The endless rollout of new Chinese electric vehicles continues.
Some of them are outlandish, some impressive, but all are of potential interest to Australia as Chinese manufacturers consider sales programs.
So, without further ado, here’s the latest from our occasional compilation of new electric metal emerging in the north.
Chery GEN
The state-owned auto company in the city of Wuhu, in the southeastern province of Anhui, is in the process of relaunching in Australia.
Fortunately, perhaps, the bulky GENE concept isn’t about to launch in a local showroom, though there are a few styling experiments here that are said to point to future models.
Unveiled at Chery Technology Day in September, its main goal is to showcase upcoming power, connectivity and autonomous driving features that will flow into production cars.
This includes a Meta driving mode in which the steering wheel retracts, the seats recline and a virtual reality goggle emerges for the driver to use.
The solar-powered EV is 5.0 meters long, 2.0 meters wide and 1.75 meters tall, so it takes up its fair share of the road.
GAC Aion Hyper SSR
With up to 900kW and the claimed ability to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 1.9 seconds, this carbon fiber butterfly door beauty definitely deserves the supercar label.
In fact, GAC claims that this is the first truly Chinese supercar because it is 100% locally designed, developed and manufactured.
Deliveries are claimed to start in 12 months in China with prices starting at 1.3 million yuan (280,000 Australian dollars) for the rear-wheel drive version that accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.3 seconds.
The fastest AWD SSR Ultimate is priced at 1.7 million yuan (371,000 Australian dollars).
Jump Engine C01
A private company based in Hangzhou in eastern China, Leapmotor is one of aspiring electric vehicle manufacturers to emerge in recent years competing with the likes of HiPhi and Nio.
The C01 is the company’s flagship and comes in five trim levels differentiated by battery size and number of electric motors.
Top of the line is the dual AWD C01 motor that delivers 400kW and 720Nm and a 0-100km/h time of 3.66 seconds.
At the other end of the performance spectrum, a maximum range of 717 km between recharges is claimed in the CLTC standard (which is generally a bit more optimistic than WLTP) for the ultra-long-range RWD model.
Leapmotor has thrown a bunch of gear into the C01, including a three-screen dashboard. It all says that each model comes with “80 smart luxury features.”
Prices range from 193,800 yuan (41,800 Australian dollars) to 286,800 yuan (61,900 Australian dollars)
Niutron Ziyoujia NV
Niutron is an electric vehicle startup established in December 2021 by billionaire co-founder of electric scooter company Niu, Yan Li.
Well, Li and company have really rushed to prepare the Ziyoujia NV midsize SUV to go on sale in October.
Measuring 4.92 meters long, 1.96 meters wide and 1.76 meters tall, this is no shrinking violet.
It is presented as a pure EV and as a hybrid range extender, the former offering a CLTC range of 440 km or 560 km depending on the battery.
pray lightning cat
A vehicle of great potential interest to Australians because there is a very good chance that we will see it in local showrooms as soon as next year.
Ora is the electric vehicle brand of the large Chinese private automaker Great Wall Motor (GWM).
GWM already sells its GWM diesel utility vehicle in Australia, in addition to the Haval line of SUVs. Ora is pending local confirmation in the near future.
Australia’s first Ora model, due in 2023, will be what’s called the Good Cat in China (but probably not here). The Lightning Cat (as pictured) could arrive soon after.
Described as a cut-down Porsche Panamera clone, the Lightning Cat goes on sale in China this month and offers two battery sizes and a claimed cruising range of up to 705km CLTC with a single motor.
A dual motor drive system offers 300kW/680Nm and a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 4.3 seconds.
Chinese media reports that prices should start at 200.00 yuan ($43,200).
Xiaopaoche SC-01
SC-01 has generated a lot of heat in the media since it came to light a few weeks ago.
And why not? A 320kW, 1,300kg dual-motor EV that looks a bit like a Lotus Elise, can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds, focuses on dynamic handling and is expected to be priced around 300,000 yuan (65,000 Australian dollars). attention.
You might wonder if the SC-01 will ever hit the market, but according to Chinese reports, Xiaopaoche (small sports car) has received heavy investment from consumer electronics giant Xiaomi.
Much is still unknown about the SC-01, such as its battery chemistry. The goal is said to be a range of 500 km.
The SC-01 is scheduled to go on sale in China in late 2023.
XPeng G9
Founded in 2014, Xpeng is a privately owned electric vehicle manufacturer based in Guangzhou that is currently listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has outlets in Europe.
We covered its activities for the first time in 2020 when the Tesla Model S-busting P7 launched with some headline-making performance claims and a long list of equipment.
The G9 is the latest model from the expanding brand. Based on the same platform as the P7, it’s a slightly smaller midsize luxury SUV than the BMW X5.
It is offered in 230kW/430Nm rear-wheel drive and 405kW/717kW all-wheel drive models.
It is a direct rival to the Nio ES7, which could soon go on sale in Australia.
A choice of 78.2kWh and 98kWh lithium-ion batteries are fitted to the G9 models and the Long Range RWD version offers a claimed range of up to 705km.
Courtesy of its 800V electric architecture, Xpeng says the G9 is the world’s fastest charging “mass-produced SUV”, claiming it can add 200km of range in just five minutes. That’s as long as you use one of Xpeng’s new 480kW DC superchargers.
The G9’s interior includes five seats, a 22-speaker audio system, a 10.25-inch instrument panel, and two joined 14.96-inch infotainment screens that take up most of the dash.
Proving that everything is better doubled, there are also two wireless charging pads for smartphones.
The entry price of the G9 is 309,900 yuan (67,000 Australian dollars), rising to 469,900 yuan (101,500 Australian dollars).