After a week of automotive showcase, the IAA Mobility in Munich has closed its doors again. In retrospect, one thing in particular has become clear: Decisive for success is, above all, cutting-edge technology – and the highest possible flexibility to integrate it at any time. Aiways has already set this course in the best possible way.
Many commentators had already predicted the death of the IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich before its launch. But to equate these speculations with a decline of the industry would be a fatal mistake. For the opposite was the case, the reception at the press and trade visitor days at the start of the trade show was greater than in previous years, and the opportunities and potential have never been greater than in the current period of transformation.
Industry trends of great interest, especially to young audiences
Fittingly, interest among the younger generation is also at a higher level than ever. In the context of the IAA Mobility, the industry magazine Automobilwoche, together with the opinion research institute Civey, conducted an online survey on the trade show – with astonishing results. Not only were 20 percent of respondents interested in news and trends from the show, but plans for on-site visits were significantly higher than before, at three percent. Interest was particularly strong in the age group between 18 and 29, with almost one in ten planning to visit the show in person. This is above all testimony to the fact that the upcoming trends in the automotive industry are meeting with a lively response from young audiences in particular.
Aiways MAS platform provides flexible foundation for upcoming technologies
One of these trends is to use flexible platforms for vehicle construction. “With conventional vehicle platforms, you have very little room for new technologies,” explains Dr. Alexander Klose, Executive Vice President of Overseas Operations at Aiways. “The entire architecture has fixed installation spaces and only a few degrees of freedom. With an all-electric architecture like our MAS platform, it’s fundamentally different. We can move with the times.”
CATL, a leading battery supplier and Aiways’ partner for equipping the high-voltage battery cells for the U5 SUV and U6 SUV-Coupé models, shows that this is necessary. At IAA Mobility, CATL publicly demonstrated a novel lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery for the first time. The “Shenxing” battery, which is said to be the world’s first 4C fast-charge battery, can recharge a range of 400 km in just 10 minutes and can even reach over 700 km when fully charged.
“Through innovative materials and optimized electrochemistry, the Shenxing battery achieves an energy density that is unmatched, with a higher level of safety than other cell chemistries. The battery also performs at low temperatures, resolving many conflicting goals previously faced when selecting a battery technology,” said Aiways’ battery partner.
In a new series of articles on his LinkedIn profile, Dr. Alexander Klose talks about strategic decisions in the design of future models in view of the extreme pace of development and the high pressure to innovate in the industry, as well as the resulting conflicts of objectives.
LinkedIn series on technology progress in electromobility with Dr. Alexander Klose
The series starts with an article that deals with the tension between range and cost, as well as a technical insight that not only deals with the cell chemistries of previous battery types, but also explains the problems of modern batteries at low outside temperatures.
The series will repeatedly address current development topics and provide an overview of the status-quo of the industries, as well as an outlook on how a young and agile brand like Aiways can make the best use of these developments.