AIWAYS (AI ON THE WAY), the China-based automotive start-up, promised to develop a luxury sports car and mass-market cars and they have delivered on their promise. AIWAYS plans to introduce the RG Nathalie and the U5 during the Geneva Motor Show, Europe's premier automotive expo, in an effort to break through the European market.
The AIWAYS RG Nathalie, the world's first track-class electric sports car, is a handmade and custom hybrid supercar that is being developed under the guidance of the premier chassis tuning master Roland Gumpert. AIWAYS announced that the RG Nathalie will be equipped with a state-of-the-art methanol-electric powertrain.
AIWAYS claims that the RG Nathalie has a range of around 600 kilometers (375 miles) and while the RG Nathalie is an electric vehicle, it utilizes a hydrogen fuel cell technology for generating electricity to power its four electric motors. This technology allows for charging of the RG Nathalie's batteries during use to dramatically increase the super car's cruise range.
Expected to hit the market sometime in 2019, AIWAYS claims that the RG Nathalie's electric powertrain can produce 793 horsepower which allows the supercar to accelerate to 60 miles per hour in under 2.5 seconds. AIWAYS also claims that the RG Nathalie would have a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour.
The RG Nathalie, named for one of Gumpert's daughters, features an electronic differential track-level aerodynamic and a purely electric drive system. Furthermore, the revolutionary sports car has a carbon fiber body and utilizes a one-of-a-kind space frame structure.
AIWAYS claims that the RG Nathalie's features would give its users unparalleled riding comfort and safety. The pricing for AIWAYS newest supercar is reportedly going to be announced before its official launch.
Meanwhile, the U5 is a five-seat SUV which is AIWAYS' answer to the Tesla Model X, the Audi e-tron, the Mercedes-Benz EQC, and the Jaguar I-Pace. The U5 is definitely more affordable than its European counterparts and designed to be stylish, powerful, and functional.
Under the hood, the AIWAYS U5 is powered by electric motors that are capable of producing 185 horsepower. AIWAYS claims that the electric motors can drive the U5 SUV up to about 285 miles. The U5 is also equipped with an artificial-intelligence battery pack that is designed to increase the range of the electric SUV by 62 miles.
It may be difficult to penetrate the European market as European-manufactured vehicles still dominate in the region. But AIWAYS is bringing to Europe 2 contenders that could break through and challenge the competition. Armed with state-of-the-art features, the Chinese-made AIWAYS RG Nathalie and the AIWAYS U5 could lead the charge and open the doors into Europe for other Asian automobile manufacturers.
