Aion V

[steveting99]

This is a follow up post on the estimated operating costs of rides under the GAC stable offered by VinCar / EV Hub. Again there are nine models available and the highlighted column in yellow is the Aion V Luxury that's relevant to this thread.

A few things to note on the calculations. The numbers are a projection over a 10 year period and cover one CoE cycle.

There's lots of variables that will swing the numbers higher or lower depending on who's the driver. Examples are:

(1) Insurance costs.  I have deliberately left this out as the make, model, type, NCD, age, driving history, martial status and premium packages available all play their part in swinging the insurance premium number. Apart from depreciation which is the largest component of overall costs, the second largest cost will be insurance and it's very dependent on the individual. I.e. if one is safe driver, the NCD will go up and premium will reduce down to the maximum of 50%. If one unfortunately has an accident (and depending on who's fault is it) at least the NCD will reset to zero and maybe there's going to be a new and higher insurance premium due to the increased perceived risks by the insurance company. 

Add in your own 10-year insurance costs to the number to get an idea of what the total cost is going to be.

(2) Car loan interest [E]. This is the third largest component of overall costs.  I've used SG CarMart's rate of 2.18% as the Effective Interest Rate (EIR) on a 60% loan, over a period of seven years based on an all cash cash cost [A]. This is similar to what VinCar / EV Hub offers with their in-house finance, but at a much higher interest rate of 4.65% (EIR) from partner banks. Obviously, if one has a trade-in, the loan principal will reduce and that results in smaller total interest payment over the seven year period. What ever financing one gets, don't sign on the dotted line with Count Dracula 🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️as the counter party! 

Have done a separate calculation to show the cost savings by going with a 3rd party finance institution or bank compared with the in-house financing offered by VinCar /  EV Hub. See the last row. Savings are substantial and enough to pay for all petrol / charging costs during the 10 year CoE cycle period. Think of it as zero operating costs by not signing on the  dotted line with Count Dracula 🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️! Every time one charges the ride or driving on the road, it should put a big smile on the face... 🤩

Bottom line, get the 3rd party finance with the best deal as much as possible.  

(3) The costs for parking, ERP and Traffic Police [H]. Season parking at HDB estate is about $110 per month. Additional parking may apply if one has to pay for parking at the workplace. I've assumed ERP charges to be $30 each month - which depends on where one drives. So that works out to be $1.68k per year. Have also added an addition $0.15k for a speeding ticket each year from the traffic police. If one is a safe / careful driver, the speeding ticket will go away and no loss to demerit points .🫣

(4) Petrol / charging costs {B} . I've used the lowest discounted petrol price given by motorist below. This is only applicable for the PHEV MPV offered by GAC.

The lowest estimation on AC public charging cost given by Mr.Google below in late 2025. Currently Charge+ offers the best rate.

If one goes over the causeway on a regular basis or has a kaki in a landed property with lower electricity tariff, the costs will be lower. But if one uses DC fast charges on a regular basis or go for the premium petrol, the costs will go up dramatically. Other factors involved are driving style (heavy or light footed), yearly mileage (I've assumed 20,000kms) as well as city vs. highway driving to have higher or lower energy / fuel consumption compared to the WLTP numbers. Again there's a lot of variables that will swing this cost.

Overall, the costs for parking, ERP & Traffic Police fines [H] as well as petrol / charging {I} costs will make up make up either the 4th or 5th largest component of overall costs. Again, it's very much dependent on the individual. 

(5) Road tax [C]. As per LTA's requirement and at least this is a known yearly cost. Surprised that it's a significant component of the overall costs. 6th overall in terms of costs.

(6) After warranty repair . Whilst VinCar/EV Hub offer an 8-year warranty on the ride from GAC, as the vehicle ages, the probability of major servicing and parts replacement will increase substantially. One can argue that there's not much to go wrong with a BEV (i.e. there's no engine or transmission), but the problem is the lack of a long term history (at least for GAC) to make this judgement call. I've set aside $5k for major parts replacement and repair once the warranty expires on BEV rides. This can go up or down depending on a number of factors and one's comfort level for each type of ride. I.e. would set aside more for the PHEV MPVs from GAC than the BEV types.   

