New Chinese EV caught testing in Australia ahead of 2023 launch

Here’s a good way to celebrate World EV Day! It’s a scoop pic of the new GWM Ora Good Cat battery electric car testing undisguised in Melbourne.

It’s one of two examples of the Chinese compact five-door hatch that are currently in Australia being evaluated ahead of the brand’s launch under the GWM Ora banner around April 2023.

It’s evidence on World EV Day that Australia is an emerging part of the electric car scene with more electric models expected to launch here in 2023.

In fact, the Good Cat – although we believe that won’t be its name when it gets here – is expected to be one of two GWM EVs launched in Australia next year.

 And overall, importer GWM Australia could triple its electrified lineup in Australia to seven models in 2023.

Apart from EV specialist Ora, the models will be sourced from two other GWM (Great Wall Motors) brands – SUV specialist Haval and Tank, which makes 4×4 wagons. Tank, like Ora, is yet to launch here.

Rather than being marketed as distinct entities they will be presented under the GWM master-brand in Australia. So Haval has already become GWM Haval, Ora will be GWM Ora and Tank will be GWM Tank. 

The new electrified vehicles coming to Australia are expected to be a combination of pure battery electric and hybrids and could also include plug-in hybrids.

The would join two hybrid GWM Havals freshly launched in Australia, the compact Jolion HEV and the medium H6.

The Good Cat – as the cars being tested in Australia are badged – is a front-wheel drive hatchback with cute styling lines, it is expected to be priced around $50,000 (before subsidies and rebates).

That’s well up on early expectations closer to $40,000 but reflects steepling materials costs for EVs.

Other models include the higher performance Good Cat GT and the Beetle-esque Ballet Cat. Another Beetle-like model, the Punk Cat, is also launching in China.

Another Beetle-like model, the Punk Cat, is also launching in China and a fastback sedan called the Lightning Cat is also on the way. This car’s styling has been likened to a shrunken Porsche Panamera.

GWM Tank is expected to arrive in the second half of 2023 and it is understood hybrid versions of the compact Tank 300 and larger 500 are strong chances to be part of the line-up.

The 300 HEV (hybrid) was revealed at the recent Chengdu motor show in China alongside the larger Tank 500 plug-in hybrid.

The 300 HEV is powered by a 2.0-litre  turbo-petrol hybrid 4×4 drivetrain that’s more powerful than the 1.5-litre system used by sister brand GWM Haval in its Jolion and H6 HEVs that are fresh into Australia.

There is also a plug-in version of the Haval H6 that is understood to be under local consideration.

A hybrid version of the H6 GT fastback is also on-sale overseas and that is another on the local possibles list.

Haval has stated its intention to stop selling all ICE drivetrains by 2030.

An EV version of the GWM ute is on-sale in China, but its chances of making it to Australia are unclear. All-electric Tank SUVs are also under development but yet to be revealed.

In Australia, the GWM range has been growing significantly, with the Jolion compact SUV and diesel-powered GWM ute the cornerstone of its current record sales.