SAIC-GM-Wuling, a joint venture between SAIC Motor, General Motors and Liuzhou Wuling Automobile Industry (Wuling), recently unveiled the new Wuling Nano EV at this year’s Tianjian Auto Show. The pint-sized electric vehicle is essentially an alternate version of the existing Baojun E200, which is also another product from aforementioned joint venture. Built for cities, the Nano EV is reminiscent of the smart EQ fortwo, in that it is small, sits two people as well as being easy to manoeuvre (the turning radius is just 3.8 metres) and park.
So, just how small is it? According to official specifications, the Nano EV measures 2,497 mm long, 1,526 mm wide and 1,616 mm tall, with a wheelbase spanning 1,600 mm. Those figures are exactly the same as the E200 and comparatively less than the smart car. Widening the comparison scope further, Wuling’s other small EV, the Hongguang Mini EV, is 2,917 mm long, 1,493 mm wide and 1,621 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 1,940 mm.
For motivation, the Nano EV features a front permanent magnet synchronous electric motor rated at 33 PS and 85 Nm of torque, which is good for a top speed of 100 km/h. By comparison, the E200 has slightly higher outputs of 39 PS and 110 Nm, although it’s top speed is identical.
Like the E200, the Nano EV’s e-motor draws power from an IP67-certified, lithium-ion battery located under the seats that has an energy capacity of 28 kWh. This is good for a claimed cruising range of up to 305 km, and when it comes to charging, Wuling says it’ll take 13.5 hours to get from a 20-100% state of charge (SoC) using a standard, 220-volt domestic power socket. There’s also the option of a 6.6-kW AC charger that brings the charging time down to 4.5 hours.
Underneath the cute and boxy body, which is made up of around 40% of high-strength steel, the Wuling features MacPherson struts and independent rear suspension, accompanied by all around disc brakes and 12-inch wheels, the latter paired with 145/70 tyres. Other notable features include passive safety systems like ESC, ABS, EBD, an electronic parking brake, an Isofix child seat anchor, a reverse camera, a tyre pressure monitoring system and a low-speed pedestrian warning system, air-conditioning, keyless entry, telematics, LED headlamps and a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, which also doubles as a display for the in-car entertainment system (Bluetooth and radio).
If you’re wondering why there’s a Zootopia theme going on, that’s because this is a limited-edition version called the Disney Zootopia being introduced first. Just 5,000 units of the themed EV will be offered in China, each priced at 59,800 yuan. A regular version will come along soon, with CarNewsChina reporting that it’ll cost a lot less from 20,000 yuan, severely undercutting the E200 that starts from 54,800 yuan, while being cheaper than the larger Hongguang Mini EV that starts from 28,800 yuan.
