Recently, the first export-bound versions of the Hyptec SSR car rolled off the GAC production line. Hyptec is the latest English name for the brand, which originally started out as the Aion Hyper brand before dropping the Aion element. Hyptec appears to stand for ‘hyper technology life’ according to the official pictures. GAC refers to the SSR as China’s first EV supercar.
Launched on October 9, 2023, it is one of China’s most expensive domestically produced cars, with prices starting at 1,286,000 yuan (178,110 USD) and ranging up to 1,686,000 yuan (233,510 USD) in China. First export deliveries will be in the Southeast Asian market later this month. GAC plans to expand further sales to the Middle East, South America and European markets. The Hyptec SSR is expected to be shown at the Paris Motor Show in October.
SSR apparently stands for Super, Sport, Race and the car was designed jointly between GAC’s Guangzhou and Los Angeles-based design centers. At the front, the car has an imposing look thanks to the lights, which take up much of the width and are outlined by LED daytime running lights. This aggressive look is further enhanced by the black air inlet and splitter plate at the bottom. The SSR features scissor doors and it’s claimed that the body covering parts are made completely from high-strength carbon fiber, produced using an aviation-grade autoclave molding process. This, along with extensive use of aluminium alloys, helps reduce weight. There is an active rear wing which adjusts to the driving dynamics to improve aerodynamic performance and downforce. Paintwork is done using a 6C4B spraying process.
Inside the car, it’s surprisingly bright, thanks to the red interior. The SSR gains a racing car-type steering wheel, and instrumentation consists of a 14.6-inch infotainment screen and a dedicated 8.8-inch instrument cluster. Surprisingly given the performance the car does not have a head-up display, however, the instrument panel is located about halfway between the steering wheel and the base of the windshield meaning that it is easy to see while driving. The center console is largely open and tubular, reminiscent of the interior of the GAC Enpulse concept. Air vents are incorporated into the design of the center console, along with being on the extremes of the dashboard. The steering wheel has paddle shifts, although it is unclear exactly what these control.
The car has an all-aluminium alloy front and rear double wishbone suspension structure. This is matched with SDC intelligent variable damping shock absorbers and electronic limited slip differential (ELSD) to improve handling stability.
Powering the Hyptec SSR (see specs) are three electric motors giving a combined power of 900 kW with 1230 Nm of torque. One motor is mounted on the front axle with 320 kW, and two motors on the rear axle where the combined power is 580 kW. The car uses a 74.69 kWh battery pack, which gives it up to a range of 506 km using CLTC measurements. The batteries themselves use ternary lithium (NMC) chemistry and use GAC’s own magazine battery technology, but are produced by CALB. As with many high-performance, high-end EVs, the car features a two-speed gearbox. Depending on the variant, acceleration is as fast as 1.9 seconds 0-100 km/h, and the top speed is listed as 251 km/h. Curb weight is 1990 kg.
The Hyptec SSR has a 2-speed 4-in-1 high-performance motor. This is equipped with a 900V high voltage silicon carbide chip and uses a full stack self-developed e-drive 3.0 intelligent control system. Efficiency of the electric drive assembly is claimed to be 94.5%.
It is unclear which market in Southeast Asia the first cars are destined for as currently the export version is only available in left-hand drive. The car, however, was displayed just days ago at GIIAS 2024 in Jakarta, Indonesia, under the Hyptec name. Differences between the export version and the domestic version are believed to be minimal.
Sources: Autohome, Fast Technology, Eseni
