Shanghai (ZXZC)- GAC AION, the EV-dedicated arm of GAC Group, delivered 21,056 vehicles in May 2022, representing a 150% surge compared to the previous year, the automaker announced on Wednesday.

Notably, it was also the highest monthly deliveries GAC AION ever achieved.

As for the year-to-date performance, deliveries of GAC AION spiked 122% year on year to 76,142 units.

As a significant sign that the EV maker is speeding up its independent development, GAC AION's R&D center officially moved into a new building on May 17.

The move came after GAC Group completed a significant internal restructuring on November 29, 2021, which made GAC AION take over the R&D staff of GAC R&D Center's all-electric unit.

Currently, GAC AION's R&D center houses over 600 talents, and the number is likely to grow to nearly 1,000 by the end of this year.

AION S

GAC AION expects its second car manufacturing plant to start production in December 2022, the automaker revealed in mid-May in a document of an investor relations event. The completed new factory will help the automaker double its total production capacity to 400,000 vehicles per year.

Located in Panyu district, Guangzhou city, GAC AION's second plant will not only produce the existing five models (the AION Y, the AION S PLUS, the AION S, the AION V, and the AION LX), but also other new models.