Aion, one of Guangzhou Automobile Group’s (GAC) EV brands, debuted the brand-new Hyper GT electric grand tourer at the 2022 Guangzhou Auto Show, which it calls “the world’s lowest wind resistance production car.”
With clever aerodynamic tricks like the so-called “Wind Blade Grille”, which opens up the lower part of the front bumper at a certain speed to reduce drag, the Aion Hyper GT in production-spec boasts an impressive drag coefficient of just 0.19 cd.
Compared to other current EVs on the market, Aion’s offering produces less drag than the Lucid Air (0.21 cd), Tesla Model S (0.208 cd), and Mercedes-Benz EQS (0.2 cd), but can’t quite match the upcoming Lightyear 0’s 0.175 cd or the discontinued Volkswagen XL1’s 0.189 cd.
It’s worth mentioning however that GAC’s latest EV is currently still in concept form, with a production version in the works, scheduled for release on the Chinese market in the second half of 2023.
In any case, it’s a pretty cool-looking machine, with sleek bodywork, 3D tail lights, 19-inch wheels, retractable door handles, and a huge panoramic roof.
Gallery: Aion Hyper GT Revealed As The Most Aerodynamic Production EV In The World
There’s also a splitting, Porsche Panamera-esque rear wing that automatically raises at speeds over 50 mph (80 km/h), and scissor-action front doors, which Aion calls Sky Doors. They open upwards, offering a supercar-like entrance to the front seats, while the rear passengers can climb onboard using the conventional, frameless-windowed doors.
Based on a new, EV-dedicated architecture called AEP3.0, the Aion Hyper GT is expected to be offered with single and dual electric motors, but GAC stopped short of offering too many details.
We know that the single, rear-motor setup makes 250 kW (335 hp) and 320 lb-ft (434 Nm) of torque, which allows the vehicle to sprint from 0-60 mph in around four seconds. GAC also said that the Hyper GT will be compatible with ultra-fast charging at rates of up to 480 kW and that it will be suitable for battery-swapping, but didn’t mention anything about the capacity.
There’s also no clear sight of the interior, but judging by the available exterior shots, we can see a big central touchscreen, as well as a driver display mounted pretty close to the windscreen. Details about the car’s dimensions are non-existent as well, but if the rumors are true, this would be a competitor of the Tesla Model 3.
On the driver assistance front, the Hyper GT has a plethora of sensors including cameras, radars, LiDAR, and infrared sensors, which are mounted in the front bumper, mirrors, fenders, and roof, similar to the recently-revealed Volvo EX90 SUV.
More details about the car should be released as we come closer to its market debut, including the price, which is now rumored to be around ¥300,000 ($43,000 with the current exchange rate), without any government subsidy. This is more than the base RWD Tesla Model 3, which goes for ¥276,988 (around $38,000), but less than the Model 3 Performance, which starts at ¥349,900 (roughly $48,000).
What are your thoughts on the new Aion Hyper GT? Let us know in the comments.
