Aion: owner, models, markets and what the name means
Facts checked United States status as of 4 September 2026
- State-owned
- Electric-native
- SSE 601238
- HKEX 2238
Aion is GAC's electric-car business. It was set up on 28 July 2017 as GAC New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd., renamed GAC Aion and made an independent operation in November 2020. Its first model, the Aion S saloon, was shown at Auto Guangzhou in November 2018.
The range is mass-market: the Aion S and Aion Y are the volume cars, with the V, ES and UT filling out the line. Aion's premium models were split off in 2022 into a separate brand, first called Hyper and since August 2024 Hyptec.
Aion has been GAC's main export vehicle. It entered Thailand in September 2023 and began assembling there in July 2024, then Mexico in November 2023, Hong Kong in January 2024, Indonesia in April 2024, the Philippines in September 2024, Vietnam in October 2024, Australia in March 2026, the United Kingdom in April 2026 and Pakistan in May 2026.
Sales were 374,884 in 2024 and about 310,081 in 2025 on CnEVPost's month-by-month figures, before recovering through 2026.
Key facts
| Chinese name | 埃安 “eye-AHN” no literal meaning; a phonetic rendering of the English name Aion |
|---|---|
| Also written | GAC Aion, AION and 广汽埃安 |
| Owner | GAC Group |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Headquarters | Guangzhou, China |
| Origin | China |
| First car | Aion S, 2018 |
| Vehicles | Cars |
| Segment | Mass market |
| United States | Never sold in the United States — Aion is not sold in the United States and the sources consulted show no plan to enter. |
| Established | 28 July 2017 as GAC New Energy; renamed GAC Aion and made independent in November 2020 |
| First model | Aion S, shown at Auto Guangzhou in November 2018 |
| Sales, 2024 | 374,884 vehicles |
| Sales, 2025 | about 310,081 vehicles, the sum of CnEVPost's month-by-month table |
| Overseas assembly | Thai assembly began July 2024, after the market opened in September 2023 |
| Premium line | Hyptec, called Hyper until August 2024 |
Who owns Aion?
Guangzhou Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission controls GAC Group.
GAC Group's controlling shareholder is Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group Co., Ltd. (GAIG), a holding company owned by the Guangzhou city government. The size of GAIG's stake could not be confirmed from GAC's own filings for this entry; secondary sources put it near 57%.
The full ownership page for Aion · Is Aion Chinese?
Aion models
| Model | Name in China | Body | Powertrain | Range | Price in China |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 埃安UT 鹦鹉龙Aion UT | AION UT 鹦鹉龙 | Hatchback | Battery-electric | 320 km CLTC | not published |
| 埃安V 霸王龙Aion V | AION V 霸王龙 | SUV | Battery-electric | 520 km CLTC | CNY 129,800 as of |
| 埃安Y PlusAion Y Plus | AION Y Plus | SUV | Battery-electric | 430 km CLTC | CNY 99,800 as of |
Where Aion is sold
Recorded in 10 market s: CN, Thailand, Mexico, HK, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, United Kingdom and Pakistan. Where a company publishes only its principal markets, that is a floor and not a complete list.
| Country | Code | Market page |
|---|---|---|
| China | CN | no page yet |
| Thailand | TH | Chinese cars in Thailand |
| Mexico | MX | Chinese cars in Mexico |
| Hong Kong SAR China | HK | no page yet |
| Indonesia | ID | Chinese cars in Indonesia |
| Philippines | PH | Chinese cars in the Philippines |
| Vietnam | VN | Chinese cars in Vietnam |
| Australia | AU | Chinese cars in Australia |
| United Kingdom | GB | Chinese cars in the United Kingdom |
| Pakistan | PK | Chinese cars in Pakistan |
Aion: questions people ask
- Who owns Aion?
- GAC Group, the Guangzhou carmaker whose controlling shareholder is owned by the Guangzhou city government. Aion is GAC's own electric-car business, not a joint venture.
- What does Aion mean?
- Nothing in Chinese. GAC coined the English name and wrote it into Chinese by sound as 埃安 (Āi'ān).
- Where is Aion sold?
- In China and across south-east Asia and beyond: Thailand, Mexico, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and from 2026 Australia, the United Kingdom and Pakistan.
- Is Aion sold in the US?
- No. Aion has no US operation and the sources consulted show no plan to enter.
- Is Hyptec the same as Aion?
- Hyptec is Aion's premium line rather than a separate company. It launched in 2022 under the name Hyper and was renamed Hyptec in August 2024.
Related
Sources for Aion
- Wikipedia, GAC Aion. Read . Establishment and rename dates, first model, dated export-market entries, 2024 sales, Hyptec relationship
- CnEVPost, Aion (tag page with monthly sales table). Read . Month-by-month sales for 2024-2026; the 2025 total is the sum of that table, not a separately published figure