Chinese manufacturers continue their progress in the field of small electric cars with a new model called Wuling Bingo and which develops a very adequate autonomy announced in more than 300 km. It could be a success if it landed in France one day. Which is not excluded.
Affordable small Chinese electric cars, there are starting to be a few. These are mainly reserved for the Chinese market and are just beginning to arrive in Europe, as evidenced by the new Leapmotor T03. In fact, the massive electrification of automobiles makes it easier to comply with the environmental regulations of the different countries and, therefore, to export production abroad.
In France, the role of the low-cost electric city car is reserved for the Dacia Spring. Starting at 15,800 euros, an ecological bonus of 5,000 euros is discounted. In China, this is the price of an electric city car, but much better equipped.
More than 300 km of autonomy
Precisely, this segment has a newcomer with the Wuling Bingo, a nice city car with false airs of Suzuki Swift that boasts some quite interesting characteristics. This four-seater measures less than four meters long and has a long wheelbase of 2.56 meters. The engine is located in the front and its weight is announced below a ton for the entry version and just over 1,100 kg for the one with greater autonomy.
Wuling will offer two power levels: 30 kW (41 hp) and 50 kW (68 hp). The maximum speed is 100 km/h for both versions. The energy is stored in a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with a capacity of 17.3 kWh. The top-of-the-range version has a battery of 31.9 kWh. The former gives the car a range of 203 kmwhile the second goes up to 333 km according to the Chinese CLTC approval cycle. In the European WLTP cycle, you have to have more than 170 km for the first version and less than 300 km for the second.
An electric at a reduced price
However, there is little chance that Wuling Bingo will come to France immediately, but it could happen in the long term. But if that were the case, with its compliance with European standards and additional customs fees, this model would cost much more than the 80,000 RMB (about €12,000) claimed for the basic version in China, and the 120,000 RMB (approximately €17,000) for the version with longer battery life.
Bingo is manufactured by SAIC-GM-Wuling, a joint venture between SAIC, General Motors and Wuling Motors. Its commercialization should take place during the first quarter of 2023 in China. Remember that the manufacturer is at the origin of the famous Wuling Mini EV sold in Eastern Europe and soon to arrive in France.
“Chinese car” no longer necessarily rhymes with “low-cost.” In fact, the Chinese manufacturers that settle in Europe display their models at prices very close to those of “traditional” manufacturers and, therefore, sometimes very far from…
read more
To follow us, we invite you to download our application for Android and iOS. You can read our articles, archives and watch our latest YouTube videos.