The pickup truck is no longer the domain of
dieselin’ farmers; Kawei Auto just launched the EV7, the first electric
full-size pickup truck in the world. Kawei Auto became famous in 2014 when they
cloned the Ford F-150, they are still making that truck, and the EV7 is based
on it.
The EV7 debuted on the 2017 Guangzhou Auto Show. It
will be launched on the Chinese car market in early 2018. The EV7 sports a
double-cab chassis with a short bed. The 3M reflective stickers are obligatory
for pickup trucks in China, for any pickup truck of any kind and sort, even
when they stand still on auto shows. The wild stickers on the door are Kawei’s.
On the left it says American Style. On the right
there is an American flag and a Hummer badge. The characters below write,
translated, Hummer China. Kawei seems confused. They didn’t ripoff Hummer, they
ripped off Ford.
The interior is a lovely mix between crappy and
techy. The plastic wood in very early 00’s, in those days all Chinese cars had
the stuff, and the steering wheel looks like it was made in 1985. The seats are
faux-leather orange, and the dash itself is made out of cheap black and beige
plastics. A real digital instrument
panel! Battery indicator on the left, speedometer in the middle. Wooden rim on
the steering wheel very classy.
The Kawei EV7 is powered by an electric motor with
140 hp and 210 Nm. Range is a very decent 350 kilometers and top speed is 100
km/h. Dimension size is 5560/1850/1940 mm, and wheelbase is 3500 mm. The EV7 can carry a max load
of 750 kilo’s. Price including subsidies will start at 173.800 yuan or US$ 26.200.
