Theres a choice of a 9.3kWh or 13.8kWh battery pack. margin-top: -19px; Hard plastics are everywhere, and you can see the screw that attaches the door handle insert to the door. But is it safe? Alongside the truck is the R1S, an attractively boxy SUV starting at around seventy grand in the States, so probably a $160,000 bet here. Safer than a scooter. }. After another 40,000 units or so in November, the total number of Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV soon will reach 500,000 - in just 18 months. w[ l ].push( { Unfortunately, Wheelsboy says youll never forget how cheap it is. Tesla Teased A Wireless Home Charging Solution On Investor Day, Rad Power Unveils The RadRunner 3 Plus Electric Utility Bike, Scout Motors Will Build Electric Trucks And SUVs In South Carolina, 741 liters of space with the rear seats folded down, 2,917 millimeters long, 1,493 millimeters wide and 1,621 millimeters high, with a 1,940-millimeter wheelbase. The colors areAvocado Green, Lemon Yellow, and White Peach Pink, which are the results of the collaboration of Wuling and Pantone Universe. Dartz's decision to redesign the car's body highlights one of the obvious problems with selling the Chinese car in Western markets: safety. It's time for car companies to step up and offer us some product that we all know would fly off the forecourts. dm.AjaxData.push({ et: et,d: d,ssid: ssid,ad: ad}); A few-times heavier standard car would potentially destroy the Wuling in a similar way as the neighborhood EV was destroyed. But Ford has more. * MINI Finance, Australian Credit Licence 392387. } ); But GM and SAIC have been working together for 24 years. [9], A 26.5kWh model is due for 2022, with 280 kilometres (170mi) (CLTC) estimated range, an optional more powerful 30kW (40hp; 41PS) motor, and an improved interior. Wuling Launches Hong Guang MINI EV - EV Obsession So successful is Wulings Mini EV that not only are Chinese producers rapidly coming up with copycat cars, Wuling itself is busy making different versions of the vehicle, including a forthcoming cabriolet and a long-range version. China EV teardown: A $4,500 'alternative to walking' Its curb weight is around 665 kg. There is no crash test data for the charming car, but GM says that 57 per cent of the cars body consists of high-strength steel. new Date().getTime(), event: 'gtm.js' The Nissan E-NV200 might not be much of a looker, but on paper it's a brilliant city van like the Peugeot Partner or VW Caddy. In October last year, Tesla cut the price of the Model 3 . The ForTwo is about 19,000 in the UK which could translate to a low to mid-$30k price tag. Externally, the Macaron version distinguishes itself from the standard Mini EV with a choice of funky pastel colors. It was developed by General Motors, Wuling Motors and state-sponsored SAIC Motor. a claimed 500 kilometre driving range (optimistic EPA number) and a ton of features, Rivian would struggle to meet demand, as it is already in its home market. He travels frequently and always seeks out the best driving roads to really test a car's limits. China is the worlds largest car market and it has some tricks up its sleeve to entice people to go electric. Onboard is a 9.3 kWh or 13.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack good for 75 or 169 km, respectively. The Macaron is a more luxury and personalized model with modified darkened LED headlights, two-tone alloy wheels, and unique body colors. People in China arent buying the Mini EV for its design; theyre buying it at a reported rate of 1,800 models per day because its cheap and its range is good enough. It also comes with the anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and reversing radar. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. GM unveils Wuling Hong Guang Mini cabrio This cute little cabrio makes our top billing not only because it is super-cute, but also because it is the newest version of the Wuling Hong Guang Mini that sells in China for less than $A8,000, and in February outsold the ever-popular Tesla Model 3 there. Similar to the Rivian, the Ford F-150 Lightning would surely go off here too. It can be used on normal roads without restriction, although its wheels are only 12 inches and its speed tops out at just 62 mph (100 km/h). Dismiss, Left Hand Drive Only (steering wheel on left), (shipping, duties, taxes in your country additional), Exterior dimensions: 2,917 mm long x 1,493 mm wide x 1,621 mm high, Maximum power:13 kW(4 seat) / 9.2 kW (2 seat), Range:170 km on a single charge (4 seat) / 120 km (2 seat). Apollo Air & Air Pro eScooter With The Best Build Quality, EMOVE Cruiser : Best eScooter Under $1500, AnyHill UM-2 : Unique Heavy Duty eScooter, Maxus Euniq 6 - The All New Chinese Electric SUV, Kandi K27 - Cheapest Electric Car in America, Price at $10,000, Chevrolet Blazer EV Design, Specifications, Features, Price And Launch Date, Voyah Free - Premium Electric SUV Like Yacht, Tata Punch EV - Design, Features, Performance & Price. Earlier this month five Chinese. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This is a demo store for testing purposes no orders shall be fulfilled. The BYD Han EV, which could arrive in Australia some time soon, sold 9,298 units, followed by GW (Great Wall) ORA Black Cat and GAC Aion S, both selling 6,092 units. 