Do let me know if there's anything missed out or there's something wrong with the maths. 

 

 

Edited November 3 by steveting99
additional text

[Ake109]

On 11/3/2025 at 2:33 PM, steveting99 said:

 

Do let me know if there's anything missed out or there's something wrong with the maths. 

 

 

Yes, as an EV owner, can mention one thing. Unlike petrol where you pay for 1 litre, you get 1 litre (minus some fumes and a few drops at the end), EV charging you might pay for 10kwH but the amount that goes into your car is only 8.5kwH. The battery gets hot and the heat pump is running as you charge, so part of the charging energy is lost to heat. Best to assume 15% more electricity costs in the assumptions.

[Tianmo]

On 11/3/2025 at 1:57 PM, Ake109 said:

Bro, what car you driving now ah? Very curious.

I think 3 tonner.

 

[inlinesix]

On 11/3/2025 at 4:42 PM, Tianmo said:

I think 3 tonner.

 

Maybe Aladdin Carpet

[inlinesix]

On 11/3/2025 at 4:32 PM, Ake109 said:

Yes, as an EV owner, can mention one thing. Unlike petrol where you pay for 1 litre, you get 1 litre (minus some fumes and a few drops at the end), EV charging you might pay for 10kwH but the amount that goes into your car is only 8.5kwH. The battery gets hot and the heat pump is running as you charge, so part of the charging energy is lost to heat. Best to assume 15% more electricity costs in the assumptions.

15 - 20% is normal loss for China Van.

China car also so bad?

[Rickster]

On 11/3/2025 at 4:32 PM, Ake109 said:

Yes, as an EV owner, can mention one thing. Unlike petrol where you pay for 1 litre, you get 1 litre (minus some fumes and a few drops at the end), EV charging you might pay for 10kwH but the amount that goes into your car is only 8.5kwH. The battery gets hot and the heat pump is running as you charge, so part of the charging energy is lost to heat. Best to assume 15% more electricity costs in the assumptions.

Yes, as an EV owner, I agree there will be efficiency losses when charging.

However, the big difference is that for EVs, attaining the official WLTP figures in terms of efficiency/range is actually quite realistic, even with mixed driving in Singapore, unlike for ICE vehicles, the manufacturer published xxkm/L is often unattainable with local driving conditions.

Edited November 3 by Rickster

[Zerstorer]

On 11/3/2025 at 2:33 PM, steveting99 said:

(2) Car loan interest [E]. This is the third largest component of overall costs.  I've used SG CarMart's rate of 2.18% as the Effective Interest Rate (EIR) on a 60% loan, over a period of seven years based on an all cash cash cost [A]. This is similar to what VinCar / EV Hub offers with their in-house finance, but at a much higher interest rate of 4.65% (EIR) from partner banks. Obviously, if one has a trade-in, the loan principal will reduce and that results in smaller total interest payment over the seven year period. What ever financing one gets, don't sign on the dotted line with Count Dracula 🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️🧛‍♂️as the counter party! 

What makes you think sgcarmarts loan is only 2.18%. If you plug in a number in the Sgcarmart loan comparison, you will find that its using the same flat interest calculation as every single bank out there. Which makes the EIR pretty similar.
 

 

[newtocars]

Steve bro thanks for the detailed insights, very helpful for someone who is new to cars, and didn’t know the real margins are so high for Chinese EV ADs. 
 

If I’m looking for a B&B family car which would you recommend - Aion V vs J6 or other alternatives? I like the look of J6 but am hesitant about the servicing experience from feedback online. If you were to compare all in cash prices both works out to be somewhat the same ballpark (Aion V slightly higher). Any feedback on Vertex as an AD? Is the Aion AD more established than Vertex or around the same?
 

