Interview with Zhang Fan, Vice President of Research & Development GAC Auto: Great Ideas Must Also Sell!

GAC originally started with models from Peugeot! This brings things full circle in Paris. This was followed by collaborations with Honda and Toyota, which continue to this day. From 2006, their own models were added, and GAC will "come of age" in 2024, having produced over two million units in collaboration with others by 2023.

How would you describe the GAC design in three words?

Zhang Fan: Phew, that's difficult. I've thought about it a lot and would sum it up in one sentence: GAC loves design. That's also three words! GAC is our starting point and you need love or passion to do a good job in design. This is not so easy anymore, as competition has increased significantly and many EV vehicles, especially in China, are increasingly similar. How can you differentiate yourself there? It takes courage, but under the current circumstances, designers, developers, and executives tend to act more cautiously and conservatively. What if the great idea doesn't sell? There is currently a lot of uncertainty, which is why we need to raise our voice here and make a commitment to passion.

Big words, what does that look like in concrete terms?

Zhang Fan: We work globally with diverse backgrounds. The question now is – how do you bring all these great approaches and backgrounds together and create universal values from them? Values that everyone understands, but also show the path into the future that we are taking. Designers always have passion for their job. That's why they are happy to work longer, even if they are not paid for overtime. That is the love for the profession, and it's a shame that the innovations that can arise from this passion are currently being held back by global uncertainties. Because the passion for a profession is one of the core values worldwide!

These uncertainties also partly answer my next question: GAC has really shown wild and groundbreaking and eye-catching studies. By comparison, the Aion V seems relatively tame?

Zhang Fan: You have a good eye for our development, thank you for that! The reason for this, in addition to the previous ones, is that the Aion V was supposed to be a practical and affordable car. The new platform offers a good starting point for this. A sedan, a hatchback, and another model will follow on this platform. What was important to us: we wanted to create not an aggressive but a nice, open character. With a practical approach.

Can you be more specific?

Zhang Fan: Basically, there are always two approaches to a car: Either I use it as a "tool," then it has to work efficiently and well, or I use it as a kind of "toy," then the fun is in the foreground. The Aion V was supposed to be an efficient electric all-rounder with maximum interior space utilization and very good aerodynamics.

What is its drag coefficient?

Zhang Fan (smiles): 0.27…