However, with only a slow charger interface, refilling the latter takes nine hours. 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. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. But is it safe? Now the Hong Guang Mini. 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. Once in the drivers seat, you immediately notice two issues. 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. 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. However, in the case of the Wuling Hong Guang MINI EV, things look much better. Can seat four. The GT versions pack a staggering dual-motor set up with 358kW and either 814Nm or 860Nm. It also weighs a . Charging cables fill up the space at the bottom of the boot. The front and rear lighting also appear less premium, going from two circular LEDs that looked like the headlights on the Honda e to a blockier shape that looks more like the c-shaped lights on a a lot of modern trucks. The Hong Guang MINI EV has a top speed of about 100 km/h, seats four and looks like a Japanese kei car. 38 Photos Wuling - Hong Guang MINI EV specs: Two battery/range options 120 km (75 miles) of range using 9.3 kWh battery 170 km (106 miles) of range using 13.9 kWh battery top speed of 100. window.dm = window.dm ||{ AjaxData:[]}; 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. [CDATA[ */ Wolf Warrior X Is This The Smoothest eScooter? A Detailed Look At The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, The Tata Avinya Concept Puts India On The Global EV Map. . Avocado Green, Lemon Yellow, and White Peach Pink are the colors created by Wuling in partnership with Pantone Universe. 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. The ForTwo is about 19,000 in the UK which could translate to a low to mid-$30k price tag. A dual waistline along with obvious arches for the 12 inches wheels accent very boxy looks. So equipped, Wuling says its Mini EV will travel 75 miles on a single charge and reach a top speed of 62 mph. And, like any good motoring journalist, we will insist that not only must the VW Up! Look out Tesla, SAIC's $4,500 electric car takes China by storm. 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. Theres no Park setting, though: the handbrake is the only way to hold the Mini EV. The Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV car measures a diminutive 2920mm yet four adults can fit in without too much contortion. Although not as uncomfortable as first expected, the offset pedal position gets tiring after an hour. microcar return to our shores, but it should be in e-Up! body #page { Despite writing for a diverse range of outlets including the Australian Financial Review, Robb Report, and Property Observer since completing his media degree at Macquarie University, William has always had a passion for cars. The cars crashed at 64 km/h (40 mph) each, with a 50% offset, which turned out to be deadly to the red neighborhood electric vehicle, despite both being similar in size and weight (560 kg Wuling vs 568 kg red EV). 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. 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. Everything You Need to Work From Home Like a Pro. This EV is not available outside China, but we got behind the wheel of the luxury Macaron version in China to see if this super-cheap electric car was any good, and what US and European manufacturers could learn about how to make more affordable electric cars. The colors areAvocado Green, Lemon Yellow, and White Peach Pink, which are the results of the collaboration of Wuling and Pantone Universe. s.type = 'text/javascript'; Derek Fung would love to tell you about his multiple degrees, but he's too busy writing up some news right now. SAIC Motor is the largest partner, with 50.1 percent ownership. j.src = After all, the car is less than 3 meters long, 2,920 mm to be precise. s = d.createElement('script'); 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. A distinct whine from the electric motor accompanies you as you drive along. Id love to get my hands on one of these cars, but we arent likely to see these here for a long time, if ever. It was founded in 2007 as a joint venture between Wuling Group and Dragon Hill Holdings in Liuzhou, Guangxi, China. The batterys functions can be remotely monitored via a smartphone app. s = d.createElement('script'); 145/70R12 With such small tires, any potholes you encounter are keenly felt in the cabin. But GM and SAIC have been working together for 24 years. Every pothole is felt with such small wheels, which is made worse by the badly cushioned seats. General Motors (GM) has released new, colorful versions of China's best-selling electric car, the tiny Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV. Guide to safely buying & selling a car online, Police forced to pay for car tracking app to find abducted toddler report, Hundreds of electrified cars deregistered in Victoria due to road-user tax report, 2024 Volkswagen ID.3 facelift unveiled, due in Australia next year, Renault Espace five- and seven-seat SUV under consideration for Australia, Upcoming Lotus electric sedan spied on a tow truck in the Arctic. TOKYO -- At 28,800 yuan ($4,500), the Hongguang Mini EV has become a big seller in certain Chinese cities and villages. 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 Macaron is a more luxury and personalized model with modified darkened LED headlights, two-tone alloy wheels, and unique body colors. Uncomfortable. If we arent limited by business model, the data could be used to develop a shared car, or a ride-hailing city car, that could be used in city centers where passenger cars are banneda growing and likely permanent trend, he says. [24], The Mini EV listed as the world's top selling plug-in car in January 2021. Updated daily with news on EV cars, EV bikes, EV scooters, electric vehicles Trends and market, commercial EVs, sales reports as well as detailed reviews by experts. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Which, again, in the case of the ForTwo is not completely unfair. 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. Your email address will not be published. This is paired to either a 9.2kWh, 13.9kWh, or 25.5kWh battery. w[ l ] = w[ l ] || []; Wuling had always produced microvans aimed at rural farmers and commercial buyers, so producing the Mini EV was a surprising move. Depending on the spec, the Mini EV is powered by either a 20kW/85Nm or 30kW/110Nm electric motor driving the rear wheels. 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. 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. s.src = 'https://au-script.dotmetrics.net/door.js?d=' + document.location.host + '&t=other'; h.appendChild(s); Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV has overtaken Tesla Model 3 as the world's most popular electric vehicle for the first time, according to the EV Sales blog. The back seats are equipped with two ISOFIX child safety seat restraint interfaces to cater to young families. It was founded in 2007 in the city of Liuzhou, near the border with Vietnam. Its curb weight is around 665 kg. Luckily as youre unlikely to ever get the Mini EV much above 50 mph this never becomes too much of a problem. He has maintained a primary focus on industry trends, autonomous technology, electric vehicle regulations, and local environmental policy. Take a bite of these third-party apps instead. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. So an incredibly cheap, bare-bones city car makes a lot of sense. '&l=' + l : ''; In his spare time Derek loves chasing automotive rabbits down the hole. Similar to the Rivian, the Ford F-150 Lightning would surely go off here too. Required fields are marked *. Little safety equipment. The Mini EV is actually higher than it is wide due to its 1,621 mm height; thus, headroom is adequate. The Mini GameBoy Edition is outfitted in four different variations: Hurricane Phantom, Jungle Traveler, Star Rover, and Party Sweetheart. 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. The Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV car body is a Hatchback. Range is claimed to be between 120km on the base battery, and 280km on top-spec versions. Fees, charges, conditions and eligibility criteria apply. His favorite cars are anything with a manual transmission, and he's been known to spend hours just shifting through all the gears. To further aid in the adoption of EVs, the Chinese government has announced measures to boost sales, from Automotive News: The government will encourage steady increases on spending on cars and abolish excessive restrictions on the sale of used vehicles, Premier Li Keqiang told the National Peoples Congress in Beijing on Friday. According toAutohome, the micro electric two-door is slated to hit showrooms in 2022 and (at least initially) will be sold exclusively in China. [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. The lack of proper headrests for adults makes any long journey a challenge. Leading to the assumption . Aesthetically, the production vehicle is unlikely to change dramatically from its concept form. [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. Trendysort of. }. In a design choice that perhaps speaks to the affordability of display parts, the instrument panel is a full-color digital screen. It can be charged using a normal 220-240V outlet. There are also two USB type A ports that allow you to play music or charge a device. But as a cheap introduction to electric family motoring, the car is infinitely safer and better than a scooter or motorbike. 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. Or is it? If you need a bit more capacity, the back seats simply push down and pull up via a strap.