2023 CarExpert Pty Ltd - ABN 71 636 729 836, Don't get ripped off, find out what others have paid, This week in news: 27 February to 3 March. In 2003, China became, for a time, the second-largest single market for GM, selling Chinese-only versions of Buicks and launching Chevrolet in the jurisdiction in 2005. Mahindra eXUV300 Expected Launch Date & Estimated Price, Mahindra eKUV 100 To Be Launched By End Of 2022, 2023 Mazda MX-30 Crossover SUV Mazdas First Electric Car, Maserati GranTurismo Folgore EV All-Electric Super Sports Car, Mahindra XUV400 EV New Electric compact SUV. j.src = The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV is China's best-selling electric vehicle, outselling Tesla and all others. Can seat four. The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV ( Chinese: MiniEV) is a battery electric city car manufactured by SAIC-GM-Wuling since 2020. [12][13] The popularity has been compared to that of kei cars in Japan. Cutting Edge Mini City EV - the Hong Guang MINI EV has a practical "small on the outside, big on the inside" design Left Hand Drive Only (steering wheel on left) Taking orders now for export direct (shipping, duties, taxes in your country additional) It is available in 2 versions: 2-seat with 120KM range battery / $5500 4-seat with 170KM range battery / $6600 Exterior dimensions: 2,917 mm . Under the extreme cold and high temperatures of -25 to 45 C, the vehicle has completed 28 tests over 300,000 kilometers. Astonishingly, the company is reportedly making less than $14 profit on each car. SAIC Motor is the largest partner, with 50.1 percent ownership. Range is claimed to be between 120km on the base battery, and 280km on top-spec versions. The SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture has produced one of the most successful electric cars in China, the Wuling Hong Guan Mini EV. j = d.createElement( s ), dl = l != 'dataLayer' ? Wuling's tiny electric hatchback that's outsold Tesla Model 3 - CNBC } ); According to an IANS report, Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV has overtaken Teslas Model 3 as the top-selling electric vehicle in the world in January and February. China Sends a Warning to the U.S. About Domestic EV Battery Production, Global EV Adoption Hits New High of 20 Million Thanks to Tiny Electric Cars, Electric Cars Sold In Record Numbers Globally In 2021, A Serious Threat to Tesla Emerges in Nissan. s.src = 'https://au-script.dotmetrics.net/door.js?d=' + document.location.host + '&t=other'; h.appendChild(s); There's no dreamland Ford e-Ranger or Toyota e-HiLux talk here because they don't exist yet and we already know whoever gets to the dual-cab ute market with a sensibly-priced electric version could end up ruling the world. The back seats are equipped with two ISOFIX child safety seat restraint interfaces to cater to young families. Chinese "Macaron" EV is as Tiny and Cute as Its Name Suggests Demand for this tiny BEV . The neighborhood EV was completely destroyed, not giving the occupant's a chance to survive (at least the front row). Luxury is relative, especially when you are dealing with a car as bare-bones as the original Mini EV. A convertible variant of the Hongguang Mini EV known as the Cabrioconcept was unveiled overnight at the Shanghai motor show. if(typeof window.DotMetricsObj != 'undefined') {DotMetricsObj.onAjaxDataUpdate();} With no fast-charging capacity, the Mini EV is essentially a city car. DAP Pricing Unless otherwise stated, all prices are shown as Manufacturer's Recommended List Price (MRLP) inclusive of GST, exclusive of options and on road costs. Now you can get the top stories from Gizmodo delivered to your inbox. [6], Power is produced by an electric motor making a peak 20kW (27hp; 27PS) and 85Nm (63lbft) of torque[7] with rear-wheel drive, propelling the car to a stated top speed of 100km/h (62mph). Wuling Hongguang Mini EV In September, only its 4 th month on the market, the Hong Guang Mini EV racked up sales in excess of 20,000, propelling it to the top of China's electric vehicle market," Kang said. j.src = s.type = 'text/javascript'; }; With a modest 80kW, but reasonable 280Nm, the E-NV200 would be extremely cheap to run. The Hong Guang MINI EV has a practical "small on the outside, big on the inside" design. But the two-tone paint is still kind of here! Wuling is tight-lipped about acceleration statistics, but the car isn't particularly sluggish because it's electric and has immediate torque. The space might be able to fit something very thin, but the bottom is taken up with charging cables. Produced by SAIC-GM (GM) -Wuling, a company partially owned by General Motors, the Hong Guang Mini EV sells at a starting price that's equivalent to about $4,400. window.dm = window.dm ||{ AjaxData:[]}; } ()); Weve mentioned this car a few times in the past, but its made some amazing progress. Look out Tesla, SAIC's $4,500 electric car takes China by storm. Wuling had always produced microvans aimed at rural farmers and commercial buyers, so producing the Mini EV was a surprising move. The Wuling MINI EV from GM costs between $4,000 and $6,000. Enter your email below. You can get one through the usual JDM importers for not-insane money, but without factory backing, life might be difficult if the battery needs recalling etc. On top of that, there's a cargo version, which would be brilliant for the suburbs. The Mini EV has a top speed of 62mph, and on an expressway, we managed to reach just over 50mph an experience that was much less unnerving than expected. A few videos of the convertible circulated around since then, but not much else besides the statement from Wuling. However, the Mini EV's small size makes dashing in and out of traffic extremely enjoyable. PHOTOS: GM Unveils New Versions of $6,000 EV Outselling Tesla in China Look out Tesla, SAIC's $4,500 electric car takes China by storm Onboard is a 9.3 kWh or 13.