Changan pursues global EV goals with Avatr brand  

Chinese automaker Changan has joined the electrification train, teaming up with electronics company Huawei and leading lithium battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) to manufacture and sell electric vehicles (EVs) under the Avatr brand.

Changan has invested in a joint partnership with Huawei and CATL to assemble EVs

“Changan is truly on a massive EV offensive. Under its new energy program, the Shangri-La Plan, it aims to be a global leader in EV by 2030,” said Changan Motor Philippines, Inc. (CMPI) President & CEO Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo. 

Launched in December 2021, Avatr will be independent from the mainline Changan label, focusing on manufacturing EVs around a new dedicated architecture equipped with automotive chips supplied by Huawei. The first Avatr-branded EV, a crossover, is slated to be released in China in 2022. It will reportedly feature 200 kW supercharging, a zero to 100 kilometer-per-hour acceleration time of under four seconds, and a minimum range of 700 kilometers on a full charge.    

The Eado EV460 is Changan's initial EV offering in the Philippines 

Changan reportedly dedicates 5 percent of its annual sales to research and development. The carmaker recently pledged a staggering $12.55 billion (more than Php 655.3 billion) as priority investment in EVs by the end of 2025. It expects to sell 1.5 million plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles by then, or 35 percent of its projected total sales. 

In the Philippines, CMPI markets the Eado EV460 as its initial EV offering, priced at Php 1,828,000 for the lone variant available. The electric sedan’s permanent magnet synchronous motor powered by a lithium-ion battery packs 134 horsepower and 245 Nm of torque. 

Charging in eight hours as standard or 30 minutes with the optional quick charger, the Eado EV460 offers a range of up to 550 kilometers on a full battery. It also received a 5-star rating in crash safety tests conducted by China’s New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP). 

The carmaker is going big on electrification

Ms. Perez-Agudo has high hopes for the Philippine market in light of Changan’s EV ambitions.

“With the rising fuel prices and the Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations Act (Senate Bill No. 1382) soon to be passed into law, we are optimistic that the much-desired EV ecosystem will be established, so that more and more Filipinos will be given the chance to enjoy the benefits of owning one of the world’s best-selling pure electric cars,” she said.   

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