Limited to using a standard 220V AC outlet, charging is naturally slow, with the base battery pack taking six hours to fully recharge. Similar to the Rivian, the Ford F-150 Lightning would surely go off here too. These are the top discounts weve found across the web. [19], The Mini EV GameBoy Edition was introduced in March 2022. You can whine all you like about the size, but large American trucks are selling here even after expensive right-hand drive conversions. Surprisingly, the EV has a selector button hidden behind the steering wheel that lets you choose between Eco and Sport modes. SAIC Motor is the largest partner, with 50.1 percent ownership. The reason the little Hong Guang MINI EV is beating the Tesla Model 3 is simple: Its dirt cheap. The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV is China's best-selling electric vehicle. It was first manufactured and delivered sometime in July 2020. Sitting at a desk for hours? [18], In 2021 Lithuanian company Nikrob UAB announced a rebadged version of the Mini EV called the FreZe Nikrob with knock-down assembly in Vilnius, Lithuania. }; The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers expects sales to rise for the first time in three years, as it projects 27.2 million units to be sold in the country. * MINI Finance, Australian Credit Licence 392387. But with a parcel shelf right next to the driver, they can just pick what they need, swing open the door and step straight out onto the pavement. It's highly likely theCabrio will share the fixed-roof model's same powertrain. j.src = Its curb weight is around 665 kg. We will keep our own label, Freze [formerly Frese], and this car will be not just be a rebadged Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, like it was under the Nikrob label, but it will be a [new body] car.. window.dm.AjaxEvent = function(et, d, ssid, ad){ Part of the reason for this is the simplicity of the design. So an incredibly cheap, bare-bones city car makes a lot of sense. 25,778 MINI EV's were purchased in China in January alone, compared to . The company had teased a convertible model at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show in April, and claimed that the car would go into production sometime next year. With fossil fuel prices soaring, its hardly surprising that most markets are crying out for cheaper EVs. when sales dipped for the first time since the 1990s, 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. We could live with sitting on the wrong side of the Ami, which is barely wider than the Renault Twizy, but driving on the wrong side of a massive van would be no fun at all. VW is so far resisting calls to bring the Golf-sized ID.3 here to Australia, citing Government policy as a blocker. Leading to the assumption . electric van, but we can't for the life of us remember if we've ever seen one in the wild. While there is a hatch at the back, there is no real trunk to speak of. Could General Motors at least apply lessons learned from producing this super-cheap EV to other markets? Thanks to the folding fabric roof and rollover hoops, the cabrio version is strictly a two-seater, though. [17], The Macaron is equipped with a small electric motor that generates a more powerful 20kW (27hp; 27PS) and 85Nm (63lbft) of torque compared to the previously launched base trim while range remains unchanged. Now you can get the top stories from Gizmodo delivered to your inbox. The Best Fitness Trackers and Watches for Everyone. The area might hold something extremely tiny; however, the car contains charging cords on the bottom. So such a car, even devoid of bells or whistles, could make electric motoring affordable for a much broader market. w[ l ].push( { [CDATA[ */ Posted on April 19, 2021. For short trips to the shops and back, the Ami is the perfect city runabout and might get a few belching dungers off the streets. However, cramming folks into those back seats isn't exactly pleasant. 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. Uncover exclusive deals and discounts with a VIP referral to Australia's best dealers, Tesla details Model Y suspension changes, more updates coming, Mazda's largest SUV here in August with hybrid-beating efficiency. 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. Astonishingly, the company is reportedly making less than $14 profit on each car. [16], SAIC-GM-Wuling launched a variant of the regular Mini EV called the Mini EV Macaron in April 2021. The EVs Australia needs. An electrified version of Tatas Nanowhich is dubbed the world's cheapest car, costs just over $2,000, and is getting surprisingly decent reviewshas been rumored for some time now. SHANGHAI - Wuling launched the Hong Guang MINI EV today. it has halogen headlamps and halogen bulbs in indicators and rear lights. At least there are some concessions to safety: while the original Mini EVs featured little more than the steel body cage, anti-lock brakes, and Isofix anchors for child seats, the Macaron adds a drivers airbag. Get weekly updates with the latest car news and reviews. dm.AjaxData.push({ et: et,d: d,ssid: ssid,ad: ad}); Tired: Limited to being a city car. 