Fast Lane: Aion V and Pagani Utopia Roadster on display, Volvo ES90 launches, Trumpchi E9 coming soon
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The Aion V electric SUV is on display at One Holland Village until March 2 with the rest of the Aion range, seen here with Vincar's deputy chief executive Ernest Tan.
PHOTO: VINCAR EV
Mass-market electric SUV Aion V launches
Check out the Aion V on display at One Holland Village. The compact, five-seater mass-market electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) has surprisingly luxurious features, including ventilated front massage seats and a refrigerator that can also be used to keep contents warm.
The single 100kW motor is powered by a 75.3kWh battery, giving the car an operating range of 485km, the longest claimed for a vehicle in this segment. At 180kW, the V’s charging speed is also quicker than comparable rivals like the BYD Atto 3 (80kW) or MG ZS (100kW).
Although few chargers in Singapore are quick enough to maximise the V’s capability, limiting how quickly the car’s batteries can be filled up, it means the car will be better placed to take advantage of speedier chargers as they are added to the country’s charging network.
The car has a list price of $248,988 with a Category A certificate of entitlement (COE) before rebates.
As part of the launch initiative, the V, along with the full Aion line-up, will be on display at One Holland Village until March 2. A rock-climbing wall and an area for pets have been set up for visitors.
Volvo ES90 charges up to 300km in 10 minutes
Fast charge: A 10-minute charge can add 300km of operating range on the Volvo ES90.
Volvo will be taking the covers off its flagship electric saloon, the ES90, on March 5.
The Swedish carmaker boasts that its new electric vehicle can travel 700km before needing a charge, and a 10-minute plug-in will add as much as 300km to the operating range if a 350kW charger is used.
The car is able to achieve this feat with its 800-volt architecture, like the ones underpinning the Lotus Electre and Emeya. Besides enabling higher charging speeds, the technology also allows thinner cables to be used, setting off a virtuous circle of slight weight savings and higher efficiency from having less heat and resistance in the system.
However, being a newer technology, the 800-volt system tends to be more expensive than the 400-volt architecture found in cars like Tesla. Volvo has not given any indicative price of the new saloon.
Volvo and Lotus are part of Chinese automotive giant Geely Auto Group, which also owns Polestar, Zeekr and Proton.
Catch the live stream of the ES90’s global debut on March 5 at es90event.volvocars.com
$20 million Pagani Utopia Roadster at Dempsey Hill
Catch the $20 million Pagani Utopia Roadster at Dempsey Hill on March 2.
Catch a glimpse of the Pagani Utopia Roadster at Dempsey Hill on March 2.
The supercar has a 6-litre, biturbo, V12 engine and a stunning price tag. Priced at €3.1 million (S$4.35 million) in Europe before options, it will cost around $20 million to be registered in Singapore, including taxes. The waiting time for one is between two and three years.
If the eye-watering price is not enough to guarantee exclusivity, then the limited production will. The famed Italian automotive atelier will make only 130 units of the Roadster, each customised to the client’s preferences.
Since its founding in 1998, the supercar-maker’s annual production has never exceeded 60 units.
The Roadster was presented at a Pagani owners’ event held at One Degree 15 in Sentosa Cove on Feb 27, along with a right-hand-drive Coupe – the first to be delivered to South-east Asia – to a collector in Singapore.
The Roadster will be on public display at Dempsey Hill on March 2 from 7 to 11.30am.
GAC Trumpchi E9 challenges Alphard with 1,000km range
The GAC Trumpchi E9 is undergoing approval for sale in Singapore.
The GAC Trumpchi E9 is a seven-seater pitched at the likes of the Toyota Alphard and Denza D9. As a plug-in hybrid, the car has a 2-litre engine with 188hp and a 134kW electric motor. Combining its 56-litre fuel tank and 25.6kWh battery, the 5.2m-long car is said to be able to travel over 1,000km before it needs more petrol or electrons.
The E9 is undergoing approval for sale in Singapore. It is estimated to be priced at $280,000 with COE and rebates.
Chinese car giant Guangzhou Automobile Group Co (GAC) produces the Trumpchi, as well as brands like Aion.
GAC is represented here by Vincar Group, which is also in the process of launching the Proton e.Mas 7, an electric SUV.