Founded in 2017 by Fu Qian and Gu Feng in Shanghai, Aiways debuted the U5 Ion concept in 2018 and released its first production SUV, the U5, in 2019. Its follow-up U6 coupe-style SUV arrived in 2021, offering up to 500 km range. After delivering roughly 3,000 vehicles across China, Europe, and Israel in 2021, the company exited the domestic market in May 2024 to focus on strategic European markets such as Germany and Norway. Notably, Aiways was the first Chinese EV to be rented by Hertz in Corsica and won a 2022 contract to supply up to 150,000 EVs to Thai provider Phoenix EV.