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 Wuling Hongguang Mini EV (Chinese: MiniEV) is a battery electric city car manufactured by SAIC-GM-Wuling since 2020. The Mini EV Cabrio is getting the same 26 horsepower electric motor as the coup, but its price and range is still unknown. [10], In 2020, the Mini EV had a price starting at US$4,162, and topped out at US$5,607 for a fully-loaded model, making it China's cheapest electric car. State-backed SAIC-GM-Wuling, a company partly owned by GM,. Now, a new entry into Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology confirms that the Mini EV Cabrio is coming to market, per Car News China. [22][23], In January 2021, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), the Mini EV topped new energy vehicles sales with 25,778 units, compared to the Tesla Model 3 with 13,843 units sold in China. Once in the drivers seat, you immediately notice two issues. img#wpstats{display:none} 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%. But Ford has more. Wayward steering.) Everything You Need to Work From Home Like a Pro. The Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV car body is a Hatchback. That the colors are a collaboration with Pantone speaks volumes; the Mini EV has managed a cult following, and the Macaron is clearly aimed at the young and cool. He has maintained a primary focus on industry trends, autonomous technology, electric vehicle regulations, and local environmental policy. China has had a thriving industry in low-speed electric vehicles (LSEVs), which in four-wheel form are more akin to golf carts. More car parks, EV charging stations and battery-swapping facilities will be built, and battery recycling systems developed at a faster pace, Li said. Which iPhone Should You Buy (or Avoid) Right Now? The Wuling MINI EV from GM costs between $4,000 and $6,000. s.type = 'text/javascript'; Second, the is offset to the center. Macaron is written on the drivers side rear pillar black insert, and the car features color-coordinated white wheels and roof. body #page { Given all the other foibles detailed here, that is probably not a bad thing. s.async = true; } )( window, document, 'script', 'dataLayer', 'GTM-WT4MKNJ' ); The driver would have a chance to survive with some leg and head injury. j.async = true; We don't mean the $4500 Wuling Hongguang Mini EV that Youtube dutifully trotted out as a Tesla killer in the last couple of months, but a whole bunch of Geely Group cars wearing various badges including Lynk & Co. Get in the comments and let us know which ones we missed or how wrong we were about the ones we haven't. We believe that most of the Wuling Hong Guang MINI EVs are driving on the streets and there is always a risk that such a crash might happen. As of January2022[update], sales since inception have passed 500,000 units, and the Mini EV has become the best-selling electric car in China. Yes, I wish to receive exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions from our partners. There are also Isofix child-seat attachments, and the seats are indeed best for childrenthe lack of real headrests for adults makes any extended trip a strain. The Smart is, however, a considerable 170mm wider. The enchanting little thing looks like loads of fun! The Hong Guang Mini EV's convenience and low price have made it . Yamamoto discovered that the parts were largely off-the-shelf and consumer-grade, rather than automotive grade. According to Tu Le, founder and managing director of Sino Auto Insights, there are two possibilities. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. The back seats are equipped with two ISOFIX child safety seat restraint interfaces to cater to young families. var d = document, China is the worlds largest car market and it has some tricks up its sleeve to entice people to go electric. img#wpstats{display:none} This is paired to either a 9.2kWh, 13.9kWh, or 25.5kWh battery. Charging cables fill up the space at the bottom of the boot. On the plus side, given the sub-two-meter wheelbase, the turning circle is incredibly tight. In . 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. The front brake is a disk brake and the rear one is a drum brake. [8] Based on the NEDC driving cycle, the estimated energy consumption of the Mini EV is 8,1 kWh/100km. SHUHEI YAMADA, Nikkei Asia Tech chief editor December 20, 2021 11:23 JST. The electric motor that comes in this Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV is 20 kW. NEDC Range (km) 170 (13.8 kWh) & 120 (9.2 kWh), Cutting Edge Mini City EV the Hong Guang MINI EV has a practical small on the outside, big on the inside design, Be the first to review Wuling Hongguang Mini EV. Slightly more substantial than the Ami, and rather more expensive, is Smart's ForTwo and ForFour which could probably land here well under forty grand. SAIC Motor is the largest partner, with 50.1 percent ownership. var f = d.getElementsByTagName( s )[ 0 ], window.dm.AjaxEvent = function(et, d, ssid, ad){ Early models did not include a driver airbag, but later models such as the Mini EV Macaron include the feature as standard. Perhaps the local arm should consider Ford's idea of a much larger unit, the Master Z.E.? A few videos of the convertible circulated around since then, but not much else besides the statement from Wuling. It loses the LED side strip, but gets a side marker in return. The back seats, on the other hand, independently push down and draw up with a strap, which is necessary if one wishes to move anything other than people. Enter your email below. The four motor R1T ute starts at under 70 grand in the US and would probably still be competitive after the usual taxes, charges and Government obstacles were cleared most likely walloping buyers around $150k in local trim. 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. The hardtop model starts at 28,000, or about A$6,177, and has a range of 169 km. 