Gasgoo Munich- GAC Group recently signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Dongguan Institute of Materials Science and Technology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The two parties will join forces to tackle key technologies for amorphous materials in automotive electric drive systems, bridging the "last mile" from laboratory results to the assembly line.
Amorphous alloy, also known as "metallic glass," is described in the industry as "tear-off steel." The finished strip measures just 0.025 mm thick — roughly one-fifth the diameter of a human hair. Its unique disordered atomic structure gives it magnetic permeability far exceeding traditional silicon steel, effectively reducing eddy current and hysteresis losses in motor operation. However, because the material is both thin and brittle, the barrier to automotive-grade mass production remains exceptionally high.
The 2027 Aion RT features an amorphous alloy electric drive system; Image source: GAC Group
GAC and the CAS Dongguan Institute are advancing motor materials, and the amorphous alloy e-drive system based on this technology has achieved the world's first mass production. Official data indicates the motor's peak efficiency reaches 99.03%, while the drive system's operating efficiency reaches 94.184%. The motor can reach speeds up to 30,000 rpm, and the mass-produced unit delivers a power density of 17.29 kW/kg — an energy performance that yields one extra kilometer per kilowatt-hour.
On the industrialization front, the partners will accelerate the creation of a "R&D—pilot—mass production—market" value loop. The GAC Aion Intelligent Eco Factory — the only "Lighthouse Factory" dedicated to new energy vehicles globally — will underpin the scaled manufacturing of this drive system.
In terms of vehicle integration, the 2027 Aion RT will be the first model equipped with the amorphous alloy e-drive. This marks a critical leap for this cutting-edge strategic material — moving from basic research to mass production in consumer vehicles — and serves as a practical benchmark for integrating industry, academia, and research within the new energy vehicle sector.
