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Aiways

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Aiways Automobiles Co Ltd
IndustryAutomotive
Founded2017;7 years ago(2017)
Founder
  • Fu Qiang
  • Gu Feng
HeadquartersShanghai,China
Number of employees
251-500+ approx. (2019)
Websitewww.ai-ways.eu
Footnotes / references
[1][2][3]
Aiways
Traditional ChineseÁi trì ô tô
Simplified ChineseÁi trì ô tô

Aiways Automobiles Company Ltdis a Chinese automobile manufacturer ofelectric carsfounded in 2017. The Aiways name is derived from the phrase "Ai (meaning 'love' in Chinese) is on the way".[2]

History[edit]

Beginnings[edit]

StartupAiways was founded by two Chinese entrepreneurs, Fu Qian and Gu Feng, in 2017 inShanghai.From the very beginning, the goal was to develop a range ofSUVswithelectric drive.[4]A study preview of the first production Aiways vehicle was theprototypeU5 Ion Concept presented in November 2018, with plans to introduce the series character next spring.[5]On the occasion of the first study, Aiways announced sales plans concerning not only the domesticChinesemarket, but alsoEuropean.[6]

In line with previous announcements, the first production car of the Aiways brand was themid-sizeSUVU5presented in March 2019.[7]In January 2020, Aiways announced the official European debut of the U5 atGeneva Motor Show2020,[8]thus becoming the first fullyChinesebrand to officially start selling an electric car in this region.[9]

Due to the cancellation of theGeneva Motor Showas a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic,[10]The premiere ofAiways U5did not take place. The start of sales of the model in selected Western European markets is scheduled for August 2020.[11]In July 2020, the first transport of 500 U5 units will arrive inEurope,which will operate as part of theHertzcar rental company in the FrenchCorsica.[12]In April 2021, Aiways introduced its second production car in the form of a mid-sizeSUV CoupecalledU6.The vehicle has an avant-garde design, for which former stylistFerrari,Ken Okuyamawas responsible.[13]

In December 2022, Aiways won a contract to supply up to 150,000 EVs from Thai e-mobility service provider Phoenix EV.[14]: 58 

Crisis and reactivation[edit]

In mid-2023, the company's financial situation collapsed, which led to the suspension of employee salaries and production stoppages.[15]Then, in August 2023, the current president of the company left and was replaced by a new manager who decided to restructure. He decided to intensify his activities on foreign markets, withdrawing Aiways from the domestic, too difficult Chinese market and preparing to rebuild its plans for the European market.[16]At the beginning of 2024, Aiways was on the verge of bankruptcy, from which Aiways was protected from Chinese state authorities in March 2024 and together withHaimaandZhidouprovided stable financing for the resumption of full-scale operations.[17]

Gumpert Aiways[edit]

In 2017, German engineer and entrepreneurRoland Gumpert,after his companyGumpertwent bankrupt and was sold to Hong Kong investors, who changed its name toApollo Automobil,decided to create a new business initiative. He entered into cooperation with the Chinese Aiways, creating the companyGumpert Aiways Automobile.In 2021, it was planned to produce a hybridcoupeRG Nathalie,[18]however, it did not materialize and the company remained inactive at the beginning of the third decade of the 21st century.

Sales strategy[edit]

Sales of the vehicles produced inShangrao[2]started in December 2019 in China. In Europe, the first models are due to hit the stores in mid-2020. Instead of being carried by ship, the vehicles are to be transported by train, which should reduce the transport time from six weeks to 16 days.[19]The vehicles are to be sold in Germany viaEuronics Deutschland,a cooperative chain of independent consumer electronics and white goods retailers. Maintenance and spare parts logistics are to be carried out by the cooperation partnerA.T.U.

Facilities[edit]

The company has Global headquarters inShanghai,China plus European headquarters and R&D centre inMunich,Germany.

Shangrao Production Base[edit]

Aiways invested ¥13.3 billion in building a factory inShangrao.The factory is engineered toIndustry 4.0standards and uses a cloud-based monitoring system developed bySiemens.The plant operates using products from Swiss-Swedish robotics supplier,ABB,which deliver 90% automation across the plant. In the body shop, robots supplied by German companyKukajoin the chassis components and body panels.

