The Aoxin Ibis is China’s answer to the Tesla Model S

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Tesla is struggling in China, lacking stores and superchargers. And now they have something else to worry about: local competition, of some sort.

The above car is the Aoxin Ibis, an impressive full electric full size sedan with a Tesla-like logo on the enormous and enormously shiny grille. The Aoxin Ibis debuted last year on the New Energy Auto Show in Shanghai (NEAS) and will be launched on the Chinese car market in the second half of this year. The girls seem impressed, and that is a good start. There is more:

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Aoxin and Tesla compared.

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The Aoxin Ibis, alternatively called Aoxin Heying or Aoxin E45, is manufactured by a Chinese company called Aoxin New Energy (web), based in Yancheng City in Jiangsu Province. The company was founded in 2006, became a subsidiary of Dongfeng Motors in 2007, and was sold on to the Yancheng Municipal Government in 2009, making it a local state-owned enterprise (LSOE).

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The main products are a line of small electric utility vehicles and a hip electric mini car. The latter is marketed in the United States as the e-GO EV by a Las Vegas-based company called 2050Motors. In 2011 Aoxin New Energy started a cooperation with the Italian company TechnoDesign for the development of advanced lightweight chassis for electric vehicles, and the Aoxin Ibis is the first fruit:

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No matter the fuzzy logo thing, the actual car doesn’t look much like the Model S. It has some hints of the Buick LaCrosse but not too many. The Ibis is a surprisingly advanced machine. The chassis is made out of aluminum and carbon fiber, and parts of the body are carbon as well. Aoxin claims the Ibis is fitted with race-inspired truss-double wishbone suspension, and that it is up to 40% lighter than comparable electric cars, whatever those might be.

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Dials are fully digital. Large screen in the center console that looks very Tesla again, albeit quite a bit smaller.

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The Ibis is a large car: 5000/1898/1605, wheelbase is 2930, and curb weight is 1830 kilo. That makes the Ibis slightly longer and much lighter than the Model S: 4976/1963/1434, wheelbase is 2959, and curb weight is 2108 kilo.

Now for power! Aoxin claims the Ibis has three electric motors, all powering the rear wheels. Main motor sits on the rear axle, supplemented by a hub motor in each rear wheel. Total output is a slightly disappointing 181hp and 340nm, good for a 152 km/h top speed. Range however is very impressive with 460 kilometer by normal use, and 520 kilometer by a 60 kilometer per our average speed (this odd 60 km/h measurement is used by many Chinese electric-automakers). The motors get their juice from a 360V triple-lithium polymer battery, located under the floor of the vehicle. Specs via Aoxin.

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Official Aoxin banner.

When exactly the Ibis will hit the market and for how much is yet unknown. Price will be vitally important, Chinese car buyers are finally slowly warming up to electric cars, but they can’t be too expensive. It is hard too predict how much it will cost as there is no comparable electric car on the market today, but it sure won’t be as much as Tesla wants for the Model S.

Aoxin is expected to announce details on price and availability on the upcoming International New Energy Vehicle Show in Jinan City, starting on March 17, and I will go there. To be continued…

With many thanks to Erik @ ChineseCars.net for putting me on the trail of Aoxin.

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26 COMMENTS

  1. Chinese luxury car shoppers are sophisticated enough to know that an untried, unproven upstart like this, can’t hold a candle to the quality, safety, and reliability record of Tesla. I don’t think they have anything to worry about here.
    That said, they deserve credit for trying….

  2. Ah I see that Tesla’s initiative to release its patents opensource has really been taken advantage by this new EV startup. However as good as the mileage is, the top speed isn’t to satisfaction. Most probable cutoffs to deliver a lower price than Tesla’s. Glad Tesla’s patents has created more momentum and relevance to EV cars in the future.

    • I doubt that the have used any significant Tesla patents – 3 motors in the rear axle is very different to Tesla –

  3. Actually is more then possible to get this mileage by using the last generation lithium batteries already available on the market since at least 3 years. Tesla buy its battery from Panasonic to achive his outstanding milege. But there is not only Panasonic can make good battery with high energy density…It’s good that small companies like Aoxia and Yema, show to the chinese giant automaker that a car with more then 400 km range can be made right now.

  4. Musk is a talented engineer and a talented huckster. I don’t blame him for the BS, but it is your damn fault for eating his crap hook, line, and sinker.

    The success of the Ibis all depends on price, though. It has Tesla-level range, when you do the mi-to-km conversion, but it lacks Tesla-level performance. As an uber-range fleet car it has potential; stuff in luxury amenities and aim to screw the chauffeur and someone will buy.

  5. With that size, that volume and that weight of the car, there can not be too much weight that stems from the battery. So capacity is most likely significantly lower than Tesla S. Plus, at 60km/h constant and no aux load, a modern EV gets AT LEAST double the range of a real world cycle. So everyday usable range is probably more like 250km – still not bat, albeit not stunning.

  6. Tesdiots are great. It achieves its long range through radical weight savings, same as the BMW i3, so while battery capacity is probably not excellent, it will likely have its advertised range.

  7. I would have been happy to buy and drive this car – unless it were for the badge.

    These guys should take pride in what they have made , and put their own unique badge there, not just a reminder that you couldn’t afford to buy the real thing.

  8. This’s nothing short of magnificent. It seem like a mish and mash of designs from Chinese automakers and European/American automobiles and the badge is simply beautifully designed, though it lacks history. (However, they should move the badge onto the hood to give the sedan more ‘presence’.) It has its own character and seems decent enough to warrant a serious consideration on any EV-buyers’ checklist. Right now, it needs a proper test drive and a proper price point to bait the correct customers.

  9. “520 kilometer by a 60 kilometer per our average speed ”

    The Tesla Model S, 85kwh model would get around 750km using the same 60km/hr average.

    The 520km would be closest in range to the Model S with the 60kwh battery size.

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