HiPhi is the premium electric vehicle brand of Human Horizons, a Chinese technology and mobility company headquartered in Shanghai. Human Horizons and HiPhi's stated aims are to redefine human and future mobility by focusing on a holistic 3-Smart Strategy of: Smart Vehicle, Smart Transportation and Smart City. The first vehicle, HiPhi X,[1] was launched on July 31, 2019, and has a range of 400 miles.[2][3]
History
Founded in 2017, Human Horizons’ Operations and R&D Center is in Pujiang, Shanghai, China. In 2019 Human Horizons signed a co-operative manufacturing agreement with the Yueda Group, Dongfeng Yueda Kia (DYK) to produce HiPhi's range of vehicles at its manufacturing facility in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, China.[4]
Its first production car, the HiPhi X, an electric full-sized crossover SUV, went on sale in China in October 2020 with deliveries to customers commencing in May 2021. Its second production model, the HiPhi Z, is a 5-door luxury GT based on the same platform as the HiPhi X. The X was first shown in pre-production form in November 2021, with the production car shown in August 2022 at the Chengdu Motor Show. Customer deliveries commenced early in 2023 after the first production cars rolled off the production line in December 2022.
April 2023 saw HiPhi reveal its third production model, the HiPhi Y. The new medium-sized electric SUV was shown at the Shanghai International Auto Show.[5]
Human Horizons and HiPhi have a Qingdao Headquarters,[clarification needed] a Software Center and HiPhi Software Company in Jinjiang District, Chengdu, and an Advanced Technology Research and Design Center in Tokyo, Japan. HiPhi operates a network of ‘HiPhi Hubs’ covering all the major cities in China and the company has stated its ambition to expand its reach globally as it continues to expand.
At the 2023 Shanghai International Auto Show during the reveal of the HiPhi Y Human Horizons announced the opening of Operations Centers in both Munich, Germany, and Oslo, Norway, these spearheading the company's introduction into the European marketplace.[6]
Key People
Human Horizons and HiPhi was founded by its chairman and CEO, Ding (David) Lei, a former CEO of Shanghai General Motors and Vice President of SAIC-GM (Shanghai Automotive Industry Cooperation). Lei highlights the concept of space and time as key influences in the creation of the HiPhi brand. The HiPhi company logo nods to this, it representing space when viewed horizontally from left to right, with the vertical element of the logo characterising time.
Other key people in the Human Horizons leadership team include President Ken Weisman, Chief Technical Officer Mark Stanton, co-Chief Technical Officer Jun Chen, Chief Financial Officer Simon Tang and VP of Design Nicolas Huet.[7]
The management's experience is broad; it encompassing traditional automotive brands like Shanghai GM, Foton Automotive, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW and Ricardo, as well as technology, e-commerce, hardware, research and internet companies and firms in the legal and banking sectors.
Early Concepts
In October 2018, Human Horizons presented a pair of concept vehicles, the HiPhi H (Hypervelocity) and Concept A (Agility) as a demonstration of the company's forward-thinking vehicular strategy. A further concept, named Concept U (Ultimate Mobility) followed in 2019, as did the HiPhi 1 concept – this previewing the HiPhi X production car.
Concept H (Hyper-velocity - 2018) demonstrated a premium sports model with three seats arranged in a 2+1 layout (two in the front with one passenger in the rear) as a result of its teardrop-like aerodynamically efficient body design. Notable technology included four individual wheel hub motors powered by a battery pack which HiPhi claimed gave a potential range of 621 miles (1000 km), The Concept H also featured a reconfigurable cockpit and active wheel air covers to smooth the airflow around the wheels.[8]
Concept A (Active Agility – 2018) is a POD system travel capsule which connects with various travel systems to form different modes of transportation – these include land, rail, monorail, sea and air travel.
Concept U (Ultimate Mobility - 2019) is a larger development of the Concept H, with additional seating.[9]
Human Horizons also demonstrated the potential of its experimental hub motor technology in 2018, showing its engineering vehicle RE05 which uses advanced in-wheel hub motors for propulsion as well as steering.
possibilities including four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. The technology has yet to be used in a production vehicle by the company - though HiPhi has stated its intent to implement it on future products.
HiPhi Concept 1 unveiled in July 2019, the HiPhi 1 was essentially a preview of HiPhi's first production model, the HiPhi X.[10]
3-Smart Strategy
Human Horizons demonstrated its commitment to its 3-Smart strategy with its Smart Road Demonstration in 2019, in Yancheng, China. A Cooperative Intelligent Transport System (C-ITS).[11] spearheading Human Horizons’ Smart Transportation strategy it integrates road sensing, in-vehicle control and cloud computing with 5G data communication to allow for testing of Level 3 through to Level 5 autonomous vehicles.
