JD.com, GAC and CATL Launch “National People’s Car” Aion UT Super No.1

JD.com, GAC Group, and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) on Tuesday officially rolled out their jointly developed “National People’s Car” — the Aion UT Super No.1.

According to JD.com’s app, the new electric SUV features a 310-mile driving range, comes standard with CATL batteries, and supports both charging and battery swapping, with swap times as fast as 99 seconds. The vehicle comes in two colors — Monet Purple and Champs-Élysées Beige — and measures 4.27 meters long, 1.85 meters wide, and 1.58 meters high, with a 2.75-meter wheelbase. It features a semi-hidden mechanical door handle design.

On the same day, CATL launched its 777th “Chocolate” battery swapping station in Changsha. The company plans to build 1,000 such stations across 45 Chinese cities by the end of 2025, expand to over 2,500 stations in nearly 120 cities by 2026, and eventually reach 30,000 stations nationwide.

By market close Tuesday, JD.com (09618.HK) rose 0.08% to $15.80 per share, valuing the company at about $505 billion Hong Kong dollars ($64 billion). CATL (300750.SZ) gained 2.73% to $53.50 per share, with a market capitalization of about $244 billion, while GAC Group (601238.SH) edged up 0.26% to $1.07 per share, valuing it at roughly $10.9 billion.

The project has attracted widespread attention since JD.com announced its car plan in mid-October. Internal and public test drives began at the end of October, and the official launch is scheduled for the Double 11 shopping festival. JD.com said it provides consumer insights and exclusive retail operations for the joint venture but is not directly involved in manufacturing. Based on its positioning and configuration, local media estimate the model’s price between $13,700 and $16,400.

In a high-profile marketing event, JD.com auctioned the “National People’s Car No.001” on October 22, drawing over 260,000 participants. The auction closed at $10.8 million, up from a starting price of just $0.14. JD Auto later announced on Weibo that participants would receive a $55 gift package, and the user whose bid came closest to the final retail price would receive a free car.

To support its new automotive business, JD Auto has also started recruiting for multiple high-paying positions, with annual salaries for key roles such as algorithm engineers, product directors, and procurement leads ranging from $150,000 to $170,000.