The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV () is a battery electric

city car The A-segment is the 1st category in the passenger car classification system defined by the European Commission. It is used for city cars, the smallest category of passenger cars defined. A-segment sales represent approx. 7-8% of the market in ...

manufactured by

SAIC-GM-Wuling SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile ( zh, 上汽通用五菱汽车股份有限公司, abbreviated as SGMW) is a joint venture between SAIC Motor, General Motors, and Liuzhou Wuling Motors Co Ltd. Based in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in sout ...

since 2020. Retail deliveries began in China in July 2020. , sales since inception have passed 500,000 units, and the Mini EV has become the best-selling electric car in China.

Overview

The Mini EV can seat four people, and standard features including air conditioning, power windows, stereo system, storage and compartments. Standard safety features of the Mini EV include anti-lock brakes, tire pressure monitoring sensors, and rear parking sensors. Early models did not include a driver airbag, but later models such as the Mini EV Macaron include the feature as standard. Power is produced by an electric motor making a peak and of torque with rear-wheel drive, propelling the car to a stated top speed of . The Mini EV is equipped with a 9.2 kWh battery capable of a NEDC range of or a 13.8kWh battery capable of a NEDC range of . Based on the NEDC driving cycle, the estimated energy consumption of the Mini EV is 8,1 kWh/100 km. A 26.5 kWh model is due for 2022, with (CLTC) estimated range, an optional more powerful motor, and an improved interior. In 2020, the Mini EV had a price starting at , and topped out at for a fully-loaded model, making it China's cheapest electric car. The car has attracted a cult following in China, with owners frequently modifying their vehicles. The popularity has been compared to that of

kei car Kei car (or , kanji: , "light automobile", ), known variously outside Japan as Japanese city car or Japanese microcar, is the Japanese vehicle category for the smallest highway-legal passenger cars with restricted dimensions and engine capacit ...

s in Japan. The vehicle has been such a success that it has inspired a number of copycats and competitors, including the

Chery QQ Ice Cream The Chery QQ Ice Cream () is a battery electric city car manufactured by Chery since 2021. Overview The Chery QQ Ice Cream was first showed in July 2021 in an ice cream-themed camouflage wrap and was described by the automaker as an SUV. The QQ ...

, Dongfeng Fengguang MINI EV, and BAW S3.

Variants

Mini EV Macaron

SAIC-GM-Wuling launched a variant of the regular Mini EV called the Mini EV Macaron in April 2021. The Macaron is a customized version that is available with three exclusive paint colors and more standard features. The Macaron is sold as a more premium and personalized variant that features redesigned darkened LED headlights, two-tone alloy wheels and exclusive body colors. The colors are Avocado Green, Lemon Yellow and White Peach Pink, which are the results of the collaboration of Wuling and Pantone Universe. 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 Macaron is equipped with a small electric motor that generates a more powerful and of torque compared to the previously launched base trim while range remains unchanged. File:Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Macaron 001.jpg, Front view File:Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Macaron 002.jpg, Rear view File:Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Macaron 003.jpg, Interior

Mini EV Cabrio

A convertible concept version of the Mini EV called the Mini EV Cabrio with a folding soft top was unveiled during the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show, with the vehicle body design based on the Mini EV Macaron. The production version vehicle body design is based on Mini EV GameBoy Edition and was launched in September 2022. File:Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Cabrio 001.jpg, Front view File:Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Cabrio 003.jpg, Side view File:Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Cabrio 005.jpg, Rear view

Freze Nikrob

In 2021 Lithuanian company Nikrob UAB announced a rebadged version of the Mini EV called the FreZe Nikrob with knock-down assembly in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

, Lithuania. File:NIKROB.jpg, Front view File:NIKROB FREZE EV.jpg, Rear view File:FreZe Nikrob интерьер.png, Interior

Mini EV GameBoy Edition

The Mini EV GameBoy Edition was introduced in March 2022. 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 and or and , mated to a 9.2, 13.9, or 25.5 kWh battery. File:Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Gameboy 001.jpg, Front view File:Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Gameboy 002.jpg, Rear view File:Wuling Hongguang Mini EV GameBoy Edition IMG003.jpg, Interior

Sales

With six months in the market, the Mini EV sold 119,255 units in 2020, and ranked as China's and the world's second best selling plug-in car after the

Tesla Model 3 The Tesla Model 3 is a compact executive sedan that is battery powered and produced by Tesla. Limited production of the Model 3 began in mid-2017, with the first production vehicle rolling off the assembly line on July 7, 2017. The officia ...

. "The Tesla Model 3, with 365,240 units delivered was the world's top selling plug-in passenger car in 2020." "The Tesla Model 3, with 139,925 units delivered, was the China's top selling plug-in passenger car in 2020." In January 2021, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), the Mini EV topped

new energy vehicle A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) is any road vehicle that can utilize an external source of electricity (such as a wall socket that connects to the power grid) to store electrical power within its onboard rechargeable battery packs, which then ...

s sales with 25,778 units, compared to the Tesla Model 3 with 13,843 units sold in China. The Mini EV listed as the world's top selling plug-in car in January 2021. ''The Hongguang Mini EV, with 36,762 units delivered was the world's top selling plug-in passenger car in January 2021, followed by the Tesla Model 3 with 21,589 units.''

References

External links

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Nikrob Freze Website
(EU Market) {{SAIC-GM-Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Cars introduced in 2020 Microcars Hatchbacks Convertibles Electric city cars Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Cars of China Production electric cars Rear-engined vehicles