GAC NIO’s HYCAN to kick off “blind booking” of first model on October 22

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- HYCAN, an all-electric car brand launched by GAC-NIO New Energy Automobile Co.,Ltd (GAC NIO), will kick off the presale of its mass-produced model on October 22 without entirely revealing the final vehicle details yet, according to a posting on its WeChat account.

The mysterious model will be a SUV with a wheelbase spanning over 2,900 mm, HYCAN said via its social media. Adopting the so-called “blind booking”—that’s how the company call the presale method, the EV manufacturer shows the confidence in its product's attraction to consumers.

Patent images of the upcoming HYCAN-branded SUV have leaked online via local media outlets. Exterior of the product version stays true to the concept, which was first previewed along with the brand's birth.

The company previously said the first production model would officially hit the market at the end of this year and would be handed over to consumers from the first half of 2020. NEDC-rated range is expected to exceed 600km.

On May 20, GAC NIO, a joint venture between GAC Group and NIO, launched the HYCAN BEV brand in Hangzhou, the capital of China’s Zhejiang Province, and offered the glimpse of its first concept model at the same time.

Shortly after the unveiling, a prototype car of HYCAN's first model rolled off the production line in June.

Although the prototype was heavily camouflaged, it still can be noticed that the “7”-shaped daytime running lights and the LED headlights whose relation to the concept was apparent at first glance.

As to the side profile, the “hidden” door handles, the upward-sloping waistlines, the floating roof as well as the window trims were in tune with the design for the concept, while the multi-spoke trims were one of visible nuances.

With an unmistakable rear end, the prototype still featured the “7”-shaped taillights, echoing its front face (photo source: HYCAN).