Aiways

Aiways built two models, the U5 compact SUV and the sportier U6 coupe-SUV, both sharing the same 63kWh battery and roughly 250-mile WLTP range. The U5 launched in several European markets including the Netherlands and Germany, and a UK launch was originally promised for 2020, then repeatedly pushed back, eventually landing in the UK market around 2023, years later than planned. It never achieved meaningful UK sales volume.

The bigger story is what happened at home. In May 2023, Aiways terminated the lease on its Shanghai headquarters, with staff reportedly working from home as the company ran out of money to pay its own employees. Domestic production ground to a halt amid a severe cash crunch, and by the end of 2023 both the U5 and U6 had ended production entirely, confirmed by independent vehicle databases which now list both models as no longer for sale anywhere. Company filings still show Aiways technically active, with a small remaining headcount, and reports at the time suggested the company was exploring a pivot toward overseas markets only, but no concrete plan materialised. Numerous UK buying guides published since have continued to list Aiways as a brand still “due” to launch here, seemingly unaware of just how serious the 2023 crisis actually was. As of today, there is no credible evidence of Aiways currently manufacturing new vehicles or preparing any UK launch, and both of its only two models are out of production.