The Avatr 07 will be Avatr's third model after the Avatr 11 SUV, Avatr 12 sedan and will be its first model that will be offered in both BEV and EREV variants.
(Image credit: Avatr)
Avatr Technology, the electric vehicle (EV) brand backed by Changan Automobile, CATL, and Huawei, has teased a new model that will mark a shift to extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) from the company that currently offers only battery electric vehicles (BEVs).
Avatr today said on Weibo that it will launch the Avatr 07 SUV (sport utility vehicle), which will be offered in both BEV and EREV variants.
The Avatr 07 will be Avatr's third model after the Avatr 11 SUV, Avatr 12 sedan and will be its first model to be offered in both BEV and EREV variants.
Avatr's pivot to EREVs underscores the challenges faced by BEV makers as a whole and the company's desire of increasing sales by adding fuel tanks to its EVs.
Most of China's earliest EV startups targeted the BEV market in the beginning, but experience over the past few years has shown that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) without range anxiety are more popular.
An EREV is a type of PHEV, but is powered only by batteries, so drivers get the driving experience of a BEV with the range of a fuel-efficient vehicle.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI), one of China's best-known EREV makers, launched the Li Mega MPV (multi-purpose vehicle), its first BEV, on March 1, but it was met with poor reception.
New Chinese car makers including Leapmotor and Neta Auto, which originally offered only BEVs, have started offering additional EREVs in the past few years.
Nio (NYSE: NIO) and Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) still only offer BEVs, and they have both previously made it clear that they have no plans to launch EREVs.
So far this year, sales of PHEVs, including EREVs, have performed significantly better than BEVs in China.
In the first quarter, retail sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China amounted to 1.77 million units, up 34.35 percent year-on-year, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
BEVs saw retail sales of 1.03 million units in the first quarter, up 14.82 percent year-on-year, while PHEVs saw 740,000 units, up 75.69 percent.
Back to Avatr, the company said today that the Avatr 07 will be available in rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive variants.
The Avatr 07 measures 4,825 mm in length, 1,980 mm in width and 1,620 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,940 mm.
For reference, Li Auto's Li L6, which was launched last month, measures 4,925 mm in length, 1,960 mm in width and 1,735 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,920 mm.
The Avatr 07 will be powered by Huawei's next-generation LiDAR, as well as CATL's next-generation supercharging batteries, Avatr said today.
Avatr did not reveal any more information about the Avatr 07, and previous reports said that the model is expected to go on sale in the third quarter, with a price range expected to be between RMB 250,000 ($34,600) and RMB 350,000.
Avatr was initially co-founded by Changan and Nio as Changan Nio on July 10, 2018. Currently Nio has substantially withdrawn from the joint venture, holding less than one percent of the shares.
Avatr launched its first model, the Avatr 11, on August 9, 2022, with deliveries commencing at the end of December 2022. On November 10, 2023, the Avatr 12 was launched, with deliveries commencing in December.
Avatr will launch two new models in 2024 and will have four EVEVs to add to its production line, its president, Chen Zhuo, said at the end of December 2023.
The company delivered 5,247 vehicles in April, according to figures it announced earlier this month. It did not release deliveries for March, and it delivered 2,457 vehicles in February.
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