Having successfully completed TÜV SÜD testing, the HiPhi X electric vehicle is now ready for sales in European countries. With a price tag likely to be close to €80,000, will this design from Human Horizons offer enough to persuade high-end German car lovers to move East?
With 220kW dual motors front and rear, the HiPhi X claims an efficiency score higher than 97%. In real world terms, that should translate to a maximum range of around 350 miles when it’s finally tested using WLTP methods. Acceleration to 60 mph happens in less than 4 seconds and it also has a simple interior, packed with the latest technology.
The company clearly believe that they have a winner on their hands, but they needed to ensure that the legal bases were covered before initiating an export model to the EU.
The vehicle approval and homologation process undertaken by TÜV SÜD has been designed to ensure that cars which pass, adhere correctly to European standards and regulations. This includes analysis of the battery management system, chassis control, brakes, steering and active systems such as park assist and radar-guided cruise control. TÜV SÜD also undertook stringent EMC testing to ensure HiPhi X and its high-voltage components don’t interfere with the ambient electromagnetic environment.
Each HiPhi X version comes with luxurious appointments like a 17-speaker Meridian audio system, a 19.9-inch entertainment screen purely for the front passenger and a customizable smart fragrance system. HiPhi X is available in six-seat or even more luxurious four-seat configuration, including a smart refrigerator, 8-inch rear high-definition touch screens and fully adjustable executive airline-style seats.
“The homologation was crucial in enabling HiPhi products access to the European market”, said Stefan Merkl, Vice President Automotive at TÜV SÜD. “TÜV SÜD completed the EU Homologation for the HiPhi X in record time.”
Within four years of being founded, Human Horizons claims that it had already begun to transform the automotive landscape in China. The HiPhi X is outselling the premium competition, according to Merkl. His company’s European plans begin with HiPhi X, but will soon be followed up with the second flagship model, called the HiPhi Z.
The HiPhi Z is a fully electric GT coupé, capable of accelerating from 0-60mph in less than 3.8 seconds and – with its 120kWh battery pack – should hit close to 380 miles WLTP when finally tested.
HiPhi Z (below) should provide some interesting talking points – especially with the central infotainment system being positioned using the first robotic arm in the industry (HiPhi Bot).
At the Shanghai Auto Show on April 18, HiPhi will reveal an all-new third model, HiPhi Y, designed and engineered with global markets in mind.
HiPhi CTO and Co-Founder Mark Stanton said: “Receiving the necessary test reports from TÜV SÜD for the European vehicle approval is not only an important step forward in our carefully considered plans for launching in Europe, but it’s also a reinforcement of the meticulous standards to which HiPhi products are engineered. European road safety standards are among the strictest in the world, and the homologation by TÜV SÜD confirms that HiPhi X meets these standards.”
Further details about HiPhi’s European plans, including launch markets, will be revealed at the Shanghai Auto Show.