The paint shop was built by German plant manufacturerEisenmannand the assembly shop was erected by German manufacturing specialistsDurr.

The factory currently produces the Aiways U5 and will be able to produce 300,000 vehicles per year when operating at full capacity.[20]

Battery Production Factory[edit]

In 2018 Aiways started producing battery packs at its plant inChangshu,Jiangsu, China. The factory produces Aiways' patented ‘sandwich’ structure battery pack which is used in the Aiways U5 and U6 models.

Technology[edit]

  • Battery pack with sandwich structure – the pack is made of 24 high energy density modules[21]supplied byCATL.[22]The battery and electronics were designed in house at Aiways. The sandwich battery structure gets its name from the multi-layer protection separating dry and wet areas within the cell.
  • More Adaptable Structure (MAS) platform – U5 and U6 are built on a modular and scalable vehicle platform which allows for the fitment of different powertrains

Notable Safety Features[edit]

Aiways vehicles come with variousAdvanced Driver Assistance Systems(ADAS) as standard including:[23]

  • Emergency Brake Assist(EBA) automatically applies the car's brakes when a pedestrian, cyclist of vehicle passes in front of the car.
  • Lane Keeping Assist(LKA) - Between 60 km/h and 120 km/h the system warns the driver if they are about to stray from their lane and makes necessary adjustments to the steering if the driver does not. It also makes an audible warning if the driver's hands are off the steering wheel for more than eight second
  • Blind Spot Detection– alerts the driver with a sound and a light if a vehicle or cyclist is passing in the vehicles blind spot
  • Forward Collision Warning – detects vehicles and pedestrians in front of the car and sounds an alarm if approaching at more than 10 km/h
  • Rear Cross Traffic Alert – warns the driver when a vehicle is about to pass behind the car

Production Vehicles[edit]

Aiways U5
Aiways U6
Aiways U6

Aiways U5[edit]

Aiways' first vehicle is the 4.68m long electricCUVAiways U5.It was presented at theGeneva Motor Showin March 2019 and was launched in China in December 2019. Exports from China began in 2020 and the U5 is now sold in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, La Reunion, Suisse (Garage Emplatures) and the Netherlands

In 2021 the U5 was given a ‘facelift’ which included new convenience technology features, new paint colors and a new 63kWh battery.

Aiways U6[edit]

The aerodynamic design of the U6 is heavily influenced by the U6 ion concept, its design sitting somewhere between coupe and more traditional crossover.[24]The U6 will go on sale in China by the end of 2021 and in Europe at the beginning of 2022.

Concept Vehicles[edit]

Aiways U7 ion
Aiways U7 ion

Aiways U6 ion[edit]

The manufacturer'sconcept carAiways U6 ion,which was to be presented at the Geneva Motor Show 2020, as an SUV Coupé. Due to theCOVID-19 virus pandemicthe vehicle could not be delivered from China to Europe. Regardless, the debut was expected to take place remotely through a live conference at theGeneva Motor ShowinGeneva, Switzerland.As the Swiss government banned events with more than 1,000 participants on 28 February 2020 due to the epidemic, the Geneva Motor Show was canceled. The planned press conference finally took place on 3 March 2020 inLeonberg.[25]

Aiways U7 ion[edit]

TheAiways U7 ionconcept car was unveiled at Auto Shanghai in 2019[26]to demonstrate the companies ‘FRM’ concept (family, roomy mobility). It featured a self-learning robot which can move around the vehicle[27]and smart mobile console with touch screen that can move around the cabin.

