GAC Aion unveils Ray 7 with Huawei drive, claimed 700 km CLTC range

GAC Aion unveiled the Ray 7 on August 20 as the first model in its Ray series and the first Aion vehicle to carry the refreshed logo. Its low, wide body measures 4,960 mm long, 1,900 mm wide and 1,455 mm high, with a 2,920 mm wheelbase and a full-width front light bar.

The headline hardware comes from Huawei. The rear-wheel-drive sedan uses a Huawei-supplied motor producing 180 kW (241 hp) and the company’s DriveONE integrated electric drive system. Aion combines it with a next-generation thermal management system and a 28-in-1 thermal management module; the result, according to Aion, is 9.7 kWh per 100 kilometers on the CLTC test cycle and a claimed 700-kilometer CLTC range.

The Ray 7 also puts a substantial sensor package behind its driver assistance. It has 27 automotive-grade sensors, including a Huawei 192-channel LiDAR—a laser sensor used to map the vehicle’s surroundings—and 3 4D millimeter-wave radars. Its algorithms share the technological foundation of WeRide’s Level 4 robotaxis, supporting parking-space-to-parking-space driving, nearby-space searches and automated passage through parking gates.

Aion says the car can stop in 33 meters from 100 kilometers per hour and uses Huawei’s EMB, or electromechanical brake-by-wire system. Its battery is supplied by CATL and incorporates Aion’s Magazine Battery 2.0 safety technology. Earlier regulatory filings identified another variant using cells from Aion’s Yinpai Battery, so the battery configuration may not be identical across versions.

So what changes in practice? For drivers, the Ray 7 brings long stated range, low stated energy consumption and more automated manoeuvres into a single large sedan, while Aion tries to reach younger buyers with a new design and badge. The limits are equally concrete: Aion has not published a price or launch date, and the 700-kilometer and 9.7 kWh per 100 kilometers figures are manufacturer claims under CLTC. It will be displayed publicly at the Chengdu show from August 21 to August 30.