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. But the Mini EVs diminutive size also makes darting in and out of traffic quite satisfying. But thanks to the 1,621 mm height, the Mini EV is actually taller than it is wide, so head room is reasonable. It was founded in 2007 as a joint venture between Wuling Group and Dragon Hill Holdings in Liuzhou, Guangxi, China. In addition, the battery of the Mini EV has passed 16 safety test such as over-charge, over discharge, over-temperature, short circuit, fire, seawater immersion, simulated collision, etc. In December, GM announced that Mahmoud Samara, a VP for Cadillac North America, had been made president of GM Europe. Marketed as 'commuting tool,' Hong Guang Mini outsells the Model 3. (function() { w[ l ].push( { However, with only a slow charger interface, refilling the latter takes nine hours. Wolf Warrior X Is This The Smoothest eScooter? 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. The battery pack is pre-started to warm up and maintain the battery pack temperature at 20-25 C to achieve low-temperature charging efficiency. if(typeof window.DotMetricsObj != 'undefined') {DotMetricsObj.onAjaxDataUpdate();} The same cannot be said for the steering, which is generally imprecise. Car sales in China saw astounding growth until 2018, when sales dipped for the first time since the 1990s. The Wuling Mini EV features an electric motor providing 27 hp and 62.7 lb-ft of torque that powers the rear wheels and comes with either a 9.2 kWh battery or a bigger 13.8 kWh battery with a range of 110 miles, according to the NEDC. 'gtm.start': 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. The 116 Absolute Best Black Friday Deals Right Now. 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 Hong Guang MINI EV has a top speed of about 100 km/h, seats four and looks like a Japanese kei car. var d = document, Under the extreme cold and high temperatures of -25 to 45 C, the vehicle has completed 28 tests over 300,000 kilometers. Enter your email below. 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. The Gameboy Edition: A version introduced in March 2022. Your email address will not be published. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. body #page { Owner Shares The Good And Bad, US: Ford Significantly Increased BEV Sales In February 2023. Electric vehicles should be going great guns at the moment we've all been trapped in the country (and mostly our states) for months, there's nothing to do and for some reason we're paying pre-GFC prices for our petrol. In the end, all the states can do is lead a punter to a beer, it's up to the product makers to make one nice enough to drink. Nikrob was a temporary inter-step, says company founder Leonard Yankelovich. [5], The Mini EV can seat four people, and standard features including air conditioning, power windows, stereo system, storage and compartments. Earlier this month five Chinese. } )( window, document, 'script', 'dataLayer', 'GTM-WT4MKNJ' ); The ForFour is somehow slightly cheaper, so would cost about the same. Recently we came across a crash test conducted earlier this year in China, which might give us glimpses of what to expect. Here you can see more details about the technical specification of the Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV. all we can say is this EV has every right to be on the top of the affordable EVs list. It would be easy to compare the Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV unfairly with pricier and better-equipped cars. 'gtm.start': 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. Sport seems to be the better of the two modes, providing not only slightly smarter acceleration but also more noticeable braking regeneration. w[ l ] = w[ l ] || []; EV Auto Explorer is India's leading Electric Vehicles news website. One must resist the car's urge to travel in a straight line over 30 mph. The lack of proper headrests for adults makes any long journey a challenge. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and General information. It's time for car companies to step up and offer us some product that we all know would fly off the forecourts. But GM and SAIC have been working together for 24 years. The interior is utilitarian at best and its plastics have the tactility of an emery board. The Mini EV Macaron: A version of the normal Mini EV introduced in April 2021. It wouldn't be cheap, but the Master's reputation for being loud when fitted with a diesel might tip a few buyers over the line. [20] Its exterior has been completely restyled with larger dimension, while the power remains to be unchanged and carried over from the standard Mini EV producing 27hp (20kW; 27PS) and 85Nm (63lbft) or 40hp (30kW; 41PS) and 110Nm (81lbft), mated to a 9.2, 13.9, or 25.5 kWh battery. The poor profit margin hasnt stopped Wuling and its sibling brand Baojun from creating more cars in the same vein. Aluminum Alloy is also offered in this EV. Sport mode appears to be the superior option, offering significantly faster acceleration and more obvious brake regeneration. These are very limited, with three dials for climate control and a very small LCD screen for the radio. 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. j.async = true; It was developed by General Motors, Wuling Motors and state-sponsored SAIC Motor. As of January 2022, sales since inception have passed 500,000 units, and the Mini EV has become the best-selling electric car in China. Let us know if you think we could be doing something better. s.async = true; The Peugeot e-Expert has a silly name and isn't much to look at, but has an impressive driving range for a commercial vehicle (330km WLTP) and decent power and torque. 