ARCFOX Alpha-T sets energy density record for EV batteries
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China regularly publishes a catalog of recommended electric cars eligible for government subsidies and now the fifth batch in 2020 has been officially announced.
In this catalog we have a lot of interesting information about Chinese electric cars. Let’s see some of it.
Geely Geometry C
Geely Geometry C
- Wheelbase: 2.700 mm
- Length: 4.432 mm
- Width: 1.833 mm
- Height: 1.560 mm
- Curb weight: 1.665 kg
- Electric motor: 150 kW and 310 N.m
- Maximum speed: 150 km/h (93 mph)
- NEDC range: 550 km (342 miles)
- WLTP (estimation): 412 km (256 miles)
- NEDC efficiency: 14 kWh/100 km
- WLTP efficiency (estimation): 18,7 kWh/100 km
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 183,23 Wh/kg
Geely Geometry C uses battery cells made by CATL.
ARCFOX α-T (Alpha-T)
ARCFOX α-T
Standard range version (NEDC 480 km)
- Wheelbase: 2.915 mm
- Length: 4.788 mm
- Width: 1.940 mm
- Height: 1.683 mm
- Curb weight: 2.030 kg
- Electric motor: 160 kW and 360 N.m
- Maximum speed: 170 km/h (106 mph)
- NEDC range: 480 km (298 miles)
- WLTP (estimation): 360 km (224 miles)
- NEDC efficiency: 16 kWh/100 km
- WLTP efficiency (estimation): 21,3 kWh/100 km
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 187,47 Wh/kg
Long range version (NEDC 653 km – 93,6 kWh)
- Wheelbase: 2.915 mm
- Length: 4.788 mm
- Width: 1.940 mm
- Height: 1.683 mm
- Curb weight: 2.125 kg
- Electric motor: 160 kW and 360 N.m
- Maximum speed: 170 km/h (106 mph)
- NEDC range: 653 km (406 miles)
- WLTP (estimation): 490 km (304 miles)
- NEDC efficiency: 16,3 kWh/100 km
- WLTP efficiency (estimation): 21,7 kWh/100 km
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 194,12 Wh/kg
Pre-sale price (after subsidies): 280.000 yuan (36.086 euros)
ARCFOX α-T uses NCM 811 battery cells made by SK Innovation.
Polestar (Jixing) 2 (72 kWh)
Polestar 2
- Wheelbase: 2.735 mm
- Length: 4.606 mm
- Width: 1.859 mm
- Height: 1.482 mm
- Curb weight: 2.132 kg
- Electric motor: 150 kW and 330 N.m (each motor, it has two)
- Maximum speed: 170 km/h (106 mph)
- NEDC range: 450 km (280 miles)
- WLTP (estimation): 337 km (210 miles)
- NEDC efficiency: 17,5 kWh/100 km
- WLTP efficiency (estimation): 23,3 kWh/100 km
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 148,5 Wh/kg
Price (before subsidies): 298.000-418.000 yuan (38.406-53.871 euros)
Polestar uses LG Chem and CATL as battery cell suppliers.
