Apollo Automobil, once the Gumpert brand that manufactured the Apollo super sports car, is now the Apollo Future Mobility Group (AFMG). As we would expect when a company is renamed with the word “mobility” in its name, Apollo is moving out of the narrow alley that has recently only included variants of the Intensa Emotione (IE) hypercar. The German-Chinese automaker and consulting firm used the China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2021 in Shanghai for a series of new debuts, starting with a battery-electric sedan concept called EVision S, which is supplemented by an SUV variant called EVision X. The X has yet to be completed to be shown.
With a significantly toned-down version of IE’s “Fast Forward” design language, which relies on triangular shapes to convey explosiveness and dynamism, one might think that the EVision S does not have four doors. While they’re there, the width of the stern body and rocker panel means anyone intending to step into the aft should probably approach the task of clearing the gunwale when boarding a boat. In addition, the sedan is a bit sturdier than it appears in the photos: about five centimeters longer than a 2022 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and about ten centimeters wider than a 2022 S-Class. We don’t yet know what will power the car, but AFMG must be well advanced in its development as it plans the first customer deliveries of the EVision S in 2023. The sedan is aimed at luxury beginners such as the Porsche Taycan, while the EVision X will target crossovers such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.
We know AFMG is working on an EV powertrain that it would like to offer to other automakers. It was part of the brand’s showcase at CIIE, and components include two 800-volt axial flux motors that send power through compact planetary gears, as well as an 800-volt silicon carbide twin inverter that it is working on with Japanese company ROHM.
Apollo is not leaving its ICE roots behind in the transition to a wider range of services. The Hypercar Project EVO will take over the baton from IE and do the incredible feat of wearing an even more outrageous design. The Project EVO sits on a brand new full carbon chassis – emphasis on “everything”, with a carbon and kevlar monocoque attached to carbon subframes and crash structures. The platform was developed in accordance with the formula of the FIA’s LMP2 racing series. According to AFMG, the structure is so strong that no roll cage is required. In order to counteract flying looks, angled fins and an active rear spoiler ideally keep all four wheels on the road. All we know about its engine is that it will be naturally aspirated, likely a more powerful version of the 780 hp 6.3 liter V12 in the Apollo IE.
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