The first version of the 4.8-meter-long SUV Aion LX was presented in 2019: with a maximum 93 kWh battery and up to 300 kW of power in the top all-wheel-drive model. The new variant Aion LX Plus now owes its range not to special efficiency, but rather to a 144.4 kWh battery – which is densely packed and features new technical refinements. According to the portal "CN EV Post", the battery pack is said to offer an energy density of 205 Wh/kg. The lithium-ion cells are based on an NMC cathode combined with a silicon-containing anode. This is supposed to make the batteries lighter and smaller and improve energy density, power, and performance, especially at cold temperatures. The approach is described as "silicon sponge technology", meaning the silicon-containing anode is supposed to be as soft as a sponge.
Long preparation: GAC has been working on battery technology for 15 years
GAC is said to have been working on this concept for 15 years. The increased energy density is supposed to reduce the size of the battery unit by 20 percent and the weight by 14 percent. Applied to the modified Aion LX, this means that with the same battery pack volume, the range should increase from 650 to the reported 1,008 kilometers – which means about a 55 percent increase!
The Aion LX Plus is expected to be unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show on November 19. The price is not yet known but is expected to be higher than the original model. The Aion LX costs between roughly 31,300 and 47,400 euros depending on the version.
In addition to the Aion LX SUV, GAC has also introduced the Aion S sedans in the Aion series. There are also the Aion V and Aion Y SUVs, with the Aion V capable of charging from zero to 80 percent in just eight minutes thanks to its graphene battery and 600-volt technology.
GAC Motor is still holding back in Europe: currently, GAC models can only be ordered in Russia, and even there, only the compact SUV GE3 is available. It is not yet known if and when GAC will enter the EU market with which models.
What does this mean?
The GAC Aion LX Plus proves that there is still a lot of potential in battery development. Therefore, it can be assumed that in the foreseeable future, real ranges of 400 kilometers plus x should also be possible in winter.
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