Look out Tesla, SAIC's $4,500 electric car takes China by storm

[Klaralven]

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.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Electric-cars-in-China/Look-out-Tesla-SAIC-s-4-500-electric-car-takes-China-by-storm

[True Dough]

1. And most of them

might outlast the one-year warranty period (if there is a one-year warranty) before they wind up in the scrap heap.

[Klaralven]

2. In Indonesia Wuling provides 3 year warranty, 5 years on the drive train.

We are committed to providing the best after-sales service for all customers, here are the warranty provided when you purchase a Wuling, a general warranty for 3 years or 100,000 km*, a 5-year warranty or 100,000 km* for the key engine components, main transmission component warranty for 5 years or 100,000 km*, 1 year spare parts warranty or 20,000 km*, and free maintenance costs for 2.5 years or 50,000 km*.

https://wuling.id/en/blog/lifestyle/the-benefits-of-wulings-after-sales-service

This is on internal combustion autos. Electrics are more reliable.

[marble falls]

13. More reliable, simpler design.

[True Dough]

19. More reliable?

The proof will be in the pudding. They just hit the market over the past year. For as little as $4,500 you know you're getting the cheapest of components. Those parts are surely not going to last long. As tempting as the up-front cost may seem, I wouldn't invest in one of those vehicles yet. Give it 5 years and see what state they're in and the long-term reviews. If I'm wrong, I'll eat my words (and I'd consider buying one then).

[marble falls]

20. Standing next to each other an electrical drive system is easier to design, simpler in design ...

... more powerful, cheaper energy source .....

When I buy a prescription in the US, is it better than the same prescription I buy in Canada for half the price?

When I paid three time the price for the parts on my Volvo that lasted just as long outside manufacturers' parts, that extra cost gave me no benefit.

When Skereli increased the cost of his pharmaceuticals by factors of 10, did his product increase in quality, too?

Some of the "discount" has to do with not having to buy off stockholders, currency exchange rates, not having to import cars or their tariffs. It also has to do with lighter safety regulations.

My brand new $3,500 Yugo in '86 ran like a charm after two cheap fixes to 100K when I sold it in Nebraska in '90. She drove it for two or three more years.

I don't need a Tesla. I don't need the computer or 1000 batteries. I'll take the $10,000 version of the $4,000 Chinese car to American Safety Standards and I will charge it every day.

[True Dough]

21. Don't get me wrong

I'm not advocating for Tesla. I'd never shell out the money for one of those because they're overpriced and they have all kinds of "fit and finish" issues (and a recent recall over faulty touchscreens).

And, yes, the "Americanized" Wuling vehicle would absolutely need U.S. safety standards. It doesn't even come with airbags in China.

I'm skeptical it would sell in the U.S. for $10,000. It won't be embraced at 17.5 horsepower! You'll be looking at $25,000 or more, I'd bet, for some of the reasons you cited (this is a GM-backed initiative, after all).

Would it still be better value than Tesla? Very likely. But, again, until it's road-proven over a number of years, I'm not taking a chance on it.

[Spider Jerusalem]

24. 100% more reliable

fewer moving parts, less complexity than an internal combustion engine. Electric motors don't need oil changes and aren't going to fry themselves if you run them without liquid coolant.

[USALiberal]

7. Did you research this at all?? Nt

[sir pball]

18. Eh, still better build quality than Tesla

Seriously. I'll grant Tesla has moved beyond "90s Kia" though, it's more like "90s GM" nowadays. Still, for 6 figures I'll take the Porsche, thanks.

[mitch96]

3. Kinda neat... A wanna be electric Mini... Now if we could build them here in the US with US labor

at an affordable price.. Ok double the chinese price....say $10,000 and do mail order. Comes in a Amazon package.. I could see that.. No middle man like the Tesla model.. And after a few years it craps out you have a FANTASTIC lawn feature that you can use as a planter...
m

[Amishman]

5. Couldn't build and sell it here for less than $20k IMO

Labor would be much higher as would overhead. Not to mention at least $5k in added design and materials costs to meet US safety regs

[mitch96]

9. I can dream, can't I?.... It would be neat if it could happen..Keep the economy here.. nt

[Amishman]

4. Might be good for someone who drives almost exclusively in cities

I would not want something like that on a highway or on long trips. Though I am biased as I'm a rather large man.

Edit: actually long trips would be completely out of the question due to range. I've had commutes with a round trip longer than it's range

[essaynnc]

8. I want one!!!

99% of my driving is in town, less than 100 miles per day, max 65 mph. I'll help save the planet and park my i.c. car until I need it for a trip !! And the thought of a reasonably priced new car is awesome! I don't need a $35K rolling living room to go from point a to point b...

[mdelaguna]

6. I'd love to see tons of small minis in towns

Or even highway commutes. With larger car rentals for recreational excursions for families. Special lanes for mini vehicles (even golf carts with covers and heating) as an added incentive and to keep those mini drivers protected from road bullies in big vehicles. Safety in numbers for teeny cars!

[edhopper]

10. Chinese made cars

are not optimal.

[Ferrets are Cool]

11. And yet, in 'Merica, the top 3 selling vehicles in 2020 were gas guzzling trucks.

And I know the apologists will say that "they get great mileage these days", but they still get less than a small car. In too many cases, it's still about EGO and STATUS here.

[leftyladyfrommo]

26. Guys here in Missouri have to have a truck.

It's mandatory. Ford F150 and Silverado.

[marble falls]

12. Exactly what I need for 90% of my driving.

[WHITT]

14. Mercedes-Benz

is selling a small all-electric commuter car in Sweden, which after all the rebates and tax-credits, sells for about the equivalent of $6k.

[Baclava]

15. Looks really cheaply made, and tiny, you can get much better quality in a used Nissan Leaf for $5000

[melm00se]

16. Smells like a Yugo.

[bullwinkle428]

17. DAYUM! My first reaction was, "I suppose an EV version of the Yugo was inevitable!"

[wackadoo wabbit]

22. The thing that caught my eye was "1.5-meters wide"

That's approximately 4.5 feet. Sitting next to someone in 4.5 feet (not between us, but the entire space that the two of us would take up) is a closeness that I would want to share with only my very nearest and dearest.

[Klaralven]

23. After a meeting in Paris, a colleague gave me a ride to the restaurant in a 1.48 meter wide car

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_2CV

Citroën 2CV

It was quite comfortable for 2 on the streets of Paris. It was a bit Spartan - If I recall, the windows weren't electric, they weren't cranked, they slid up and down manually.

But I see no reason why we shouldn't have simple, reliable, effective technologies.

Of course, that was in the late '80s, and people have gotten a couple inches wider since then.

HOW A GROWING AMERICAN AUDIENCE
AFFECTS THE SIZE AND COST OF
PERFORMING ARTS SPACES

http://theatreprojects.com/files/pdf/sizematters.pdf

[ProfessorGAC]

25. $4,500?

Not here.
A new Yamaha golf cart starts at $5k, and can double!
Admittedly, the 10 grand version is street legal, as it has directional & brake lights. Also, it's an IC engine, not electric.
But, hard to believe that thing wouldn't be 4x the price in the US.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

27. Is this the (old) Beetle come to electric cars?

Electric vehicles have been capable of handling about 80% of commuting in the U.S. since about the '60s. Marketing, both public and stealthy, has convinced most people that they need 1 vehicle that does everything. That's why we have luxury trucks -- capable of hauling a ton payload over unpaved rocks while towing a trailer -- running around smooth interstates and suburban boulevards hauling nothing but a single commuter.