Avatr adds range extender vehicle to its range
Avatr currently has three battery-electric models on offer: the Avatr 11 coupé-style SUV was the first, followed by the Avatr 12 electric saloon. This year, the brand then launched the Avatr 07 SUV crossover as a competitor to the Tesla Model Y on the market. At the premiere of the 07 in May, it was announced that a variant with an additional range extender was planned in addition to the BEV version. The other two models that will likely receive the range extender by the end of the year are the Avatr 11 and 12 – due to the lack of other models in the range.
As the ownership structure suggests, the battery for the EREV (Extended Range Electric Vehicle) version comes from CATL. The EREV battery is said to have an energy content of 39 kWh and enable a battery-electric range of 245 kilometres according to the Chinese CLTC cycle. The battery can be charged with 3C (in this case well over 100 kW at peak), and the charging time from 30 to 80 per cent is specified as 15 minutes.
Thanks to CATL’s expertise, the battery pack is designed to avoid a problem that often occurs with other EREVs: a sharp drop in performance when the charge level is low. According to Avatr, the battery pack can be discharged at a peak rate of up to 9C when fully charged (which corresponds to around 350 kW of power) and even when the charge level is low, the discharge rate should still be 7.7C (273 kW). As the electric motor of the Avatr 07 EREV has an output of 231 kW, it should be able to deliver full power regardless of the battery charge level.
A 100 kW combustion engine is on board as a range extender. As the CnEvPost writes, this drive should generate ‘more than 3.63 kWh of electricity per litre of petrol’. With a full tank and full battery, the total range should be 1,152 kilometres according to CLTC. The range therefore increases significantly with the EREV system, but efficiency suffers enormously.
Avatr delivered a total of 31,663 electric cars last year, with 32,655 vehicles delivered by July 2024 alone. However, among Chinese NEV startups, Avatr is one of the companies with lower delivery figures. In view of the success of Li Auto, which specialises in EREVs, start-ups such as Leapmotor and Neta have already started to offer EREVs in addition to their BEV models – and now Avatr is following suit. However, companies such as Xpeng and Nio (interestingly, one of the founders of Avatr, but Nio has withdrawn) have confirmed that they will remain on their BEV-only path.
Avatr’s largest shareholder is the state-owned car manufacturer Changan with 40 per cent. CATL holds 17 per cent, with the remainder in free float held by investors. Huawei is not involved in the joint venture, but is one of the main suppliers.
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