Apollo launches three new concepts, including an electric saloon
The Apollo EVision S will soon become the company’s first EV, as the firm plans to wade into the electric luxury class
Apollo Automobil has pulled the sheets off three new concept cars at the 2021 China International Import Expo in Hong Kong. The trio showcases the brand’s next-generation line-up and outlines the company’s push towards “clean-air mobility”.
The most important vehicle on display was the Apollo EVision S. It’s a pure-electric four-seat, four-door coupe, which the company says is designed specifically for families.
Reports suggest Apollo has plans to put the EVision S into production. It’ll become a rival for the Audi e-tron GT and the Porsche Taycan – and it’ll eventually be joined by an EVision X SUV that’s designed to tackle the likes of the Mercedes EQS SUV and the Tesla Model X.
The EVision S features the same aggressive styling language used on the IE hypercar, with a low nose, enormous intakes and triangular headlamps. And, although not explicitly stated, we expect it’ll be powered by the company’s new, in-house 800-volt electric powertrain.
The system was also on display at the show. It comprises two clean-sheet axial flux electric motors mounted into one compact unit, which allows for torque vectoring across the axle. Apollo plans to sell the system to other OEMs, too.
Other vehicles on the Apollo stand included a prototype for the company’s upcoming replacement for the IE hypercar – the Project Evo. Like the old car, it features lairy spaceship styling, albeit with six new enormous fins poking out of the rear diffuser. There’s also a full suite of active aero components and a tri-exit exhaust system.
The Project Evo is based around a new carbon fibre monocoque and safety cell, which Apollo says is so stiff, it meets FIA LMP2 safety regulations without the need for a roll cage. It will be propelled by a “naturally aspirated powertrain”, which we expect will be an even more powerful version of the old car’s 780bhp 6.3-litre V12 engine.
Apollo also rolled out its last-mile delivery vehicle concept, called the UME (that’s Universal Mobility Electrified). We first saw the dinky commercial vehicle concept last year – but the firm’s engineers have now fitted it with a coffee machine to show how a business could use the vehicle as a platform on which to make money.
Are you excited to see Apollo move towards EVs? Let us know in the comments below…