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 . Copyright Drive.com.au 2023ABN: 84 116 608 158. It is a three-door electric microcar that . A dual waistline along with obvious arches for the 12 inches wheels accent very boxy looks. Tesla's biggest rival in China is the Wuling HongGuang Mini EV that starts at around $4,200. s.type = 'text/javascript'; Given all of its other flaws, that's probably not a terrible thing. Wuling Motors designs and manufactures tiny electric automobiles, school buses, engines, and automobile parts. Check out our Gear teams picks for the best fitness trackers, running gear (including shoes and socks), and best headphones, TurboTax service code 2023: Up to $15 off your purchase, 20% Off - All H&R Block 2023 Tax Software | H&R Block Discount Code, Instacart coupon code: $25 off any size order + free delivery, Extra 20% off sitewide - Dyson promo code, GoPro promo code: 10% off all sitewide purchases + free shipping, 2023 Cond Nast. f.parentNode.insertBefore( j, f ); Stepping up into the niche is the smallest mass-market EV, and one of the best selling EVs of all time: the Wuling Hongguang Mini. Powering the rear wheels is an electric motor delivering 27 hp of power and 85 Nm of torque. 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. 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. The same is not said for the steering, which is quite sloppy. Rivian has two giant electric trucks, which will upset people who don't want these massive things bearing down on them, and the company says it has strong interest from local buyers. Given the rudimentary nature of the cabin, its no surprise that materials are utilitarian. s.src = 'https://au-script.dotmetrics.net/door.js?d=' + document.location.host + '&t=other'; h.appendChild(s); Similar clues to the budget nature of the build quality are shown in areas such as a simple bare screw attaching the door pulls in the front. So equipped, Wuling says its Mini EV will travel 75 miles on a single charge and reach a top speed of 62 mph. 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). A single electric motor sends 13kW to the rear wheels, and voltage is drawn from a 9.2kWh lithium-polymer battery, permitting a claimed range of 120km. At the end of last year, professor Masayoshi Yamamoto at Nagoya University took apart a car shipped to Japan to see how it was possible to produce the vehicle so cheaply. As EVs make their inroads, the little Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV is leading the way. Required fields are marked *. The mini EV costs around $5,000 new. 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. [11] The car has attracted a cult following in China, with owners frequently modifying their vehicles. dm.AjaxData.push({ et: et,d: d,ssid: ssid,ad: ad}); Despite its ultra-compact dimensions, it somehow boasts 741 liters of storage space (with the rear seats folded) and 12 storage compartments. Being two-seaters, theyve never really sold well, but the E300 (aka Kiwi EV) in many ways replicates the Mini EV formula, except it costs around twice as much and features a chunky robot-like appearance and desirable features such as fast charging. 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. Theres a choice between 9.3- and 13.8-kWh battery packs, which are good for ranges of 75 miles (120 km) and 106 miles (170 km), respectively, under the already generous NEDC standard. It can be charged using a 220V three-pin plug at a household and is equipped with a high-efficiency charging gun with easy storage. While power isn't cheap in our privatised power nirvana our politicians were so keen to sell us, it is increasingly moving to renewable sources. Its curb weight is around 665 kg. The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV is the result of a three-way joint venture. The system power is 17 Horsepower (13 kW). After all, the automobile is just 2,921 millimeters long, or less than 3 meters. The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV is China's best-selling electric vehicle, outselling Tesla and all others. According toAutohome, the micro electric two-door is slated to hit showrooms in 2022 and (at least initially) will be sold exclusively in China. 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. Adding to the safety, more than 57% of the Hong Guang MINI EVs body consists of high-strength steel. var f = d.getElementsByTagName( s )[ 0 ], Of course there are more out there and many of them will come from China. According to Statista, the average person in China makes $US13,900 ($18,056) a year. It was difficult to open the doors of the Wuling, but the battery appears to be mostly intact with only some damage. With seven seats (that'll be popular, don't you think?) In a design choice that perhaps speaks to the affordability of display parts, the instrument panel is a full-color digital screen. The controls for the electric windows are located on the center console, next to the drive selector knob. The Mini EV is equipped with a 9.2kWh battery capable of a NEDC range of 120km (75mi) or a 13.8kWh battery capable of a NEDC range of 170km (110mi). This one is a proper long shot, but we stand by it, no matter what you say even if it is entirely reasonable. Tesla Giga Mexico To Be Two Times Bigger Than Giga Texas?