AIWAYS U5 battery-electric SUVs embark from Xi'an for Frankfurt

Shanghai-based personal mobility provider, AIWAYS, has embarked on what is believed to be the longest point-to-point drive of a prototype electric vehicle ever attempted. A pair of prototype AIWAYS U5 battery-electric SUVs departed yesterday from Xi'an, China, and will now be driven 14,231km to Frankfurt, Germany.

The vehicles, which are nearing the end of a comprehensive test and development program, are scheduled to complete their epic journey in September, just in time for the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) 2019.

The audacious EV engineering drive will involve two U5 prototype vehicles and a team of engineers travelling through the Gobi Desert of northern China. Following routes used for centuries by Silk Road traders, the convoy will arrive in Kazakhstan at the end of July.

The convoy will then enter Russia, passing through Moscow and St Petersburg before entering Europe through Finland. The northernmost leg of the drive takes the prototypes above the Gulf of Bothnia, with scheduled stops in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, before entering Germany.

Once in western Europe, the cars will also visit Amsterdam, Paris and Zurich, before a final drive over the Alps and back into Germany. The journey will end in front of the Frankfurt exhibition halls during the first week of September, shortly before the IAA opens its doors to the public.

The drive marks a significant stage of the development cycle for the new AIWAYS U5, giving engineers the chance to subject the car to a demanding, long-distance examination. Testing two vehicles on some of the world's most demanding urban and rural roads over a combined distance of more than 28,000 kilometres will help AIWAYS evaluate quality and reliability and determine optimal chassis settings.