Which is probably holding back the funky hatchback from a local release in electric form, just as it's hugely unlikely we'll ever see the ICE 208 here. In January,CarAdvice reported a hard-top variant of the Hongguang Mini EV designed and built as part of a collaboration betweenSAIC and General Motors outsold the Tesla Model 3 in Chinathroughout January 2021, thanks in part to its impressive AU$5700price tag. var d = document, It has received an advanced IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating and been put through 16 rigorous safety tests. f.parentNode.insertBefore( j, f ); [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. And with such small wheels, you feel every pothole, all the more so given the poorly padded seats. This one is a proper long shot, but we stand by it, no matter what you say even if it is entirely reasonable. The e-Crafter van would be a good idea too if it wasn't left-hook only. Aluminum Alloy is also offered in this EV. It is legal to drive on public roads, despite its wheels being just 12 inches in diameter and having a peak speed of only 62 miles per hour. Macaron is written on the drivers side rear pillar black insert, and the car features color-coordinated white wheels and roof. Cheap Minicar Might Spur Europe's Electric Car Mass Market", "GM's All-New Wuling MINI EV GameBoy Edition Revealed", "Wuling Hongguang MINI EV Game Boy Edition Arrives At The Dealer In China", "Chinese 3,200 budget electric car takes on Tesla", "China: Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV Amazes With 35,000+ Sales In December", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wuling_Hongguang_Mini_EV&oldid=1137755227, 15kW (20hp; 20PS) or 20kW (27hp; 27PS) or 30kW (40hp; 41PS), This page was last edited on 6 February 2023, at 07:37. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the Mini EV can seat four. The Mustang nameplate has been a giant success for Ford locally, and once buyers got over the high-riding SUV vibe of the Mach-E, I reckon we won't be able to get enough of them. w[ l ].push( { Onboard is a 9.3 kWh or 13.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack good for 75 or 169 km, respectively. General information. Sport seems to be the better of the two modes, providing not only slightly smarter acceleration but also more noticeable braking regeneration. China has had a thriving industry in low-speed electric vehicles (LSEVs), which in four-wheel form are more akin to golf carts. 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. This electric car is so popular among Chinese drivers that Wuling is making a cabrio model for 2022 despite convertibles not selling well in the country, as Car News China reports. 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. low-cost start to electric family transportation, This Heritage Series Grandeur EV Celebrates Hyundai's 1986 Flagship Sedan, Why We Would Completely Approve If Pagani Built This V12 Huayra Concept SUV, The Car That Inspired The 240Z: The Datsun 2000 Is Back With A Sharp New Design, EXCLUSIVE: This Brand-New Mitsubishi EVO XI Render Gives New Life To The Japanese Compact Sports Car Scene, Oh, The Bargains To Be Had At This Supercar Dealership In Dubai, Why The Mid-Engined Ford Mustang Would Be More Than A Match For The C8 Chevrolet Corvette, 10 American Engines That Can Take A Beating And Keep Going Strong Past 200,000 Miles. We break them all down. It was difficult to open the doors of the Wuling, but the battery appears to be mostly intact with only some damage. Sitting at a desk for hours? [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). You can whine all you like about the size, but large American trucks are selling here even after expensive right-hand drive conversions. s.src = 'https://au-script.dotmetrics.net/door.js?d=' + document.location.host + '&t=other'; h.appendChild(s); The lack of proper headrests for adults makes any long journey a challenge. We may not legally be able to get ahold of the Mini EV as it sells in China, but there is an outside chance GM will be using the know-how gained from producing this budget electric car to release a US or European EV that retails below the $10,000 mark. Wuling is tight-lipped about acceleration statistics, but the car isn't particularly sluggish because it's electric and has immediate torque. j.async = true; Lots of people ask why there aren't any small EVs on the market (we quickly explain there are several), and the talk quickly turns to price. The battery is barely bigger than your phone's at 5.5kWh and the top speed roughly comparable to jogging, but if you've seen Sydney or Melbourne Saturday traffic 45km/h is a distant dream. The 116 Absolute Best Black Friday Deals Right Now. Check out this review from the Wheelsboy YouTube channel: Despite its cheap price, it also comes with a suite of handy features like radar for reversing, antilock brakes and a tire pressure monitoring system. Wuling itself may be hoping to replicate the Mini EVs success with its forthcoming Air EV, which appears to be a move into pricier models and could conceivably signal a desire to go after overseas markets. 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. [25], "Popular Wuling EVs to hit global markets in 2022", "SGMW to unveil Wuling brand's first two-seater NEV model 'NanoEV', "The tiny Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV costs just P200,000", "Tiny Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Has Locked In 50,000 Orders", "China: Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV Sets Massive Sales Record", "This Adorable Four Seat Electric Hatchback is Selling Like Crazy in China", "Check Out This Must-See Review Of The Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV", "Wuling Mini EV gets a long-range version of 280 km range", "GM scores a bestseller in China with $4,200 electric micro car", "Dongfeng Fengguang MINI EV official images released", "Worry For The Wuling MINI EV (or not): BAW S3 & S5 Mini EVs Unveiled", "New Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV Macaron Launches In China", "Wuling Launches Hong Guang MINIEV Cabrio in China", "Chinese/U.S. The Cabrio is set to go into production in China in 2022, with a rebadged variant called the Freze Nikrob Cabrio being available in Europe. EV Auto Explorer is India's leading Electric Vehicles news website. The ForTwo is about 19,000 in the UK which could translate to a low to mid-$30k price tag. dm.AjaxData.push({ et: et,d: d,ssid: ssid,ad: ad}); Ad Choices. It would be easy to compare the Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV unfairly with pricier and better-equipped cars. The space might be able to fit something very thin, but the bottom is taken up with charging cables. You must appreciate that for many buyers, this will be their first car