GAC Group to start pilot operation of fuel cell vehicles in 2020

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On July 28, GAC Group offered the first glimpse of its first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle model, the Aion LX Fuel Cell, at the GAC Tech Day 2020.

Built on the GEP (GAC Electric Platform) 2.0, the newly-unveiled fuel cell vehicle shares a similar look to that of the Aion LX. With respect to its powertrain solution, the FCV gets a maximum output of over 150kW through the combined effort of the fuel cell system and the power battery system. The permanent magnet motor it adopts is able to deliver a peak torque of 350 N·m. Filled up with hydrogen, the vehicle will have a NEDC-rated range of over 650km.

(Aion LX Fuel Cell)

According to Feng Xingya, president of GAC Group, the automaker will kick off this year the pilot operation of its hydrogen vehicles.

Meanwhile, GAC Group also introduced the GPMA (GAC global platform modular architecture) and the GEP platforms, which respectively take aim at traditional fuel-burning and pure electric vehicles. The GPMA fits the development of sedan, SUV, MPV, PHEV and HEV models and is compatible with powertrains like conventional engines, PHEV and HEV power systems.

The BEV-focused GEP 2.0 uses the high-energy-density cells, the highly integrated module-free architecture and the high-precision BMS to create a battery system with high range and low electricity consumption, said GAC Group. Besides, the high-voltage platform and high-power charging technology are applied to solve consumer's pain point over charging issue.

GAC Group also showcased 3D structural graphene (3DG) production technology at the Tech Day. The company noted that it started researching the scale production of graphene as early as 2014, and has to-day obtained the 3DG manufacturing technology with independent intellectual property rights.

By virtue of graphene's outstanding electric conductivity and the special 3D structure, GAC has developed a super-fast-charging battery which can be charged to 80% of its capacity within 8 minutes and achieve 200-300km range on a 10-minute charge, said the company (photo source: GAC Group's WeChat account).