AION introduces warranty following EV launch

With the introduction of the AION V electric family SUV, AION Auto UK, the latest Chinese brand to come to the UK, has launched its vehicle warranty.

The vehicle, power battery and powertrain warranties were built to align with UK consumer protection standards and industry best practice.

As with all warranties, exclusions apply where defects arise because of misuse, accidental damage, overloading, or issues directly resulting from work carried out by a non-authorised AION repair centre.

Unless the owner has breached the warranty terms – for example, by using the car for organised motorsport – the Vehicle Warranty covers the AION product for up to eight years or 100,000 miles, subject to confirmation of a manufacturing defect.

AION’s anti-perforation warranty covers the vehicle for eight years, with unlimited mileage.

Brake pads, brake discs, wiper blades, air conditioner filters, fuses, light bulbs, general relay and key fob batteries are covered for six months or 6,000 miles.

Tyres and the 12V battery are covered for 12 months or 12,000 miles. And paint is covered for three years with unlimited mileage.

This covers the vehicle battery for eight years or 125,000 miles, whichever is sooner, with a State of Health (SOH) threshold of 70%.

The vehicle powertrain is covered for eight years, or 100,000 miles and includes the motor, reduction gear, charger-box interconnection, EVC controller, inverter, DCDC converter and the connection of high-voltage cables.

AION Auto UK has introduced the warranty as part of its AION ‘Great 8 Promise’, an ownership package that also includes eight years of servicing, eight years of breakdown assistance and MOT cover until the car is eight years old.

The brand estimates that the proposition, which is included as standard with all AION cars regardless of how they are acquired, will save drivers over £2,900 through the course of the first eight years of the car’s life.

Jon Wakefield, managing director of AION Auto UK, said: “There is lots of noise around Chinese cars at the moment, and it can be confusing for buyers to know who to trust.

“We are driving a new standard as we launch the AION V to customers, and a key part of that is complete transparency around the AION Great 8 Promise, including our warranty.

“With AION, eight-year cover really does mean eight years.

“There will be no nasty surprises for our customers, and if any remedial work is needed, the parts are already in the country to get them back on the road as soon as possible.”

Before its first cars went on sale, AION Auto UK partnered with DHL to open its own parts warehouse in Bury St Edmunds, to ensure a 24-hour supply across the UK.

The AION spare parts warranty applies to AION genuine spare parts purchased from, supplied by or fitted by an AION authorised dealer or authorised repairer.

This means that any parts replaced under the vehicle warranty are covered for the duration of the AION ‘Great 8 Promise’.

Any parts purchased by the customer are covered for two years from the date of purchase and with unlimited mileage.

Spare parts for the vehicle battery or drive units are covered for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Ben Hurford, aftersales director at AION Auto UK, said: “Parts availability and repair costs significantly influence the car insurance industry’s assessment of risk.

“Some early adopters of Chinese vehicles struggled to get insurance cover, and we made sure to learn from their experience and make sure AION owners did not experience the same problems.

“Before launching in the UK, we spent nearly a year working with Thatcham Research to optimise the AION V in terms of repairability and insurability and to make insurance premiums as competitive as possible.”

Thatcham Research’s insurance ratings assess vehicle risk, ensuring data is available to enable accurate underwriting decisions.

These ratings are based on damage and repair costs, performance, safety, and security features.

The AION V electric family SUV has been awarded a group 32 insurance rating.