In November 2021, Chinese automaker GAC announced the Plus version of its Aion LX electric crossover, promising an NEDC range of up to 1,008 km (625 miles).
Now, GAC Aion (the new energy vehicle subsidiary of GAC Group) reconfirmed the impressive range at the start of sales of the Aion LX Plus in China.
Offered with a starting price of RMB 459,600 or just over $72,000, the electric midsize crossover is powered by a massive 144.4 kWh battery pack with an energy density of 205 Wh/kg. It’s worth noting that the pack does not use solid-state battery technology, but is based on traditional ternary lithium batteries with a NMC cathode and silicon sponge anode.
The Aion LX Plus features a single-motor powertrain rated at 180 kW (241 hp) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque. The electric crossover sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 170 km/h (105 mph).
Back to the driving range, GAC Aion claims the LX Plus is by far the world’s longest-range production vehicle, although that’s debatable seeing as the 625-mile range is calculated in the NEDC cycle, which is known to be less strict than the EPA.
Currently, the longest range electric vehicle rated by the EPA is the Lucid Air Dream Edition Range with 520 miles (837 km).
We can only speculate what the EPA-rated range of the GAC Aion LX Plus would be, but we may never know since this model is not sold in the United States. Still, we’re pretty sure the EPA would rate it below the Lucid Air’s 520-mile range.
Using our friend David Roper’s calculations that found NEDC ratings to be on average 1.43 higher than EPA ratings, the GAC Aion LX Plus’s 625 miles NEDC would equate to 437 miles EPA, with the margin of error being 11%. Adding 11% would result in 485 miles, still not enough to beat the Lucid Air’s 520-mile rating.
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Source: GAC Aion via CNEVPost