Posted on 02/13/2021 8:04:07 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
BEIJING -- On the showroom floor of a SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile dealership in Chongqing, a salesman enthusiastically recommended the Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV, an electric car that has quickly won over Chinese drivers since its nationwide launch in July.
The boxy compact lives up to its name, measuring less than 3-meters long and 1.5-meters wide, yet can still accommodate four people. The price starts at 28,800 yuan ($4,460), though the most popular model, with air conditioning, goes for just over $5,000.
"If you make a 13,000 yuan down payment, the rest will be interest-free," the salesman said.
Though the Hong Guang Mini lags well behind offerings from the likes of Tesla when it comes to range and performance, its convenience and low price have made it one of China's bestselling "new-energy" vehicles, a category that includes electrics and plug-in hybrids.
The compact has been a big hit for state-owned SAIC Motor, China's top automaker. SAIC holds a majority stake in SAIC-GM-Wuling, the joint venture that produces and sells the car and is known locally as Wuling, and General Motors is a major shareholder as well.
Marketed as "the people's commuting tool," the basic model can travel 120 km on a full charge and has a top speed of 100 kph -- good enough for day-to-day driving for most consumers. It does not use a cutting-edge battery, which helps keep the price down, and it can conveniently be charged from a standard outlet.
The car sold 112,000 units between July and the end of 2020, ranking second for the year behind Tesla's Model 3, but first on a monthly basis. It is also believed to be the second-best-selling electric model worldwide, again behind only the Model 3.
(Excerpt) Read more at asia.nikkei.com ...
Rush Limbaugh’s songster Paul Shankland needs to remake the song, “In a Yugo” to “In a SIAC”.
I hate to say it but, it might work over there since them bastards are building COAL fired power plants like its going out of style.
That car literally says my driver isn’t looking for a relationship with anything that isn’t made of rubber
I’d buy one if I could plug it into someone else’s outlet.
Not much more than a converted electric golf cart, main difference being the metallic outer skin.
You can buy a used Nissan Leaf here for $5000 with way better specs.
Yeah Elon, you’re in for it now. They’ve got pregnant roller
skates.
Sounds like China got what they needed from Tesla, so they’re (once again) taking care of their own market.
Have the Free-trader Trump-haters apologized yet for being TOTALLY WRONG about China (while Trump was totally right), or am I dreaming?
(hint: I’m dreaming)
I wonder how many patents they stole this time.
The advantage of the Chinese EV is that, when the battery charge is all used up, the car looks light enough to push or pull home, which means, no tow charges and no being stuck anywhere (except in the snow or mud).
This thing is far from “what they needed from Tesla”.
3 cars catch on fire at charging station in China.
It took the first one 38 seconds to burst into flames.
Imagine riding down the road - could you stop your car AND get your kids out of their car seats within 38 seconds?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2F9HKZ5VzA
If I wanted an electric golf cart I’d get one spporting one of those fake Rolls Royce grills...
Well you know what? that makes more sense than an 85k tesla.
Well you know what? that makes more sense than an 85k tesla.
Now a lot depends on whether you trust the building wiring, and how many amps that you pull from the nearest substation.
Chinese wall outlets deliver 10 amps, 15 amps or 20 amps. At 220v, that's the equivalent of a 20 amp US breaker, or a double breaker to deliver the 20 amp at 220 volts.
Great advantage in using standard power outlets, but that is a full overnight charge for a small battery system.
If the power stays on 24/7.
Probably would work OK for city dwellers that only go to the grocery store. Really do trust that Chinese quality control, though.
Bet if it was to be made to meet US safety standards it would cost $20K.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.