Not Playing Games, These Three Chinese Giants Prepare New Challenger Tesla Model Y

Avatr 15. (Doc. Avatr)

JAKARTA - Three Chinese, Changan, Huawei, and CATL giants, officially introduced Avatr 15, an electric crossover ready to become a strong competitor to Tesla Model Y.

Launching CarNewsChina, May 6, Avatr 15 is scheduled to enter the Chinese market in the second half of 2024. The car will be available in two variants: pure electricity (EV) and electric with extended range (EREV).

The design of Avatr 15 looks sleek and futuristic, characteristic of the Avatr product line. The graded LED front light and active airways at the bottom of the bumper decorate the front. Then there is a camera replacing the rear side mirrors, plus a door handle that can be automatically hidden, and there is a token hook on the back.

With a length of about 4750 mm, Avatr 15 belongs to the medium SUV category. This car was built on the CHN platform developed jointly by Changan, Huawei, and CATL. The platform is capable of accommodating both engine variants, both EREV and EV. In addition to the Tesla Model Y, the other rivals of Avatr 15 are Xpeng G6, BYD Song Plus, and BYD Sea Lion 07 which will be launched soon.

Interestingly, the location of the Avatr 15 test revealed through car camouflage actually shows their seriousness. The location point is located in an area near the city of Yakeshi, Mongolia, known as China's coldest city with a lowest temperature of minus 50.4 degrees Celsius! The selection of this extreme test site seems to want to emphasize Avatr 15's ability to face severe cold weather.

More detailed information about Avatr 15 will be announced later. Avatr himself has ambitions to spread its wings to the global market. Thailand will be their first international market, followed by the regions of Central Asia, North Africa, South America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. After that, Avatr plans to penetrate the European Union and North America markets.

For information, Avatr was originally founded in 2018 as a joint project between Changan and startup Nio. Later, Nio came out for financial reasons. CATL replaced him in this joint project. Currently, Changan owns 40 percent of the shares, while CATL holds more than 17 percent. The rest belongs to local investment funds. Meanwhile, Huawei acts as its supplier.