Photo: Mitsubishi
Apart from the i-MiEV, Mitsubishi had not presented another electric car until now. It is just a pity that it went with badge engineering to offer its second one: the Aitrek, for the Chinese market. The new vehicle is basically a GAC AION V with a different front grille.
As you may already know, GAC is the Chinese company Mitsubishi partnered with to produce its cars in China. That was a requirement before any foreign automaker was authorized to fully own its factories in that country. Tesla was the first one to be allowed to do that.
For some, it may seem only fair that Mitsubishi now uses GAC designs to sell an electric car in China. After all, GAC must have used Mitsubishi projects to create its first vehicles. Anyway, it is the sort of easy solution that will make people wonder if it is not better to buy the original car instead of the badge-engineered one – especially if it looks better, which is the GAC AION V’s case, as you can see in our gallery.
The Airtrek EV is 4.63 meters (15.2ft) long, 1.92 m (6.3ft) wide, 1.73 m (5.7ft) tall, and has a wheelbase of 2.83 m (9.3 ft), precisely the same measures presented by the GAC AION V. The motor is also the same, with 135 kW (181 hp) and 350 Nm (258.2 lb-ft).
There’s no info on the available battery packs. Still, the Mitsubishi apparently uses the two biggest ones offered by the AION V. It would have two range options: 500 kilometers (310 miles) or 600 km. (373 miles). The GAC has three battery packs: 60 kWh (for a WLTP range of 300 km-186 miles), 70 kWh (375 km - 233 miles)), and 80 kWh (450 km. - 280 miles).
Either Mitsubishi found a way to make the AION V more efficient or used another measuring cycle to state ranges that are so much longer with the same battery packs. We’d bet it chose the NEDC cycle.
The GAC AION V would be the first vehicle ever conceived to work with 5G. Although there is no information on the Airtrek EV having the same capability, we believe it also presents it when it goes on sale in Asia later this year.
Source: PCAuto and CNEVPost
For some, it may seem only fair that Mitsubishi now uses GAC designs to sell an electric car in China. After all, GAC must have used Mitsubishi projects to create its first vehicles. Anyway, it is the sort of easy solution that will make people wonder if it is not better to buy the original car instead of the badge-engineered one – especially if it looks better, which is the GAC AION V’s case, as you can see in our gallery.
The Airtrek EV is 4.63 meters (15.2ft) long, 1.92 m (6.3ft) wide, 1.73 m (5.7ft) tall, and has a wheelbase of 2.83 m (9.3 ft), precisely the same measures presented by the GAC AION V. The motor is also the same, with 135 kW (181 hp) and 350 Nm (258.2 lb-ft).
There’s no info on the available battery packs. Still, the Mitsubishi apparently uses the two biggest ones offered by the AION V. It would have two range options: 500 kilometers (310 miles) or 600 km. (373 miles). The GAC has three battery packs: 60 kWh (for a WLTP range of 300 km-186 miles), 70 kWh (375 km - 233 miles)), and 80 kWh (450 km. - 280 miles).
Either Mitsubishi found a way to make the AION V more efficient or used another measuring cycle to state ranges that are so much longer with the same battery packs. We’d bet it chose the NEDC cycle.
The GAC AION V would be the first vehicle ever conceived to work with 5G. Although there is no information on the Airtrek EV having the same capability, we believe it also presents it when it goes on sale in Asia later this year.
Source: PCAuto and CNEVPost
Google News