GAC Aion about to start volume production of 1,000-km range AION LX

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- GAC Aion, GAC Group's wholly-owned subsidiary dedicated to new energy vehicle (NEV) business, announced a few days ago the Aion LX with 1,000-km range has completed its hot-weather testing in Sanya, Hainan province, and is about to go into volume production.

1,000-km range AION LX; photo credit: GAC Aion

According to the carmaker, the ultra-long range is thanks to the sponge silica-based anode battery technology, which was unveiled at the 2021 GAC Tech Day in April. Using the proprietary technology, the 150kW battery assembly onboard the Aion LX is 20% smaller by volume and 14% lighter by mass than the existing 650-km range version. Besides, the energy density of these cells is around 280Wh/kg.

In Sanyan, the hot (36℃) and humid (90%) weather conditions allow carmakers to test their vehicles in extreme conditions with high temperature and high humidity while close to actual scenarios. With the air conditioner running, the AION LX achieved a range of 904km, indicating the 1,000-km range is achievable in a milder environment.

AION LX in cold-weather testing; photo credit: GAC Aion

According to GAC Aion, the AION LX equipped with the sponge silica-based anode battery went through cold-weather testing in February of this year. The completion of the hot-weather testing suggests that the vehicle will arrive on the market in the near future.