GAC Aion V
GAC Aion V
Standard range version (NEDC 530 km – 73 kWh)
- Wheelbase: 2.830 mm
- Length: 4.586 mm
- Width: 1.920 mm
- Height: 1.728 mm
- Curb weight: 1.875-1.900 kg
- Electric motor: 135 kW and 350 N.m
- Maximum speed: 165 km/h (102 mph)
- NEDC range: 530 km (329 miles)
- WLTP (estimation): 397 km (247 miles)
- NEDC efficiency: 14,8 kWh/100 km
- WLTP efficiency (estimation): 19,7 kWh/100 km
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 170 Wh/kg
Long range version (NEDC 600 km – 80 kWh)
- Wheelbase: 2.830 mm
- Length: 4.586 mm
- Width: 1.920 mm
- Height: 1.728 mm
- Curb weight: 1.933-1.960 kg
- Electric motor: 135 kW and 350 N.m
- Maximum speed: 165 km/h (102 mph)
- NEDC range: 600 km (373 miles)
- WLTP (estimation): 450 km (280 miles)
- NEDC efficiency: 14,8 kWh/100 km
- WLTP efficiency (estimation): 19,7 kWh/100 km
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 175 Wh/kg
Pre-sale price (after subsidies): 170.000 yuan (21.909 euros)
AIWAYS U5
AIWAYS U5
Standard range version (NEDC 405 km)
- Wheelbase: 2.800 mm
- Length: 4.680 mm
- Width: 1.865 mm
- Height: 1.700 mm
- Curb weight: 1.720-1.770 kg
- Electric motor: 150 kW and 310 N.m
- Maximum speed: 160 km/h (99 mph)
- NEDC range: 405 km (252 miles)
- WLTP (estimation): 304 km (189 miles)
- NEDC efficiency: 13,8 kWh/100 km
- WLTP efficiency (estimation): 18,4 kWh/100 km
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 145 Wh/kg
Long range version (NEDC 503 km)
- Wheelbase: 2.800 mm
- Length: 4.680 mm
- Width: 1.865 mm
- Height: 1.700 mm
- Curb weight: 1.720-1.770 kg
- Electric motor: 150 kW and 310 N.m
- Maximum speed: 160 km/h (99 mph)
- NEDC range: 503 km (313 miles)
- WLTP (estimation): 377 km (234 miles)
- NEDC efficiency: 13,8 kWh/100 km
- WLTP efficiency (estimation): 18,4 kWh/100 km
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 172 Wh/kg
Price (after subsidies): 197.900-292.100 yuan (25.505-37.645 euros)
AIWAYS U5 uses battery cells made by CATL.
NETA (Nezha) U
NETA U
Standard range version (NEDC 401 km)
- Wheelbase: 2.770 mm
- Length: 4.530 mm
- Width: 1.860 mm
- Height: 1.628 mm
- Curb weight: 1.675 kg
- Electric motor: 150 kW and 310 N.m
- Maximum speed: 155 km/h (96 mph)
- NEDC range: 401 km (249 miles)
- WLTP (estimation): 301 km (187 miles)
- NEDC efficiency: 13,2 kWh/100 km
- WLTP efficiency (estimation): 17,6 kWh/100 km
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 171 Wh/kg
Long range version (NEDC 501 km)
- Wheelbase: 2.770 mm
- Length: 4.530 mm
- Width: 1.860 mm
- Height: 1.628 mm
- Curb weight: 1.745 kg
- Electric motor: 150 kW and 310 N.m
- Maximum speed: 155 km/h (96 mph)
- NEDC range: 501 km (311 miles)
- WLTP (estimation): 376 km (233 miles)
- NEDC efficiency: 13,5 kWh/100 km
- WLTP efficiency (estimation): 18 kWh/100 km
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 172 Wh/kg
Price (after subsidies): 139.900-198.800 yuan (18.030-25.621 euros)
NETA U uses battery cells made by CATL.
Chery eQ5
Chery eQ5
- Wheelbase: 2.805 mm
- Length: 4.630 mm
- Width: 1.910 mm
- Height: 1.655 mm
- Curb weight: 1.760 kg
- Electric motor: 130 kW and 280 N.m
- Maximum speed: 150 km/h (93 mph)
- NEDC range: 510 km (317 miles)
- WLTP (estimation): 382 km (238 miles)
- NEDC efficiency: 15 kWh/100 km
- WLTP efficiency (estimation): 20 kWh/100 km
- Battery gravimetric energy density: 160 Wh/kg
Estimated price: 200.000-250.000 yuan (25.776-32.220 euros)
The Chery eQ5 was designed by the Italian Pininfarina and will be built on an all-aluminum pure electric platform.
Note: For the WLTP estimations I considered WLTP to be 3/4 of NEDC.
Summing up…
With a very impressive figure of 194,12 Wh/kg, the ARCFOX α-T now holds the record of having the most energy dense battery in a mass-produced electric car. The NCM 811 battery cells made by SK Innovation are very impressive and we’ll soon see them powering other electric cars.
It’s curious that electric cars such as ARCFOX α-T, BYD Han EV and Xpeng P7 made by Chinese automakers seem to be the best alternatives to Tesla so far. Years ago we might have thought that German premium automakers would be the first to produce good alternatives…
Anyway, Chinese electric cars have come a long way since the old BYD e6 launched in 2009, they are no longer super slow and inefficient. From now on, I will pay more attention to Chinese electric cars, some of which will end up being sold worldwide.
What do you think? Is there a Chinese electric car that you would like to have?
