GAC AION V winter test: 16.6kWh energy consumption per 100 kilometers is not the biggest surprise

Although it has been less than two years since the first product was launched, GAC Aion has become a hotshot in China's new energy vehicle market with its outstanding product control. In 2020, AION S's total annual sales exceeded 45,000 units, second only to Tesla Model 3 in the compact pure electric vehicle market.

After a single product opened up sales, GAC Aion also began to step up the layout of its full-dimensional product line. In mid-2020, we saw the third model of the GAC Aion family, AION V.

As the competition in the compact pure electric SUV market is more brutal, it was thought that AION V would take longer to open up the market. Unexpectedly, within half a year of its launch, AION V has become a dark horse. Official data shows that as of the end of January 2021, the average monthly sales of AION V have reached more than 2,000 units for five consecutive months.

The reason why AION V has attracted market attention is not only its affordable price, but also the various new technologies that GAC Aion has given to AION V, which have become the decisive factors in determining the market. In the past week, I test drove its high-end model AION V 80 MAX. Now, based on the actual driving experience, let's see what kind of "charm" AION V relies on to win users.

Mecha theme appearance, highly recognizable

Just like mobile phones, when a certain design becomes popular, copycats will continue to appear until people get tired of it. The same is true for new energy vehicles. In order to highlight the "newness", most products will adopt a streamlined and simple design language. When the Tesla Model S first appeared, this design language was indeed very thoughtful, but when it became a "common product", it was inevitable that people would get tired of it.

Perhaps due to its keen insight into the automobile market, AION V, while taking into account the "new" appearance of new energy vehicles, also adds highly recognizable design elements that the official calls the "four-dimensional science fiction mecha design theme", presenting a very avant-garde look.

On the front of the car, AION V has a pair of split full-LED headlights, which look like sharp eagle claws, and the rhythm of movement is ready to come out. At the same time, AION V also adds a transparent trim between the two headlights, which strengthens the technological attributes of the whole car through color matching.

On the side of the car body, a waistline runs from the front to the parking space, and the overall look is very simple. Under the waistline, hidden door handles are embedded in it, which not only reduces wind resistance, but also makes the body look more complete.

The taillights of AION V do not adopt a through-type design, but a streamlined new shape, which extends to the front side of the car body and covers the rear hidden door handles, forming a visual flowing beauty. Although there is no light source at the position of the rear hidden door handles of AION V, the taillights are enough to illuminate the entire side area when lit. Looking from the side and rear at night, you can tell at a glance that this is an "Aion".

In addition, the AION V is also equipped with an electric tailgate as standard. When using it, we can open the trunk through the key, the main cabin button and the tailgate button. This electric power design is not only extremely practical for SUV models, but also improves the grade of the AION V.

The trunk of AION V adopts an equal height design, which is very convenient for carrying large items. However, considering that AION V is a compact SUV with a length of only 4586mm, its trunk space is not particularly outstanding. Fortunately, the rear seats of AION V support 4/6 ratio folding. Therefore, when driving AION V for a trip, we can fold down the rear seats, lay down a mattress and lie in it with our loved ones to "count the stars".

But the question is, why doesn’t AION V leave more space in the trunk?

The interior space is as large as "business class"

Unlike most traditional car manufacturers who choose to switch from oil to electricity, GAC Aion chose to start from scratch. The AION V is equipped with the GEP 2.0 all-aluminum pure electric exclusive platform built at a cost of 3 billion yuan. This platform built from scratch not only brings stronger economy and purity, but also gives the AION V a more ideal space performance.

At the driver's seat, AION V has good space margins in three dimensions, which is completely different from the cramped feeling of conventional compact SUVs. It even gives the illusion of a medium to large SUV.

When we came to the back row, we felt the true meaning of the word "spacious". Sitting in the back row of AION V, our leg space is close to the length of our forearm. If we add a pair of slippers, it will become a mobile "business class".

This design, which is designed to take into account the spaciousness and comfort of the rear space, also explains why the trunk space of AION V is not very outstanding - because for AION V, passenger space comfort is the first priority, and a trunk full of cargo is not a common scene in daily life.

In addition to the astonishingly large interior space, the AION V's interior also has many eye-catching designs.

For example, the AION V's central control area is equipped with a dual 12.3-inch connected screen, and the rear is supplemented by chrome decoration and piano lacquer trim. This makes the AION V neither have the outdated mechanical feel of traditional fuel vehicles, nor the monotony that appears when new forces car companies such as Tesla excessively pursue minimalist design.

In addition to the screen, another highlight of the front row of AION V is the center console. Because this center console is multifunctional, such as supporting wireless charging, multi-dimensional storage, etc., and the piano paint + leather material also gives it a certain sense of luxury.

