Chinese electric-car makers are garnering a reputation in the UK for disrupting the market with low prices that undercut well-established competitors from Europe, Japan and America. However Shanghai-based brand HiPhi is hunting for different prey, with its four-seat four-door all-electric hypercar shaping up to be a rival for the Koenigsegg Gemera.
To live up to the ludicrous styling – which we’ll come back to shortly – the HiPhi A is powered by a tri-motor setup that produces a colossal 1,287bhp, can propel the car from 0-62mph in just over two seconds, and allows it to hit a top speed close to 190mph. The three motors – one on the front axle, and two at the rear – are lightweight, compact and ultra-quiet, yet are capable of spinning at 22,000rpm and can maintain high power output for more than 30 minutes.
The exact size of the battery pack remains a mystery for now, as is the car’s range, but HiPhi says it can discharge up to 1.5MW of power at its peak. We also know the HiPhi is based on an 800V platform, just like the Rimac Nevera and Pinnifarina Battista.
It’s not all about straight-line speed though, as the HiPhi A has been fitted with rear-wheel active steering, continuously variable damping and torque vectoring technology to help with handling.
Described as a “hypercar for the next generation”, the HiPhi A looks unashamedly outrageous, with its enormous rear wing and equally large front splitter you wouldn’t want within 50 yards of a speed bump. But there is a clear family resemblance with the brand’s existing HiPhi Z saloon and HiPhi Y SUV, which are no wallflowers themselves.
The cabin features a driver focused setup in the front, but should be “spacious and comfortable” for those in the back so this is a proper four-seater. At least according to HiPhi.
The HiPhi A will make its public debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in China on 17 November 2023 and is set to be produced in limited numbers, with the first examples arriving in early 2025.
Now read our review of the HiPhi X…
