The JY Air electric sedan from JuneYao Airlines launched in Thailand ahead of its domestic market debut. It offers an 8-year warranty, up to 520 km range, and a starting price of 899,000 baht (25,200 USD). Previously, JY Airโs manufacturer suspended production twice in China.
Briefly on JuneYao Airlinesโ automotive business
JuneYao Airlines is one of the biggest domestic operators founded in 2005. It also offers international flights to Europe, Asia, the Australian region, and more. The airline entered the automotive segment in 2023 by creating the JuneYao Automobile branch. To begin the vehicle development and production, JuneYao Airlines acquired the financially troubled Yudo startup.
We will remind you that Yudo was launched in 2018 as a low-cost EV maker in China. The company raised funds and built its car plant with an annual production volume of 100,000 units. However, Yudo sold less than 20,000 cars from 2018 to 2022. Yudo ceased production twice. The first time was in 2019. In 2022, the failed car maker completely stopped the car production.
At that time, Chinese JuneYao Airlines wanted to enter the new business segment of EV manufacturing. As a result, it acquired Yudo assets in 2022. In 2023, JuneYao Airlines founded the JuneYao Automobile. Later, the company presented its first model, the JuneYao Air sedan. It was said to be launched in China with a price of around 200,000 yuan (27,500 USD).
However, the actual car still hasnโt reached the domestic market. Instead, JuneYao launched it internationally as the JY Air. The EV-friendly Thailand became the first stop for this brand.
JY Air launched in Thailand
The JY Air was introduced to the local buyers at the Thailand Motor Expo 2024. It is a compact sedan with an aerodynamic shape. It has a short bonnet line that smoothly merges with A-pillars. The JY Air has a sleek roofline, retractable door handles, and distinguishing front LED headlights. The JY Air boasts dimensions of 4550/1860/1515 mm with a wheelbase of 2800 mm. Its drag coefficient is 0.23 Cd.
The JY Airโs cabin boasts a large main screen powered by Qualcommโs Snapdragon 8155 chip. It adopts the Crystal OS with the 3D cockpit system and supports the L2+ driving assist system. Back to the interior, it has a two-spoke steering wheel, a pair of wireless charging pads, a large 2-square-meter sunroof, and five seats. The JY Air has a space utilization rate of 78%.
The JY Air has a single e-motor for 150 kW (201 hp) and 250 Nm in the rear axle. This EV speeds up to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds. The top speed of this sedan reaches 170 km/h. It has two Shenxing LFP battery options from the worldโs largest battery maker CATL: a 51 kWh pack for 430 km of NEDC range and a 64 kWh battery for 520 km range. The first battery supports 70-kW DC charging. The second pack can be charged with 138 kW. The JY Air for Thailand has the CCS Combo charging port.
The JY Air is offered in two trim levels in Thailand. The entry-level model is called Standard. It has a price of 899,000 baht (25,200 USD). The top-trim car costs 1,018,000 baht (29,500 USD). JuneYao Automobile offers several gifts to the first owners of the car. They include a 3-year JuneYao Air gold membership, free tickets, a 1-year free insurance, a free AC charger, and an 8-year car warranty.
JY Air aims to become a hot seller in Thailand as its parenting company wants to establish a local assembly in 2025. However, it will face strong competition here. For clarity, the BYD Atto 3 crossover starts at 859,900 baht (24,950 USD). Moreover, JuneYao Air will face the problem of low recognition as it is a new brand.
Other JuneYao plans
It is unknown if JuneYao wants to sell its cars in a highly competitive Chinese market. However, this automaker will soon explore other international countries. One of them is Kazakhstan. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, JuneYao Automobile is in talks with the local government about the assembly under the local brand.