More info:
https://www.xchuxing.com/thread-24407-1-1.html
I think that with Covid-19, the Chinese have given us as much as we really want. It will be a cold day when I trade in my Mercedes electric car for a Chinese one.
Covid-19 worldwide is one of the results of the way we are living. Chinese supremacy in electric cars is a result of european car industries being 10 years behind. They fooled us into ‘clean diesel’ and millions believed that BS
That’s right, Buutvrij. A long time ago, I saw a Chinese official saying that Chinese automakers lacked the experience and were very behind European and Japanese manufacturers regarding ICE car technology. Therefore electric cars were seen as an opportunity to become leaders.
So far, Volkswagen’s MEB platform is the only interesting thing I see coming from a European automaker in the short-term.
Pedro thanks for this question. I am old scepticist and pragmatist and so my opinion is “who cares about the exceptional value of 194,12 Wh/kg in ARCFOX α-T?” (anyway good looking car, only in the back they can omit those fancy tunnels). I mean they seems to be on par with dimensions and range with Tesla Model Y (α-T is slightly bigger and heavier car) but Tesla do the range with lower battery energy density. So from technology point of view they make good job, but I am missing the 400 miles WLTP range to be impressed. 300 miles WLTP range is already doable with 160 Wh/kg.
That’s right, using high energy dense batteries is only one piece of the puzzle. Tesla also focus on efficiency by improving aerodynamics and weight with the use of aluminium. The Xpeng P7 seems to all have it all, great aerodynamics, decent weight and high energy dense batteries (170 Wh/kg), which give it a 706 km range (NEDC) and an estimated WLTP range of 529 km (329 miles).
I am a bit wary of Chinese cars. With the rumours of spyware in Huawei components and Xiaomi phones…. Dunno. In fact, I am wary of all cars that are connected. Even Tesla. Nobody seems to realize that with the always-connected model the possibility exists to remote control your car in every possible way. In the hands of bad guys, that’s a dangerous thing. I think the discussion should be started. There is no such thing as a hacker-proof system. Let’s begin with that statement and then take it from there.
That is a fair concern, Carlos. The ability to remotely control a car can be great and terrible at the same time. Great because you have a much better chance of recovering your car if it gets stolen, but terrible because if poorly implemented, it increases the chances of being stolen in the first place.
Not to mention what it means in the hands of an ill-meaning government…..
China is a very good country, please know more information. Alternatively, you can check out the arcfox alpha-s L3-class self-driving video https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Jp4y1t7X7/
In China, I’ve never heard of Apple, Tesla, Huawei, Xiaomi containing spyware.
Is there forced labour in Xinjiang? It’s so bad, they force the machine to sow seeds automatically, it’s so bad, they’re so bad.
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1RV411n7bK
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Yt411R7Vp
Some of the statements about China and its products are clearly false and misleading.
Buy a car that’s certainly bloated with spyware? No thanks. I’m not buying Chinese anymore. Especially cars.
I did have that problem with a cheap Chinese Android smartphone, fortunately I was able to solve it by installing a custom ROM (third-party firmware) and that’s why I love open-source.
You can install Cyanogen on a $150 Xiaomi. But… Would you do that on a +$35.000 car with the risk of bricking it?
Ugh… That’s somewhat reckless, IMO.
I’m using Xiaomi’s phone and have to say it’s very good. The Redmi K40 features a Dragon 870, Samsung E4 amoled screen, and support for Dolby Panorama. Crucially, in China it sells for 2,500 yuan ($383, 12+256GB). Even the most ordinary people can afford it. This is the greatest kindness to ordinary people.
As for spyware, I can only say that everything about China is bad, but what is the truth?
Alternatively, you can check out the arcfox alpha-s L3-class self-driving video https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Jp4y1t7X7/
Redmi K40 with Dolby Panorama https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1vZ4y1c7Ae
It’s good to see the gravimetric density for the battery, but I would also appreciate to see its capacity. The bigger a battery pack is, the better the gravimetric density becomes because some equipment beside the cells themselves is not increasing proportionally with their number.
It’s 93,6 kWh for the long range version, but I can’t find the figure for the standard version.
I am most interested in Aion V, because is cheapest. 🙂
The glorious times when a man regularly bought a car are coming to an end anyway.
The future will be self-propelled shuttle taxis put on the road by fleet operators.
These fleet operators are not interested in logos, manufacturer’s name or image, the one who offers the best deal in execution quality service and support will be taken.