Interestingly, except for the low-end model, all other versions of AION V are equipped with a solar panoramic sunroof. However, this solar panel is not used to charge the car (it may take a long time to fully charge 80 degrees of electricity with such a small panel), but it can drive the air-conditioning blower when the car is parked, continuously ventilating and cooling the car, reducing the owner's feeling of heat when entering the car.

In the hot summer, most car owners need to turn on the air conditioner to "survive" after getting in the car, and the air conditioner is a battery life killer, which will greatly reduce the car's battery life. With this solar panel, the interior environment will become as comfortable as possible. Therefore, although this small function of AION V is not some mysterious "black technology", it solves the actual problem of users and reflects GAC Aion's accurate grasp of user pain points.

The feeling of pushing back under the surging power

Unlike the flagship Aion LX, which focuses more on showing extreme power, the overall power tuning of the AION V is closer to the mainstream home use direction. The power configuration of the AION V series is the same, and all are equipped with a front-mounted 135kW (184 horsepower) permanent magnet synchronous motor with a maximum torque of 350Nm.

In fact, even if it is tuned for home use, even in ECO mode, AION V has very good surging power performance. When you step on the accelerator... no, the electric switch, the electric drive system of AION V will not release all the torque immediately, but will be similar to a fuel car, with an incremental curve, giving a very smooth power process, and when we step on the accelerator to 2/3, AION V will immediately "understand" our needs, instantly release torque, and give us a strong push back feeling that an electric car should have.

In general, thanks to the excellent electric drive system and the lightweight GEP 2.0 all-aluminum pure electric platform, the power performance of AION V is convincing enough to bring a linear and smooth power performance. This power tuning method is actually very suitable for car owners who have a special liking for "fuel vehicles".

It is worth noting that in addition to reducing the pressure on power, another major advantage that the GEP 2.0 all-aluminum pure electric platform brings to AION V is that it enables it to have good vibration filtering performance.

The AION V's suspension has a very crisp recovery for small vibrations. For example, when we pass speed bumps, small puddles and other roads, the AION V does not have large, hard ups and downs, but brings a very soft elastic feeling. Of course, considering the large body of the AION V, GAC Aion did not adjust the AION V's suspension too soft to avoid the erratic "sailing feeling" of the body.

In terms of steering, the steering wheel of AION V feels very light, which allows us to control its low-speed steering and side parking effortlessly. In terms of power, it is the steering wheel strength and the angle characteristic of linear increase in rotation. When these two characteristics are superimposed, the overall control presents a relaxed and sporty quality. For young car owners who like speed, this feeling is very refreshing!

Since the wheelbase of AION V reaches 2830mm and the front driver is far away from the front windshield, you may feel a little "big car" when you are used to sedans when driving AION V for the first time. Fortunately, AION V is equipped with probe radar and panoramic image, which can give real-time feedback when reversing, parking and turning, alleviating the anxiety caused by the large space to the driver.

ADiGO 3.0 takes into account both reality and the future

Due to the evolution of the industry, most new energy vehicle manufacturers currently claim to have acquired the most cutting-edge "autonomous driving" technology. For example, Musk has repeatedly announced that his own "fully functional fully autonomous driving" will soon be released.

Unlike other manufacturers who constantly release "sounding balloons", GAC Aion, which has been quietly making products, directly equipped the AION V with the ADiGO 3.0 autonomous driving system, quietly becoming "the only model in its class to achieve L3 autonomous driving."

In order to ensure driving safety and accuracy of autonomous driving, the hardware of AION V is luxurious. 1 front camera + 5 millimeter-wave radars + 12 ultrasonic radars + 4 surround-view HD cameras constitute the hardware combination solution for autonomous driving.

In terms of software communication, AION V not only supports GAC's independently developed world's first integrated 5G+C-V2X in-vehicle intelligent communication, but also is equipped with the world's first deliverable high-precision map, which can accurately predict road conditions within 2 kilometers through centimeter-level map accuracy.

However, it is worth noting that since China’s current laws and regulations have not yet fully allowed L3 level autonomous driving to be on the road, when talking about the AION V’s autonomous driving technology, we chose to discuss it from two levels: the present and the future.

First of all, although current laws and regulations do not allow drivers to take their hands or feet off the wheel when driving a vehicle, since the AION V is equipped with an extremely sophisticated sensor system, in terms of ACC adaptive cruise control, automatic lane change, LKA lane keeping, etc. permitted by laws and regulations, compared with traditional cars, the AION V has built a more solid hardware foundation support.

According to tests, whether on a highway or in a traffic jam, after AION V turns on ACC adaptive cruise control, it can immediately identify and steadily follow the vehicle in front, reducing the driver's driving burden.

AION V engineers once said: "Due to the nature of our work, in addition to being responsible for technology research and development, we all need to repeatedly experience the autonomous driving function, especially for daily commuting. Basically, we will be bold enough to 'liberate' our hands and feet while ensuring safety."

