Beijing (ZXZC)- On March 30th, local EV startup, Aiways, announced a price increase in China of its only model on the market, the U5, effective April 6th.

U5; photo credit: Aiways

Aiways explained that due to the continuous price increment in raw materials, and the shortage of material, it decided to lift the price of its U5 model. Specifically, the PURE trim will see a RMB10,000 increase, the LITE trim will see an RMB12,000 rise, while the price of the intelligent driving selective package will go up RMB5,000. 

The U5 is Aiways first production model, positioning as a mid-size battery-electric SUV with multiple trims, including SE, ING, ING+, PRO, PRO+, PURE, and PURE Long Range. The vehicle is currently priced at RMB166,900 to RMB249,900. The price adjustments are only for the aforementioned two trims, and only in the Chinese market. Users who have placed their deposits before April 6th are not subjected to the change. 

Notably, among all Chinese auto startups, Aiways has the largest distribution network in Europe. The U5 model is sold in eleven European countries, namely France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Swiss, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden.  

In 2021, Aiways exported a total of 1,676 new energy vehicles, more than doubled from a year ago.