Anyone know if battery warranty  generally requires you to service regularly (once a year) with the AD workshop? Would servicing outside void the warranty? J6’s serving package is 5k for 10 years (apparently no free servicing if you don’t get guaranteed COE package) which seems excessive given the lower amount of checks and work required compared to ICE serving. Any thoughts?

Edited November 4 by newtocars

[steveting99]

On 11/3/2025 at 10:55 AM, Zerstorer said:

Bro, i went to more than a few dealers.(GAC, BYD, Omoda, MG) None of the dealers will not impose any penalty if you take the loan from their partnered bank.

Inhouse financing plans with high interest are only reserved for those customers who want to escape the minimum 60% downpayment and opt for less or zero downpayment.

So its simply untrue that there is a $5k penalty. 

 

@Zerstorer When I was in discussions with the Sales Executive (SE) of VinCar / EV Hub, was informed that there is a $5k penalty if not taking the in-house financing with a minimum of $90K loan for a minimum term of 7 years. So an all cash deal has a finance penalty attached to it. See item 1 in the T&C of the pricelist below.

If you were able to get VinCar / EV Hub to waive the $5k penalty ... more garlic power to you! 🧄🧄🧄🧄🧄 Congrats on resisting money jiāngshī (吸血鬼) No.2 🧛‍♀️in avoiding the $5k penalty by going with a cheaper 3rd party finance company such as SG CarMart which offers a much better EIR of just 2.18%! Or another bank that offers a lower EIR.

I did ask the SE who their partner bank is and what the EIR will be for a seven year loan. The SE pointed me to OUB here: https://www.uob.com.sg/personal/borrow/car-loan.page. At the time, the EIR was a bit lower at 4.65%, see screenshot below.

 

Today, UOB is charging a much higher EIR of 5.19%! So the total interest paid on the car loan to feed money jiāngshī (吸血鬼) No.2 🧛‍♀️is going to be more.🤮

The thought of inviting VinCar / EV Hub's money jiāngshī (吸血鬼) No.2 🧛‍♀️in and bite me every month for the next 7 years to drain more of my life savings isn't very appealing.  

Do note that EIR is higher from the lower p.a. interest that's often advertised. The purpose is to lure unsuspecting victims into thinking they're getting a good deal, but in realty they are not and actually paying much more in interest payments. A favorite sales tactic of the money jiāngshī (吸血鬼). 

 

Edited November 4 by steveting99
typo and additional text

[13177]

On 11/4/2025 at 8:48 AM, newtocars said:

Steve bro thanks for the detailed insights, very helpful for someone who is new to cars, and didn’t know the real margins are so high for Chinese EV ADs. 
 

If I’m looking for a B&B family car which would you recommend - Aion V vs J6 or other alternatives? I like the look of J6 but am hesitant about the servicing experience from feedback online. If you were to compare all in cash prices both works out to be somewhat the same ballpark (Aion V slightly higher). Any feedback on Vertex as an AD? Is the Aion AD more established than Vertex or around the same?
 

Anyone know if battery warranty  generally requires you to service regularly (once a year) with the AD workshop? Would servicing outside void the warranty? J6’s serving package is 5k for 10 years (apparently no free servicing if you don’t get guaranteed COE package) which seems excessive given the lower amount of checks and work required compared to ICE serving. Any thoughts?

J6 is more like a rugged SUV, whereas Aion V is more like a family car. The space in Aion V is very spacious and this car comes with many features.

Aion AD is vincar which is a PI dealer, so don’t know if their servicing is good or not.

For EV, if you don’t go back to AD for servicing, is there any car workshop outside is expert in servicing EVs?

[Zerstorer]

On 11/4/2025 at 11:24 AM, steveting99 said:

@Zerstorer When I was in discussions with the Sales Executive (SE) of VinCar / EV Hub, was informed that there is a $5k penalty if not taking the in-house financing with a minimum of $90K loan for a minimum term of 7 years. So an all cash deal has a finance penalty attached to it. See item 1 in the T&C of the pricelist below.

