Aion, a premium EV sub-brand of GAC China, has started sales of its newest battery SUV called the LX Plus. The model hit the spotlight last November.
The top trim is called the Thousand Miles Edition and is neither the fastest nor the most luxurious on the lineup. It makes do with a single motor rated at 245 PS (242 hp / 180 kW) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque and needs 7.9 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph). The equipment list mentions semi-autonomous driving and some safety aids, but stops short of what you would expect in a top-of-the-line specification.
Where the Thousand Miles Edition justifies its name (well, partially) is the on-charge driving range. A 144-kilowatt-hour, graphene-enhanced traction battery gives the car up to 1,008 kilometers (626 miles) of range before charging becomes necessary again. It comes in at 459,600 Yuan (currently around $72,000 USD).
The most basic spec called 80 Zhizun Edition has the same electric motor and costs from 286,600 Yuan ($45,000 USD). The biggest difference is in the battery, which comes rated at 93.3 kilowatt-hours, lacks graphene in its structure, and offers up to 650 km (404 miles) of range.
The two middle-ground specs – 80D Ultimate and 80D Max – use the same battery, but benefit from a dual-motor powertrain with 490 PS (483 hp / 360 kW) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque total. Both need 3.9 seconds to get to highway speed and max out at 600 km (373 miles) of range. The Ultimate starts at 329,600 CNY ($51,725 USD) and the Max at 409,600 CNY ($64,280 USD).