Supply Chain Partners[edit]

Aiways works with various technology suppliers from Europe to manufacture its range of vehicles.[20]

Gumpert Aiways Automobile[edit]

Gumpert Nathalie

Gumpert Aiways Automobile was a subsidiary based inIngolstadt,Germany, which is managed byRoland Gumpert.Themethanol fueledvehicleGumpert Nathaliewas the first model of this company.[28][29]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Aiways overview".[permanent dead link]
  2. ^abcGregor Soller (22 October 2018)."Aiways: Start-up mit höchsten Ambitionen".Vision-mobility.de.
  3. ^"China EV startup Aiways will launch SUV in Europe".
  4. ^"See you in 2018 and 2019: AIWAYS' first cars and next investment".Sohu.Retrieved23 June2020.
  5. ^"Aiways chce wprowadzić na rynek elektrycznego SUV-a U5 Ion za ~110 tysięcy złotych [równowartość]"(in Polish). 12 November 2018.Retrieved23 June2020.
  6. ^"Aiways U5 Ion: Elektryczny SUV z Chin ma podbić Europę niską ceną"(in Polish).Retrieved23 June2020.
  7. ^"China's Aiways U5 All Electric SUV Is Bound For Europe".Retrieved23 June2020.
  8. ^"Aiways to reveal U5 all-electric SUV at the Geneva International Motor Show".24 January 2020.Retrieved23 June2020.
  9. ^"Aiways U5 Set To Become First Chinese EV In Europe".25 January 2020.Retrieved23 June2020.
  10. ^"Geneva Motor Show przegrywa z koronawirusem. Targi odwołane".30 April 2019.Retrieved23 June2020.
  11. ^"Chiński Aiways U5 dostępny od sierpnia 2020 r. Cena atrakcyjna, sprzedaż online, wizyty serwisowe co 100 000 km"(in Polish). 2 March 2020.Retrieved23 June2020.
  12. ^"500 Aiways U5 Electric SUVs Leave China Factory To Become Rentals In Corsica".Retrieved23 June2020.
  13. ^"Projektant Ferrari przeszedł do marki z Chin. I zrobił takie coś"(in Polish). 30 April 2021.Retrieved12 June2021.
  14. ^Han, Enze (2024).The Ripple Effect: China's Complex Presence in Southeast Asia.New York, NY:Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-769659-0.
  15. ^Lew, Linda (22 March 2024)."Zombie Chinese EV".The Economic Times.Retrieved25 March2024.
  16. ^"Нетипичный случай: китайский стартап Aiways намекнул на уход с китайского рынка"(in Russian).Retrieved4 August2023.
  17. ^"Tak to robią w Chinach. Reaktywują marki-zombie i wysyłają na eksport"(in Polish). 24 March 2024.
  18. ^"Gumpert Nathalie startet mit Sonderserie"(in German). 12 March 2020.Retrieved12 June2021.
  19. ^Peter Maahn (14 April 2020)."Elektro-SUV aus China zum kleinen Preis".N-tv.de.
  20. ^abCooper, Lanna."AIWAYS teams up with suppliers to develop U5 all-electric SUV".Startups Magazine.Retrieved28 July2021.
  21. ^"Aiways U5 Europe I Electric car".Aiways EU.Retrieved28 July2021.
  22. ^"AIWAYS introduces world-first EV battery technology - automobilsport".automobilsport.Retrieved28 July2021.
  23. ^"AIWAYS all-electric U5: technology engineered for safety".Media Center of AI-WAYS EU.25 November 2019. Archived fromthe originalon 27 August 2022.Retrieved28 July2021.
  24. ^Lima, Pedro (2 June 2021)."Aiways U6 electric SUV gets closer to mass production - 🔋PushEVs".pushevs.Archived fromthe originalon 22 January 2022.Retrieved28 July2021.
  25. ^Torsten Seibt (4 March 2020)."Aiways U6 Ion Concept: Elektro-SUV-Coupé aus China".Auto-motor-und-sport.de.
  26. ^"Aiways U7 Ion Concept".ACI.Retrieved28 July2021.
  27. ^"Aiways U7 Ion Concept Is A Family Friendly All-Electric MPV".Carscoops.16 April 2019.Retrieved28 July2021.
  28. ^Gerd Stegmaier,Marcel Sommer (12 March 2020)."Elektro-Supersportwagen mit Methanol-Brennstoffzelle: Gumpert Nathalie startet mit Sonderserie".Auto-motor-und-sport.de.
  29. ^"News — Roland Gumpert".rolandgumpert.Retrieved28 July2021.

External links[edit]

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