on Wednesday.
Spending by the kingdom has ballooned due to Vision 2030, a sweeping campaign to transform the Saudi economy and diversify its revenue streams away from hydrocarbons. A centerpiece of the project is Neom, an as-yet sparsely populated mega-region in the desert roughly the size of Massachusetts.
Plans for Neom include hyper-futuristic developments that altogether have been estimated to cost as much as $1.5 trillion. The kingdom is also hosting the 2034 World Cup and the 2030 World Expo, both infamously costly endeavors.
Digital render of NEOM’s The Line project in Saudi Arabia
The Line, NEOM
Saudi Arabia needs oil at more than $90 a barrel to balance its budget, the International Monetary Fund estimates. Goldman Sachs this week lowered its year-end 2025 oil price forecast to $62 a barrel for Brent crude, down from a previous forecast of $69 — a figure that the bank’s economists say could more than double Saudi Arabia’s 2024 budget deficit of $30.8 billion.
“In Saudi Arabia, we estimate that we’re probably going to see the deficit go up from around $30 to $35 billion to around $70 to $75 billion, if oil prices stayed around $62 this year,” Soussa said.
“That means more borrowing, probably means more cutbacks on expenditure, it probably means more selling of assets, all of the above, and this is going to have an impact both on domestic financial conditions and potentially even international.”
Financing that level of deficit in international markets “is going to be challenging” given the shakiness of international markets right now, he added, and likely means Riyadh will need to look at other options to bridge their funding gap.
The kingdom still has significant headroom to borrow; their debt-to-GDP ratio as of December 2024 is just under 30%. In comparison, the U.S. and France’s debt-to-GDP ratios of 124% and 110.6%, respectively. But $75 billion in debt issuance would be difficult for the market to absorb, Soussa noted.
“That debt to GDP ratio, while comforting, doesn’t mean that the Saudis can issue as much debt as they like … they do have to look at other remedies,” he said, adding that those remedies include cutting back on capital expenditure, raising taxes, or selling more of their domestic assets — like state-owned companies Saudi Aramco and Sabic. Several Neom projects may end up on the chopping block, regional economists predict.
Saudi Arabia has an A/A-1 credit rating with a positive outlook from S&P Global Ratings and an A+ rating with a stable outlook from Fitch. That combined with high foreign currency reserves — $410.2 billion as of January, according to CEIC data — puts the kingdom in a comfortable place to manage a deficit.
The kingdom has also rolled out a series of reforms to boost and de-risk foreign investment and diversify revenue streams, which S&P Global said in September “will continue to improve Saudi Arabia’s economic resilience and wealth.”
“So the Saudis have lots of options, the mix of all of these is very difficult to pre-judge, but certainly we’re not looking at some sort of crisis,” Soussa said. “It’s just a question of which options they go for in order to deal with the challenges that they’re facing.”
Global benchmark Brent crude was trading at $63.58 per barrel on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in London, down roughly 14% year-to-date.
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