HiPhi showed the HiPhi 1 Concept in July 2019, this previewing the production HiPhi X which was revealed in September 2020 – where customers could order the ‘Founder Edition’ model. The HiPhi X is the company's first production vehicle, which the company describes as a premium supercar-inspired electric SUV. Riding on a HiPhi's own V-Platform and constructed from a combination of aluminium and steel.
The HiPhi 1 concept demonstrated a unique, dramatic NT (No Touch) rear door system which made it to the production HiPhi X.[12] The innovative NT door system features rear-hinged doors complimented by a pair of wing doors which open vertically above the rear passenger compartment. The whole operation of the doors is contactless, being achieved via proximity sensing or facial recognition.
Offered in either four- or six seat passenger configurations the HiPhi X is powered by dual electric motors with a 440 kW combined output, these powered by a 97kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Potential range on a full charge is quoted as 650 km or 403miles on the CLTC (China Light Duty Test Cycle). The 0-62 mph time (0–100 km) is quoted as 3.9 seconds, with a potential 124 mph (200 km/h) top speed.
Priced in the premium, luxury sphere, the HiPhi X went on sale in China for RMB ¥680,000 ($103,000) - RMB ¥800,000 ($121,000).[13] In line with HiPhi's high tech approach, the HiPhi X mixes technology with luxury, the company calling this approach TECHLUXE. The passenger compartment features three large LCD screens, with additional driver-focussed information available via a Head Up Display (HUD). Car information, heating and climate controls, driver selectable modes, navigation, communication, and entertainment – with the audio system a bespoke development with upmarket UK audio specialists Meridian – are all accessed via the touchscreens or voice commands via HiPhi's HiPhiGO voice recognition.
Shortly after the introduction of the HiPhi X, the company revealed its intent to add a second model line by revealing the HiPhi Z in pre-production guise, the company describingthe new car as a digital life GT.[14] The production HiPhi Z would be revealed in August 2022, it differing little from the pre-production model. Orders were opened and deliveries began early in 2023. Like the HiPhi X, the Z very closely aped its pre-production concept, it bring priced at RMB ¥610,000 -630,000 ($88,100 - $91,000). With the same TECHLUXE approach the HiPhi Z is similarly rich in technology and luxury, though with its greater driver focus centres most of the info, entertainment, navigation and car functionality into a central screen. That large central screen is mounted on what HiPhi calls the HiPhi Bot, a robotic, multi-axis arm which adjusts to suit the driver's preferences, it also able to rotate between landscape and portrait modes.
Maximum output from the twin electric motors is 494 kW, allowing a 0-62 mph (0–100 km/h) time of 3.8 seconds. Those electric motors are on each axle, for four-wheel drive. Like the X, the Z features rear-wheel steering for greater agility and manoeuvrability.[15]
The HiPhi Z builds on the exterior lighting of the HiPhi X, it incorporating PML (Programmable Matrix Lighting) intelligent headlights which combine with the world-first HiPhi Star Ring ISD (Intelligent Signal Display) This technology is a light curtain which enables the HiPhi Z to interact with the environment around it. A world first, it adds 1314 LEDs to the HiPhi Z's sides (in addition to the 2752 LEDs on the front and rear ISD elements). These LEDs can display light language such as characters, letters and numbers, greeting the driver or passengers, or displaying programmed messages on the HiPhi Z's sides.
In April 2023 at the Shanghai International Auto Show HiPhi announced the third production model will be the HiPhi Y. A medium-sized electric SUV, the HiPhi Y features a gullwing portion above the rear (conventionally hinged) side doors. Fitted with either 76.6kWh or 115kWh battery packs, the full specification and pricing has yet to be revealed. Being smaller – relatively, it still a lengthy vehicle at 4938mm long and 1958mm wide – the Y is the model that is expected to lead to greater volume sales in both its home Chinese market as well as being a key player in HiPhi's export expansion plans in Europe and beyond.
HiPhi Y
Rear view
HiPhi A
HiPhi A was unveiled during the 2023 Guangzhou Auto Show as an upgraded version of the HiPhi Z. Originally rumored to be the HiPhi Z GT, the vehicle is based on the HiPhi Z, and features a widebody kit and large spoilers with enhanced air intakes. The A stands for Apollo and Accelerator.[16]
