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Just over a year after unveiling its ultra-fast Hyper SSR supercar, GAC Aion has officially launched their EV in China and begun first deliveries. Available in three different versions, this supercar boasts some seriously impressive specs, including a 900V platform and a blistering 0-100 km/h time.

Every time we at Electrek post something about GAC-Aion, it’s usually some form of industry leading technology. The brand exists as an all-electric marque of Guangzhou Automobile Corporation (GAC) Group and currently sells five electric vehicles, including the Aion LX Plus, which offers an impressive 626 miles of range (NEDC).

In addition to manufacturing EVs GAC Aion has also developed impressive charging technology in China. Last summer, the company unveiled a 480 kW DC fast charger, which can charge its Aion V SUV from 30–80% in under five minutes. The automotive technology has also joined Chinese competitors like NIO and CATL in entering the battery swap segment.

While a majority of Aion’s EV offerings have been SUVs to date, it shared plans for a supercar called the Hyper SSR in September of 2022 alongside the beginning of presales. Now, a year later, GAC Aion has delivered the all-electric supercar alongside some specs that are sure to turn some heads.

  • Hyper SSR
  • Hyper SSR
  • Hyper SSR

Hyper SSR to compete with Rimac Nevera, Tesla Roadster

That is, if Tesla ever successfully delivers its long-promised second-generation Roadster. The Rimac Nevera now has some serious competition as GAC Aion began deliveries of the Hyper SSR to customers in China today.

Although GAC Aion originally announced two versions of the Hyper SSR when it originally debuted, we’ve since learned that consumers will actually be able to choose from three variants, priced as follows:

  • Hyper SSR – RMB 1,286,000 ($176,380)
  • Hyper SSR Sprint – RMB 1,386,000 ($190,100)
  • Hyper SSR Ultimate – 1,686,000 ($231,250)

In addition to official pricing, the automaker shared that the supercar comes equipped with SiC chips within a 900V platform, helping power an electric drive assembly that boasts maximum efficiency of 94.5%.

“SSR” stands for “super, sport, race,” which could also be the individual names of each of the EV’s three motors, combining for over 900 kW of power and 12,000 Nm of torque. For comparison, that’s double the advertised torque of Tesla’s incoming Roadster, which is also supposed to go 0-100 km/h in 2.1 seconds.

The standard Hyper SSR can acceleration to that speed in 2.3 seconds, while the Sprint and Ultimate versions can do so in a blistering 1.9 seconds. GAC Aion still has some work to do if it wants to best the Rimac Nevera, as that EV has already achieved a world record 0-100 km/h in 2.86 seconds (amongst a dozen other records).

With deliveries now underway in China, this will be supercar to keep an eye thanks to its aggressive, all electric speed. What do you guys think?

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Elon Musk haters vandalized dozens of Tesla Cybertrucks

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Elon Musk haters vandalized dozens of Tesla Cybertrucks

Elon Musk haters have vandalized dozens of Tesla Cybertrucks being held ahead of delivery at a parking lot in Florida.

As we previously reported, Tesla has briefly halted Cybertruck deliveries due to a problem with its windshield wiper motor.

This has resulted in Tesla accumulating Cybertruck held before delivery at many locations around the US.

Over the last few days, I have been sent half a dozen videos of people dumbfounded about finding parking lots filed with Cybertrucks.

When I received this one from the OnlyinDade account, I thought this was just another one of these videos, but there was more to it:

People who seemingly dislike Elon Musk have decided to vandalize dozens of Cybertrucks sitting in a newly leased parking lot in Fort Lauderdale.

It’s unclear if the ‘f*ck Elon’ graffiti is easily removable or if there’s actual damage to the vehicles.

Electrek’s Take

Without justifying this really dumb act, because there’s no justifying it, this is an example of “Elon is Tesla, and Tesla is Elon.”

Technically, all these vehicles are Tesla’s property – though they are already meant for customers, they just haven’t changed hands yet. It makes no sense to vandalize Tesla’s property because you dislike Elon, but a lot of people see Tesla, a publicly held company, as Elon and Elon as Tesla.

That’s partly Elon’s own doing.

Again, I’m not trying to justify this. It’s obviously the wrong thing to do and ultimately, it will just radicalize his fans even more.

But it does show that Elon is becoming an increasingly polarizing individual and it is problematic to have such a divisive person as the head of such an important company as Tesla.