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack good for 75 or 169 km, respectively. margin-top: -19px; This one is a proper long shot, but we stand by it, no matter what you say even if it is entirely reasonable. Samara said that one of his key goals for GM would be to transform operations in Europe into an agile mobility startup. Globally, GM is investing $35 billion dollars in electric and autonomous vehicles by 2025, he said at the time, and we will focus closely on what customers need market by market, and where we will leverage our global investments in the areas of EVs and AVs to compete and win.. Given all of its other flaws, that's probably not a terrible thing. Trendysort of. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Leading to the assumption . The production Mini EV Cabrio looks less premium than the concept. GM's Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV Gets New Upscale Trim Level Whether youre skiing in the backcountry or trampolining in the backyard, we have an activity tracker for you. Whether you want a new keyboard or a robot vac, theres something for everyone. This screenoffers basic information such as speed, range, and electricity consumption, along with a natty 3D rendering of the Mini EV. The interior is utilitarian at best and its plastics have the tactility of an emery board. The Macaron and Cabrio versions are likely to strengthen the Hong Guang MINI EV's market share in China, where it has already surpassed Tesla as the best-selling electric vehicle. Discover the city streets in a MINI Electric Hatch or MINI Countryman Hybrid with a 5.99% p.a comparison rate on a 36-month MINI Flex agreement*. Sport seems to be the better of the two modes, providing not only slightly smarter acceleration but also more noticeable braking regeneration. The Macaron version gains a reversing camera, which the screen also shows. China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data has revealed that the Hong Guang Mini EV . Latvian-based armoured vehicle manufacturer Dartz last year confirmed it had signed an agreement to import the electric micro car to Europe. Nikes most popular racing shoe is getting a reboot, The bird flu outbreak has taken an ominous turn, New Zealand faces a future of flood and fire, Explore AI like never before with our new database, Want the best tools to get healthy? Your email address will not be published. Take a bite of these third-party apps instead. No spare tire is given as well. China Is Eager To Grow EVs And Here Is The Adorable - Gizmodo Australia We take a look at the cars that could kickstart an EV love affair. However, cramming folks into those back seats isn't exactly pleasant. He has maintained a primary focus on industry trends, autonomous technology, electric vehicle regulations, and local environmental policy. Australia needs these Electric Vehicles - WhichCar But you will know the others involved in the joint venture that builds the Mini EV: General Motors has a 44% share andMG parent firm SAIC 50.1%, with Wuling the remaining 5.9%. Inside, the Macaron gets exterior color-matching inserts for the door pulls and highlights around what pass for controls. SHANGHAI - Wuling launched the Hong Guang MINI EV today. The score not being a 4 is mainly down to the considerable value on offer here, but we'd find it hard to ignore that lack of safety kit. Last year the Hongguang Mini EV was Chinas best selling pure electric car with roughly 426,000 sales, well ahead of the considerably more expensive .css-vurnku{box-sizing:border-box;margin:0;min-width:0;}Tesla Model 3 (321,000). Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Cabrio convertible concept revealed in Or is it? Renault had a go with the Kangoo Z.E. The Wuling Hong Guan Mini EV Cabrio Is Really Happening - Gizmodo Australia Marcus is a car enthusiast who loves writing about them. There are also two USB type A ports that allow you to play music or charge a device. Copyright Drive.com.au 2023ABN: 84 116 608 158. /* The Macaron is sold as a more premium and personalized variant that features redesigned darkened LED headlights, two-tone alloy wheels and exclusive body colors. The Hong Guang Mini EV electric hatchback launched in July 2020 and is manufactured through a joint venture between China's Wuling, Chinese state-owned automaker SAIC Motor, and General. (function() { They're both short on driving range and in the ForTwo's case, size, but these are resolutely urban vehicles. The fact that the Mini EV can seat four people is maybe the biggest surprise. EV Superstar Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV Now On Sale In Thailand MacOS may be the apple of your eye, but some of its stock apps are a little rotten. Ford's first EV locally at least as far as we know is a shrewd pitch to the tradespeople of Australia. j.async = true; Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.