Xpeng today announced that the new Mona M03 has the lowest wind resistance for a mass-produced pure electric sedan with Cd 0.194. Also noteworthy is that on the poster to announce this, Xpeng is calling the car Mona M03 and not simply M03 as we previously thought the car was named.
Xpeng has published a chart showing the differences various elements of the Mona M03 design make to the aerodynamics of the car along with the corresponding increase in range. It should be remembered that there are a number of ways to increase the range without installing a larger battery pack, which leads to a weight spiral issue. The best ways to do this are by either reducing weight or by making the car more aerodynamic to cut the drag, meaning the car needs less energy to move.
Aerodynamic measures result in a Cd 0.085 reduction in the wind resistance of the Xpeng Mona M03 and this is claimed to increase range by 60 km. This also means 15% lower energy consumption per 100 km. The single biggest contributor to this is a nearly 1-meter long active air intake grille system (AGS) which alone accounts for 0.023 Cd and a 15.6 km increase in range. Other measures include a wind guide plate at the rear, low wind resistance arc air dam, low wind resistance rims, and a pneumatic streamlined ducktail.
It should also be noted that thanks to the MIIT listings we also know that the Mona M03 is quite light for an EV. The listing information quotes three different weights of 1631, 1661 and 1739 kg depending on version. As yet we still don’t have any definitive information about range with only an early indication suggesting 550 km (CLTC). However, based on the low drag and weight a figure of around 600 km would seem more than likely unless the battery pack capacity is low.
The smallest Xpeng sedan to date it measures in at 4780, 1896 and 1445 mm (l/w/h) and has a wheelbase of 2815 mm. The car has an aspect ratio of 1.31, a length to height ratio of 3.31, and a tire height ratio of 0.47, Xpeng has recently publicized how these are ideal ratios for a design.
At launch, there will be a choice between electric power from a 140 kW or 160 kW electric motor. Juice will come from lithium iron phosphate blade batteries from BYD subsidiary FinDreams. Prices is expected to come in at around 150,000 yuan (20,650 USD). The car will launch today with the official launch in the third quarter.
The Mona series started life as a collaboration between Didi and Xpeng with responsibilities divided between the two companies. According to the teaser poster Mona stands for “Made Of New AI” and significantly the poster states it’s “promoting AI-powered smart EVs worldwide” which could mean the car is destined for exports.
Source: Fast Technology
They could have done a better job with the rear….
Chinese netizens have commented it is not possible to know if this car is coming or going. The back pretty much looks the same as the front.
What a cool looking car!!