China: Second Avatr EV rolls off the production line

The Avatr 12 is a five-metre-long coupé-like sedan that follows the design language of Avatr’s first model, the Avatr 11. Deliveries of the model, presented at the IAA Mobility in Munich, will begin in China this quarter. That is according to Chinese media reports. There is still no news on expansion plans, but since Avatr showed their EVs in Munich, they likely have their eye on expanding to Europe.

Avatr’s first EV is the coupé-like SUV Avatr 11, now available in China. The young brand is following up with a large electric sedan called Avatr 12. It will be available in two drive options – a rear-wheel drive with 230 kW of power or an all-wheel drive with a 425 kW drive. According to earlier information, the engines come from Huawei’s regulatory filing and the 94.5 kWh battery from shareholder CATL.

Both models share the 750-volt platform used by Avatr. Still, the electric limousine and electric SUV differ in battery capacity, among other things: while the Avatr 11 comes with 90.4 or 116.8 kWh, the Avatr 12 has an aforementioned 94.5 kWh. In addition, the 11 is only available as a four-wheel drive vehicle, while the 12 is now also to be launched on the market with a single-engine version. The range of the debut model is 555 and 680 kilometres, respectively. The range of the second model is 650 and 700 kilometres, respectively, based on the Chinese test cycle.

Commenting on the current production launch of the Avatr 12, CEO Tan Benhong said, “To ensure the successful production of the AVATR 12, we’ve invested significant resources, with cumulative contributions exceeding 2 billion yuan from Changan, Huawei, and CATL. For example, CATL tailored a customized ‘H’-shaped battery specifically for the AVATR 12, optimizing battery layout to enhance rear passenger space significantly.”

According to a report earlier this week, Avatr, along with Neta, is also among the launch customers of CATL’s new extra fast-charging LFP battery called Shenxing. However, it is not yet known in which models the Shenxing battery will debut. CATL presented the Shenxing battery in mid-August and will also manufacture it in its European plants in Germany and Hungary in the future after the start of production in China at the end of 2023. The LFP battery can be charged with up to 4C – the charging power (in kW) is four times the battery size (in kWh). In theory, a full charge is possible in 15 minutes. CATL stated that electricity for 400 kilometres could be recharged in ten minutes.

Update 13 November

A few weeks after the start of production, the Avatr 12 has launched in China. The all-electric coupé-style saloon from Changan and CATL is available in three variants at prices between 300,800 and 400,800 yuan, which corresponds to a price range of around 38,700 to 51,500 euros.

Avatr presented the model at the IAA Mobility in Munich at the beginning of September, so it is likely that the electric vehicle will also be exported in the future. However, there is still no information on this. As reported above, production of the Avatr 12 started around a month ago.

autonews.gasgoo.com, carnewschina.com, cnevpost.com (Update)