Although from the current point of view, due to legal and regulatory issues, AION V's L3 level autonomous driving has not been fully released, but considering that autonomous driving technology will surely sweep the entire automotive industry in the future, AION V's cutting-edge 5G+HD map+L3 level autonomous driving solution has a more far-reaching significance in the time dimension.

Previously, GAC Aion officials had stated that once regulations permit, with the support of cutting-edge technology, AION V will be able to achieve hands-free and feet-free automatic driving at full speeds of 0-120km/h on all highways covered by high-precision maps and closed roads such as urban expressways.

Half the battery can be charged in one meal

When talking about new energy vehicle products, one topic that cannot be avoided is "charging and battery life". After all, no one wants to buy an "electric dad" with short battery life and slow charging, and serve it like an old grandfather every day.

AION V is divided into four series: 60, 70 and 80, with NEDC ranges ranging from 400km to 600km. The model we tested this time is the AION V 80 MAX version, with a battery capacity of 80.73kWh and a NEDC range of 600km.

During the actual test, it was the "Great Cold" season in Beijing, and the average temperature was 0℃ or below. Therefore, the battery life of AION V itself was a certain test. We also took into account the different car needs of different car owners and conducted targeted tests on the impact of turning on and off the air conditioner on the battery life of AION V.

The results are shown in the figure above. When the air conditioner is turned on in urban conditions, the power consumption of AION V is about 20kWh/100km. After turning off the air conditioner, the energy consumption drops to 16.6 kWh/100km. Correspondingly, when it comes to highway conditions, when the air conditioner is turned on, the power consumption of AION V reaches 28.9 kWh/100km. After turning off the air conditioner, it drops to 22.6 kWh/100km.

Due to the extremely cold temperature during the test, the test result of AION V was only 80% lower than the official claimed mileage. Compared with other brands, this result is actually very satisfactory. On the other hand, this actually means that AION V 80 MAX version should have better mileage performance in the more ideal summer environment. In the scenario of daily commuting, a single charge is enough to cope with the frequency of use for one to two weeks.

The excellent battery life of AION V 80 MAX is due to the fact that it is equipped with a large battery with an astonishing capacity of 80.73kWh. But on the other hand, will such a large battery hinder the charging efficiency?

In response to this, it was also tested for charging at the DC charging pile of the State Grid. Combined with the above figure, when the ambient temperature is 3°C, it only takes 53 minutes to charge from 31% to 80%, and the charged capacity is 39.87kwh.

In addition, we also conducted charging tests on the AION V 80 MAX version at different times and in different environments. The results are shown in the figure above. Under the State Grid DC charging pile, the average charging power of the AION V 80 MAX version can basically be maintained at around 40kw, and half of the power can be charged in about half an hour.

Overall, the large battery of the AION V 80 MAX version does ensure a long enough battery life, and the fast charging can fully charge it in just “one meal”, greatly alleviating car owners’ range anxiety.

Summary: "Practicality" is the most important quality of AION V

From the market perspective, the compact pure electric SUV market is becoming the next battleground for the new energy vehicle industry. Perhaps in order to seize the market, many products in the industry are currently "SUVs" for the sake of SUVs, but they neglect to make corresponding adjustments in the product's three-electric, interactive, driving and other aspects.

In contrast, observing AION V from these levels, it has surpassed the relevant definitions of mainstream products in the traditional compact pure electric SUV market and has received good market feedback, which just highlights GAC Aion's keen insight into the market and precise control of its products. To put it in simpler terms, the product is "practical" enough and the best steel is used on the blade.

To give a simple example, in the industry, almost all brands will work hard on the "100 km/h acceleration", increasing the number and power of motors without considering actual needs. But the question is, do consumers really need these manufacturer-dominated parameters? Aren't consumers the ones who ultimately pay the bill?

The AION V is only equipped with a front-mounted 135kW permanent magnet synchronous motor, but thanks to the GEP 2.0 all-aluminum pure electric exclusive platform and good power tuning, this motor not only brings good power but also reduces the pressure on the battery, killing two birds with one stone, and obviously better meets the needs of ordinary consumers for a "family car".

The same is true for autonomous driving technology. GAC Aion did not reduce the futuristic sense of AION V because of its relatively low price. On the contrary, GAC Aion has given AION V certain futuristic attributes through the stacking of sensors and algorithms as much as possible, which also means that AION V will not be outdated for a considerable period of time. It's like buying an Apple phone. When others have changed several times, your phone can still play "King of Glory".

More importantly, although the price of AION V is only at the entry-level price range, in traditional consumer perception, for SUV products in this price range, it is difficult to even have an electric tailgate, let alone L3 autonomous driving. This actually highlights GAC Aion’s full sincerity. For users who are thinking about what to buy as their next car, the constantly evolving AION V may really be a good must-see option.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.