or their only option, and its infinitely safer than piling a family onto a motorbike or electric scooter. In this configuration, the EV offers up 741 liters of space. [17] The Macaron also receives more safety equipment compared to the previous base trim level, including low-speed pedestrian warning, a reversing camera with rear parking sonar and a driver-side airbag. Potential buyers will need to enter a lottery in order to buy one., Wuling says production could expand if theres enough demand.. Tired: Limited to being a city car. 25,778 MINI EV's were purchased in China in January alone, compared to . The Mini EV is actually higher than it is wide due to its 1,621 mm height; thus, headroom is adequate. h = d.getElementsByTagName('head')[0], /* ]]> */ s.src = 'https://au-script.dotmetrics.net/door.js?d=' + document.location.host + '&t=other'; h.appendChild(s); Thats a considerable price premium over the regular Hongguang Mini EV, which starts from just 32,800 yuan ($6900) and stretches to 69,8000 yuan ($14,700) for a fully-loaded Game Boy edition. Wayward steering.) var d = document, [24], The Mini EV listed as the world's top selling plug-in car in January 2021. But increased battery costs have seen prices rise by around $1,000. The Mini EV Cabrio: Wuling unveiled the Mini EV Cabrio, a convertible version of the Mini EV with a folding soft top, at the Shanghai Auto Show in 2021. The Master is a versatile panel van, available as either a platform cab or cab chassis, with a ton of space and a usable city driving range. A digital dial screen is the only real concession to modern technology and shows driving data such as speed and range along with a nice graphical rendition of the car, plus it acts as the reversing cameras display. if(typeof window.DotMetricsObj != 'undefined') {DotMetricsObj.onAjaxDataUpdate();} Production will initially be limited to between 100 and 200 cars per month. The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV is China's best-selling electric vehicle, outselling Tesla and all others. [12][13] The popularity has been compared to that of kei cars in Japan. It was first manufactured and delivered sometime in July 2020. Luxury is relative, especially when you are dealing with a car as bare-bones as the original Mini EV. Surprisingly, the EV has a selector button hidden behind the steering wheel that lets you choose between Eco and Sport modes. Thats actually not too bad for the price of four Changlis. j.src = His favorite cars are anything with a manual transmission, and he's been known to spend hours just shifting through all the gears. The front suspension is McPherson and the rear one is Multi-link dependent type. Demand for this tiny BEV . Each features a slightly different exterior finish, different wheels, and different trim. William Davis has written for Drive since July 2020, covering news and current affairs in the automotive industry. With sales commencing as early as September 2020. Whether you want a new keyboard or a robot vac, theres something for everyone. 'gtm.start': This is enough to accommodate two 26-inch suitcases or a stroller. Derek Fung would love to tell you about his multiple degrees, but he's too busy writing up some news right now. With the 40kWh battery, it has a healthy city driving range of up to 300km, which is probably a week's driving for a good number of businesses. There are also Isofix child-seat connectors, and the seats are best designed for children or short journeys. Part of the reason for this is the simplicity of the design. w[ l ] = w[ l ] || []; The special edition Mini EVs have a redesigned front fascia with an additional LED strip connecting the two light clusters, in addition to revised headlights with LED daytime running lights. The Mini EV Cabrio is getting the same 26 horsepower electric motor as the coup, but its price and range is still unknown. Fees, charges, conditions and eligibility criteria apply. Not only did Wuling sling 15,000 units in only its first 20 days on the market, but its currently beating Tesla Model 3 sales almost two to one, InsideEVs reports. [CDATA[ */ And the lack of rear headrests would make anything but short journeys tiring on the neck. Still, splashes of color matching the body color around the radio controls, door pulls, and passenger cupholder jazz up the interior. A few-times heavier standard car would potentially destroy the Wuling in a similar way as the neighborhood EV was destroyed. All rights reserved. The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV is a little electric vehicle (EV) that's been making waves bigger than its 12-inch wheels can ever suggest: it's been outselling Teslas and traversing floods in China, and its entry into Thailand and Indonesia have also got Malaysians excited.. Part of the massive sales numbers and interest - Chinese customers have bought over 500,000 of these since June 2019 . But the two-tone paint is still kind of here! form, despite all indications pointing to its untimely end. It was founded in 2007 in the city of Liuzhou, near the border with Vietnam. Peter Anderson spent his high school years reading car mags in the back of class, and is mostly unable to count past the 18 fingers he has. Notably, the upscale variant of the Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV will have a slightly larger body as the wheelbase grows from 76.4 to 79.1 inches. The ForFour is somehow slightly cheaper, so would cost about the same. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. At the very first look, the car also looks small than usual cars. The Macaron is a more luxury and personalized model with modified darkened LED headlights, two-tone alloy wheels, and unique body colors. The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV is a battery electric vehicle (BEV). Which, again, in the case of the ForTwo is not completely unfair. Among the Macaron's many improvements over the basic Mini EV is a key safety featurethe driver now gets an airbag standard. This is paired to either a 9.2kWh, 13.9kWh, or 25.5kWh battery. [19], The Mini EV GameBoy Edition was introduced in March 2022. f.parentNode.insertBefore( j, f ); After hitting the market in July 2020, GM reports that over 270,000 models have been sold. China's best-selling EV is tiny and incredibly affordable, and will soon become one of the few convertible EVs available today, or ever. Wuling Hongguang Mini EV The base version of the Hongguang is delivered with a 9.2 kWh battery and 13 kW electric motor which drives the rear wheels through a single-speed transmission. The same cannot be said for the steering, which is generally imprecise. Nissan's Leaf is the company's only electric passenger car here in Australia and our suggestion here is not going to add to that list. 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