Comparing Audi and Aiways is like comparing Samsung with a value-oriented Chinese smartphone you never hear of. That’s not to say that Aiways is a bad company and that you should not familiarize yourself with it, it’s rather the fact that they are not designed to fall within the same category.
Audi is a well-known manufacturer of premium luxury cars that encompass every segment there is. They make subcompact hatchbacks like the Audi A1 while also making naturally aspirated supercars like the R8 or full-size executive sedans like the flagship Audi A8.
Aiways on the other hand currently offers two models, the Aiways U5 and the Aiways U6 which are very much the same except for the exterior styling. Aiways is a Chinese EV startup company in the business of making affordable mass-production economy-level electric cars and hardly anyone knows they exist.
This is surely about to change in the coming years because both the U5 and the U6 are fairly competitive considering the price. Either way, Audi is leagues above Aiways in almost every segment because they make cars that cost way more money and offer way more in the process.
Aiways – Brand overview
In a little over three years, Aiways managed to design and make the U5 EV from the ground up which showcases how serious Aiways is when it comes to making cars. The U5 should start around $45,000 when it finally reaches the US market, and for that price, not many cars can compete with the U5.
The U5 offers a 63kWh battery that should be enough for 250 WLTP miles between charges. You can recharge the U5 from 20% to 80% in a little over 30 minutes if you come across a fast DC charger while slow AC charging takes about 8-10 hours.
All U5 models currently offer a single electric motor setup that offers around 201hp or 150 kW. The best thing about the U5 is the amount of space it offers for the price because it easily bests all EVs from this segment.
As such, we are surely going to hear about Aiways in the future if they continue offering low-priced and competitive cars. It’s worth mentioning that the U5 does not offer a safety rating worthy of even the $45,000 price, but this is going to change with upcoming models according to Aiways.
Audi – Brand overview
Audi is in the business of making cars for more than 100 years which means that Audi knows a thing or two about making cars. Considering the fact that Audi is backed by VAG which is one of the largest automotive conglomerates in the world it’s safe to say that Audi is one of the most popular car brands on the planet.
The Audi Q4 e-Tron is the closest competitor to the Aiways U5, and it costs a similar amount of money. However, the U5 is both larger and more spacious even though the Q4 does offer a larger 83 kWh battery.
Audi says that you can recharge the Q5 from 5% to 80% using a fast DC charger in only 38 minutes which is somewhat comparable to the U5. Audi also says that the Q4 should do around 240 miles on a single charge which is also fairly close to the U5.
All in all, Audi makes luxury cars that are indeed more sophisticated than anything Aiways currently offers. That’s why these two brands can not be compared justifiably as Audi is a league above in almost every regard.
Chinese EV startup brands in the future
Chinese EV startup brands are starting to flood both the European and UK market with competitively priced and rather tempting EVs. Most of these brands are still being viewed as questionable because they often seem too good for the money, and that is true in some regards such as safety.
EURO NCAP is the leading European crash testing organization focused on testing all newer cars that reach the European market. They also tested most of these Chinese EV startup brands and the results showed that some of them are not worthy of a 5-star or even a 4-start safety rating.
All brands affected with substandard safety results have responded by saying that they are already working on solving this. If they do, and it seems like they will, these cars are likely going to continue flooding the EU, UK, and US markets because they do offer a lot for the money.
FAQ Section
Should I buy the Aiways U5?
You should always thoroughly test out a car before you decide to make a move and purchase it. However, it is safe to say that the U5 does offer lots of 21st-century technologies and comfort features for a fairly competitive price.
Either way, it’s important to stress out that the U5 is not the safest car around and it’s never a good idea to skimp on safety, especially if you are buying a family car. You should wait a little bit longer and see if Aiways solves all these issues and then you can consider buying the car if you like it.
Should I buy the Audi Q4 e-Tron?
The Audi Q4 e-Tron is heavily based on VW’s ID .4, and that’s rather obvious the moment you lay your eyes on the car. The Q4 does cost around $4,000 while being more or less the same car which means that you are paying the premium in order to get the badge.
The Q5 should do around 240 miles according to Audi but this is not the case as the Q4 is more likely going to offer around 200 miles realistically. As such, you should buy the Q4 if you are interested in a city car, but it’s not the best long-distance car for obvious reasons.
Are electric cars better?
EVs are in theory better than ICE and plug-in hybrids because they are cleaner, smoother, and easier to maintain. They offer higher predicted reliability results and they are equally as desirable if not even more in some cases.
However, owning an EV requires you to make many compromises on a daily basis, and that’s not something all of us are willing or able to do. As such, EVs can be better if you can utilize the EV platform fully, if not, ICE cars and hybrids are still your best bet.