How about we just don’t vandalize private property. That’s a good standpoint to build on.

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Nissan feels the heat from BYD’s EV price war in China

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Nissan feels the heat from BYD's EV price war in China

Nissan is the latest victim of BYD’s “liberation battle” against gas-powered cars. After BYD’s aggressive price cuts this year, Nissan is shutting down a factory in China as it struggles to keep up.

As is the case for many legacy automakers, China is a critical sales market for Nissan. Nearly a third of Nissan’s global sales and net profits are from China.

After slipping out of the top five automakers (by market share) in China in 2022, Nissan’s woes are worsening. Nissan’s sales fell 16% in China last year and the trend has continued into 2024.

Nissan’s sales fell another 2.8% last month, with 64,233 vehicles sold in China. The company cut guidance by 23% last year, with 800,000 vehicle sales expected in fiscal 2024. According to Nikkei, Nissan will do so with one less factory.

Nissan is closing the doors to its plant in Changzhou as the factory is building more cars than it can sell.

The facility accounts for about 8% of Nissan’s production capacity in China, with an annual capacity of around 130,000 units. According to the report, the plant shuts down on Friday.

Nissan-BYD's-EV
Nissan Ariya electric SUV (Source: Nissan)

Under its joint venture with China’s Dongfeng Motor, Nissan has eight plants in the region. Its total annual capacity is around 1.6 million, double Nissan’s projected sales figures for fiscal 2024.

Nissan shuts down China plant amid BYD’s EV price war

The plant shutdown comes as Nissan struggles to keep up in an increasingly competitive China EV market.

China’s largest automaker, BYD, kicked off a “liberation battle” against ICE vehicles earlier this year. The goal is to continue taking market share from gas-powered cars with lower-priced EVs. So far, it seems to be working.

Nissan-BYD's-EVs
BYD (Dolphin Mini) Seagull EV (Source: Nissan)

BYD has drastically cut prices while introducing lower-priced EV models. Its cheapest, the Seagull EV, starts under $10,000 (69,800 yuan).

BYD’s CEO, Wang Chaunfu, said EVs have entered “the knockout round” and that the next two years will be critical for automakers to catch up.

With lower-priced, more advanced models hitting the market, BYD sees joint venture brands (like Nissan’s) market share falling from around 40% to 10% in China.

Nissan isn’t the only legacy automaker feeling the heat. Japanese rivals Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Honda have also pulled back in China amid slumping sales.

Nissan-BYD's-EV
Nissan EV concepts (Source: Nissan)

Meanwhile, BYD looks to expand its global footprint after outgrowing China’s EV market. BYD is closing in on a deal for a plant in Mexico that would be among the biggest in the country. The company expects to sell 50,000 vehicles in Mexico this year.

BYD is also expanding on Nissan and Toyota’s home turf. According to data from the Japan Automobile Importers Association, BYD accounted for over 20% of Japan’s EV imports in January.

With longer-range, lower-priced models rolling out, BYD’s momentum is expected to continue. China’s leading automaker is also expanding into new segments like pickups (check out the new Shark PHEV), mid-size electric SUVs, and luxury.

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Tesla Model 3 Long Range costs $3,200 more to finance than last week

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Tesla Model 3 Long Range costs ,200 more to finance than last week

Tesla scrapped promotional financing on the Model 3 Long Range this week after it became eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit.

As Electrek reported on June 17, Tesla and the IRS confirmed that the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive is now eligible for the full tax credit. Today, Tesla is pricing the EV’s upfront purchase price at just $34,990 – $1,000 more than the Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive – including the federal tax credit and an estimated five-year gas savings of $5,000.

The Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive still doesn’t qualify for the federal tax credit because it uses LFP battery cells from China.

The Model 3 Long Range is now listed at 6.39% APR on loans up to 72 months. The Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive continues to offer 1.99% APR for 36 months with a 60-month option at 2.99%.

Even though the Model 3 Long Range is now $7,500 cheaper, the higher interest rate is a bit of a party pooper, as it eats up potential savings. The folks at CarsDirect estimated that on a five-year loan, thanks to the 6.39% interest rate, the Model 3 Long Range has more of a $4,200 advantage than a $7,500 advantage.

If you’re eligible for the federal tax credit, the Model 3 Long Range is cheaper than before but costs around $3,200 more to finance through Tesla than last week. CarsDirect suggests comparing your options carefully if you’re shopping for a Model 3 Long Range. 

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