Meet the HiPhi A: a madcap Chinese EV that will put most supercars to shame
It’s suffice to say that once you get past the fact this automotive manufacturer is named after a system audiophiles covet for pristine vinyl playback, things don’t get a whole lot easier to comprehend.
Chinese marque HiPhi's current electric car line-up consists of X, Y and Z, with the former arguably adopting the most "normal" saloon/SUV crossover shape. Things get slightly madder as you scale up to the more bulbous Y, and then start to lose the plot with Z.
It features LED lighting that can project emojis and arguably the most complicated door system even seen on a car.
But HiPhi is also resetting its alphabetical naming convention and arguably saving the most unhinged for last... or should that be first?
The A, which is expected to arrive in limited number by 2025, can accelerate from 0-62mph in just two seconds, march on to over 180mph and offer a full system power output that tickles the 1,300bhp mark… that’s Koenigsegg One:1 territory.
The entire system is underpinned by an 800V electrical architecture, while three electric motors (one on the front axle, two on the rear) have been employed to help the A reach its dizzying performance heights.
In addition to this, the company says the 1.5 megawatt maximum discharge power batteries are encased in carbon fibre to save weight, while ultra-high strength carbon fibre rotors and intelligent cooling in the self-developed electric motors see them spin up to 22,000rpm. That’s almost twice as much as Gordon Murray’s latest T.50 hypercar.
The exterior borrows elements from a number of existing supercar legends, including the Nissan GT-R, while a massive rear wing, diffusers and numerous aggressive body addendum signifies it means business. This is one long, low and wide aggressor.
What’s more, HiPhi says it is among the first to use aircraft grade TC4 titanium alloy in automotive interior and exterior trim. In fact, we think the interior looks even better than the exterior, with a gorgeous exposed metal finish to the seat-backs and central tunnel.
In order to silence the naysayers, who will undoubtedly riff on the idea that it’s easy to squeeze insane power from electric motors, but much harder to translate that into a proper “driver’s car”, HiPhi is harnessing advanced chassis technologies like rear-wheel active steering, CDC continuously variable damping, as well as a front-to-rear axle weight ratio close to 50:50 for poise and balance.
"It will also be equipped with HiPhi’s leading torque vectoring control technology HVC (HiPhi Vectoring Control) to improve vehicle handling, resulting in 15 per cent improvement in cornering and 10 per cent improvement in braking performance," the company says.
There is currently no word on pricing, but HiPhi has started selling its X and Z models in Germany and Norway, so there’s mild hope we might see the arresting sight of an A at some point in the future.
