Chinese EV brand HiPhi to make European debut at Goodwood
Chinese electric car newcomer HiPhi is to make its European debut at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, showcasing both the brand and its incoming EVs.
Founded in 2017 and owned by Human Horizons, HiPhi launched its first production car in China in 2020 but has always been focused on building a “a global high-end brand”.
At the Festival of Speed, its HiPhi Z GT will take part in the famous Goodwood hill climb twice daily during the First Glance Run. Meanwhile, the Y SUV will be on display in the Electric Avenue, marking its first public appearance outside of China following its reveal at the Shanghai motor show earlier this year.
CTO and co-founder Mark Stanton said: “Goodwood Festival of Speed is an iconic event with a truly global audience. It’s a spectacle that celebrates not only a rich motoring history but also the cutting-edge present, which makes it the perfect backdrop for us to introduce the ground-breaking HiPhi brand and our HiPhi Y and Z to many people for the very first time.”
Due for launch in Europe at the end of 2023, the HiPhi Z is a luxury GT with 672hp on tap from its dual-motor powertrain, giving a 0-62mph time of 3.8 seconds while the 120kWh battery offers a potential range of over 430 miles under China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) conditions. It debuts innovations such as a robotic arm holding an infotainment screen with four degrees of freedom and eight-direction high-speed motion.
The HiPhi Y meanwhile is a midsize fully electric SUV. It’s focused on the luxury end of the market and said to deliver a very spacious interior along with the “extreme performance characteristics” of the Z, bringing a new high-end product to the midsize all-electric SUV market.
HiPhi’s launch line-up in Europe also includes the X SUV, claimed to be the best-selling luxury EV in China. Both the X and the Z are now available to order in Germany and Norway and the first vehicles are already registered for road use, following inspection by TÜV SÜD.
The brand is also imminently opening its first HiPhi Hubs, or showrooms, in Munich, Germany and Oslo, Norway. Further European markets will be announced later in the year and sales in the UK are expected to start in 2024.
Natalie Middleton
Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for nearly 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day. Natalie edits all the Fleet World websites and newsletters, and loves to hear about any latest industry news - or gossip.