If you were able to get VinCar / EV Hub to waive the $5k penalty ... more garlic power to you! 🧄🧄🧄🧄🧄Congrats on resisting money jiāngshī (吸血鬼) No.2 🧛‍♀️in avoiding the $5k penalty by going with a cheaper 3rd party finance company such as SG CarMart which offers a much better EIR of just 2.18%! Or another bank that offers a lower EIR.

I did ask the SE who their partner bank is and what the EIR will be for a seven year loan. The SE pointed me to OUB here: https://www.uob.com.sg/personal/borrow/car-loan.page. At the time, the EIR was a bit lower at 4.65%, see screenshot below.

I went to several dealers. The listed price is always valid as long as the bank loan is taken through them. I didn't have to ask for any waiver. There is absolutely no need to take inhouse financing unless you want to circumvant the 60% downpayment. In any case this is my 3rd car purchase and neither did I encounter such terms for my prior 2 purchases.

Also, despite what you say about SGCarmarts 2.18% it is exact the same kind of flat interest loan as the banks with an EIR of 4+%.

This is clearly reflected when you punch in the numbers in SGCarmarts website and look at the interest. 

[Zerstorer]

The EIR of SGCarmarts loan is about 4.11%. Also, most of the dealers were offering 2.28% during the carshow last month. Current rates should same or even lower given the dropping interest rates everywhere.

[Ake109]

On 11/3/2025 at 5:00 PM, inlinesix said:

15 - 20% is normal loss for China Van.

China car also so bad?

Ya, so far I have been getting ~15% loss using slow 6kW HDB charging and my back of napkin math, assuming the car indicator SoC is accurate and linear.

I was told on those oversea forum, faster charging rates actually has lower loss, cos the heat pump is running less time. Some guy said, he plug in a super low power charger from his house wall socket, after 12 hours he actually lost 1% charge.

Weather also farkin hot this 2 weeks. Lets see if I see any diff when cooler weather comes.

Edited November 4 by Ake109

[Nisse]

On 11/4/2025 at 8:48 AM, newtocars said:

Steve bro thanks for the detailed insights, very helpful for someone who is new to cars, and didn’t know the real margins are so high for Chinese EV ADs. 
 

If I’m looking for a B&B family car which would you recommend - Aion V vs J6 or other alternatives? I like the look of J6 but am hesitant about the servicing experience from feedback online. If you were to compare all in cash prices both works out to be somewhat the same ballpark (Aion V slightly higher). Any feedback on Vertex as an AD? Is the Aion AD more established than Vertex or around the same?
 

Anyone know if battery warranty  generally requires you to service regularly (once a year) with the AD workshop? Would servicing outside void the warranty? J6’s serving package is 5k for 10 years (apparently no free servicing if you don’t get guaranteed COE package) which seems excessive given the lower amount of checks and work required compared to ICE serving. Any thoughts?

Personally, I find the J6 rear seats too upright and won't be comfortable for long distance driving. Also, the driving range and payload capacity are too low to my liking.

[Tkseah]

@Zerstorer OT a bit... Are u the same Zerstorer from clubsnap?  🙂

[13177]

On 11/4/2025 at 4:10 PM, Nisse said:

Personally, I find the J6 rear seats too upright and won't be comfortable for long distance driving. Also, the driving range and payload capacity are too low to my liking.

The inside door handle for J6 is using button, quite difficult to open the door which immediate turns me off. If they have a proper door handle, this car can consider due to the design not too bad. The driving range is about 350km which is indeed too low. Think the range is about the same as the atto2. Both EVs design is nice but too bad range too low.

Edited November 4 by 13177

[Zerstorer]

@Tkseah Yes. But have not posted there for 20yrs. Surprised you still remember 

[Tkseah]

On 11/4/2025 at 7:47 PM, Zerstorer said:

@Tkseah Yes. But have not posted there for 20yrs. Surprised you still remember 

I remember u were very active and contributed a lot in clubsnap back then.. Good to see u here now.

I was quite attracted to Aion V when I saw it in Vivo some weeks back.  But think I'll still hold till 2027 when my coe is due before deciding on what's next.