Revealed: new Chinese EVs, but which could hit Australia?
The never-ending roll-out of new Chinese electric vehicles continues.
Some of them are whacky, some impressive, but all are of potential interest to Australia as Chinese manufacturers consider sales programs down under.
So, without further ado, here’s the latest in our occasional compilation of new electric metal emerging up north.
Chery GENE
The state-owned auto company from Wuhu city in south-eastern Anhui province is in the process of relaunching in Australia.
Thankfully, perhaps, the bulky GENE concept isn’t about to lob in a local showroom, although there are some styling experiments here that are said to hint at future models.
Unveiled at Chery’s technology day in September, it is primarily intended to showcase forthcoming energy, 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 virtual reality glasses emerge for the driver to wear.
The solar-powered EV is 5.0 metres long, 2.0 metres wide and 1.75 metres high, 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-fibre, butterfly-door beauty is definitely worthy of the supercar tag.
In fact GAC claims this is the first truly Chinese supercar because it is 100 per cent designed, developed and manufactured locally.
Deliveries are claimed to begin in 12 months in China with pricing starting at 1.3 million yuan (AUD$280,000) for the rear-wheel drive version that accelerates from 0-100km/h in 2.3 seconds.
The faster AWD SSR Ultimate is priced at 1.7 million yuan (AUD$371,000).
Leapmotor C01
A private company based in Hangzhou in China’s east, Leapmotor is one of the aspiring EV makers that has emerged 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 electric motor count.
Top of the line-up is the AWD dual motor C01 that offers 400kW and 720Nm and a 3.66 sec 0-100km/h time.
At the other end of the performance spectrum, a maximum 717km range between recharging is claimed on the CLTC standard (which is usually a bit more optimistic than WLTP) for the ultra-long range RWD model.
Leapmotor has thrown plenty of gear at the C01 including a triple screen dashboard. All up it says every model comes with “80 smart luxury features”.
Pricing stretches from 193,800 yuan (AUD$41,800) to 286,800 yuan (AUD$61,900)
Niutron Ziyoujia NV
Niutron is an EV start-up established only in December 2021 by the billionaire co-founder of the Niu electric scooter company, Yan Li.
Well, Li and co have really scooted along to get the Ziyoujia NV mid-size SUV ready to go on-sale in October.
Measuring up at 4.92 metres long, 1.96m wide and 1.76 metres tall, this is no shrinking violet.
It comes as both a pure EV and as a range extender hybrid, the former offering a 440km or 560km CLTC range depending on battery.
Ora Lightning Cat
A vehicle of significant potential interest to Australians because there is a strong chance we’ll see it in local showrooms as soon as next year.
Ora is the electric vehicle brand of the large private Chinese auto maker Great Wall Motor (GWM).
GWM already sells its GWM diesel ute in Australia, plus the Haval SUV line-up. Ora is due for 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 shrunken Porsche Panamera clone, the Lightning Cat goes on-sale in China this month offering two battery sizes and a claimed cruising range up to 705km CLTC with a single motor.
A dual motor powertrain delivers 300kW/680Nm and a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 4.3 seconds.
Chinese media is reporting pricing should start at 200,00 yuan ($43,200).
Xiaopaoche SC-01
The SC-01 has generated plenty of media heat since it broke cover a few weeks ago.
And why not? A 320kW, 1300kg, dual motor EV that looks a bit like a Lotus Elise, can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds, has a focus on dynamic handling and expected to be priced around 300,000 yuan (AUD$65,000) is worthy of attention.
You might question if the SC-01 will ever get to market, but according to Chinese reports Xiaopaoche (small sports car) has received heavy investment from the consumer electronics giant Xiaomi.
Much remains unknown about the SC-01, such as its battery chemistry. The target is said to be a 500km range.
The SC-01 is intended to be on-sale in China in late 2023.
XPeng G9
Founded in 2014, Xpeng is a privately-owned EV maker based in Guangzhou that is nowadays publicly traded on the New York stock exchange and has sales outlets in Europe.
We first covered its activities 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 mid-size luxury SUV slightly smaller than the BMW X5.
It comes in a choice of 230kW/430Nm rear- and 405kW/717kW all-wheel drive models.
It’s a direct rival for the Nio ES7, which might soon be headed for Australian sale.
A choice of 78.2kWh and 98kWh lithium-ion batteries are fitted to G9 models and a claimed range up to 705km is offered by the long range RWD version.
Courtesy of its 800V electrical architecture, Xpeng says the G9 is the world’s fastest charging “mass-production 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 14.96-inch infotainment screens bonded together that take up most of the dashboard.
Proving everything is better doubled up, there are also two smartphone wireless charge pads.
The G9’s entry price is 309,900 yuan (AUD$67,000), escalating as far as 469,900 yuan (AUD$101,500).
