GAC AION introduces ‘Quark Drive’ electric drive tech comparable to V8 engine

Beijing (Gasgoo)- GAC Group's new energy vehicle brand, AION, on March 3 launched a new high-performance electric drive technology, "Quark Drive", which boasts an ultra-high power density of up to 12 kW/kg, representing a 100% increase over the industry average of 6 kW/kg. 

According to AION, the compact "palm-sized" electric motor is able to generate more horsepower than a V8 engine.

Photo credit: GAC AION

AION focuses on two core points during the technical iteration process, high power density and low thermal losses. They have developed a series of new technologies, including a nanocrystalline-amorphous super-efficient motor, X-PIN flat wire winding, 900V high-efficiency silicon carbide, E-drive software, and electronic shifting without power disruption.

In order to address the impact of iron core loss on motor efficiency, AION developed a nanocrystalline-amorphous alloy material and a batch preparation process from basic raw materials and electromagnetic principles. Compared with traditional iron-based silicon steel material smelting technology, the nanocrystalline-amorphous material has a cooling speed of up to 1 million ℃/s, with microscopic characteristics of atomic disorder, no grains, and no grain boundaries. This new material can reduce motor iron core losses by 50%. 

In addition, the automaker also combined its patented X-PIN flat wire stator technology and carbon fiber high-speed rotor technology to reduce the size by 25% while increasing the electric drive power by over 30%.

When applied to cars, powered by the Quark Drive, the AION Hyper SSR can achieve a fastest multi-motor 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 1.9 seconds, while the Hyper GT features a fastest single-motor 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 4.9 seconds.

Apart from the automotive industry, AION's Quark Drive technology can also be applied in various other fields, such as medical technology, wearable devices, and drones.