The Mini EV electric car: a newcomer that made it to the top

The year 2020 was marked by the launch of the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, an electric car from the Chinese company SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile. The car was very affordable, compact in size, yet remarkably spacious. Most car enthusiasts took a liking to the vehicle. It soon became an electric car that nearly surpassed the Tesla Model 3—the leader among all modern models—in sales.

Details About the Car

Residents of small towns were the first to appreciate the new car. According to the manufacturer, the Mini EV has become a people’s car, ideal for short-distance trips for personal or work purposes.

The main differences of this model are:

Price. The cheapest version costs about 339,764 UAH, which is roughly $9,200.
Dimensions. The car is compact. It is less than 3 meters long and about one and a half meters wide. Yet it is designed to seat four passengers and the driver.
Battery range. It has a high-quality battery. This allows it to travel about 120 km at a speed of 100 km/h. These specifications are considered adequate for daily use within the city. The battery can be charged from a standard outlet.

According to statistics, 119,000 units of this model were sold in China in 2020. The electric car was second only to the American Tesla Model 3 (365,000 units were sold in China). However, January 2021 showed a clear advantage for the domestic auto industry, as 25,778 budget models from the local market were purchased in China. American cars sold here totaled 13,843 units.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Model

Despite its acceptable technical specifications and sales leadership, this model has certain advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Advantages:

Corrosion protection. The car undergoes hot-dip galvanizing, which minimizes the risk of rust forming on the vehicle’s surface.
Coating. The car performs quite well in this regard. The paint layer is about 90 microns thick. Honda has a similar figure, while Audi’s is slightly higher—110 microns. The hardness of the paint coating is also on par with other models. Test results show that the Chinese model is on par with Lexus and Mercedes.
Suspension. The front suspension features a MacPherson strut setup, which is installed on most passenger cars. The lack of a stabilizer bar doesn’t make the car any worse: its light weight and low center of gravity prevent it from leaning too much from side to side. The rear suspension is independent, with a “Panara” trailing arm. This is what actually propels the car forward.
Braking system. The car weighs 650 kg, so rear drum brakes and front disc brakes are sufficient for braking. It can come to a stop from 60 km in 22 seconds—a very good result.

Among the drawbacks are:

Safety. A 1.24 mm-thick steel reinforcement bar serves as the front protection. However, this is insufficient because its maximum allowable load is about 400 kg. There is no rear protection, which means the driver must be very careful to ensure that another driver does not rear-end the car from the trunk side.
Build quality. The wiring harness in the car is fairly well-made. However, there is one significant drawback: the manufacturers left several exposed areas that are in direct contact with bare metal. This could lead to electrical problems.
Body rigidity. The steel is very thin, and the resistance is minimal—ratings are around a D. However, the pillars are quite sturdy. Therefore, overall, the rigidity rating falls within the C range.

In summary, it’s worth noting that the Hongguang MINI EV, a best-seller in China, may soon become popular not only in its home country but also around the world. The only catch is its availability. For now, the car is only sold in China. The company introduced the vehicle to the European market as the FreZe Nikrob EV.

Note that November 2022 marked the release of the BYD D1 electric vehicle. The Chinese brand BYD and the taxi aggregator DiDi collaborated on its production. As a result, the new car has been hailed as ideal for commercial use (such as taxis or car-sharing).

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