The blockbuster Wuling Hongguang Mini EV has been a huge success in China. It has been so successful that it has created a totally new market in China. All over the world, people have just been wondering when they would also get their hands on an affordable city electric car.
The SAIC, General Motors, and Wuling partnership has started responding to this call. They started with an assembly plant in Indonesia to begin servicing that market and others in the region. This plant is now producing the Wuling Air, an upgraded model of the popular Wuling Hongguang Mini EV.
The Wuling Air, which was developed on the Global Small Electric Vehicle (GSEB) platform, has already been a great hit in Indonesia, selling over 8,000 units after its debut last year.
India has been designated as the next market for this small city EV. The SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) joint venture has chosen to use the MG brand in India, expanding on the brand’s existing presence. The MG ZS EV, along with several of MG’s other ICE and hybrid vehicles, has been on the market in India for quite some time. As a result, in India, the Wuling Air is known as the MG Comet EV which begins at Rs.798,000.
Here are the specs of the MG Comet EV:
- Length x Width x Height (mm) 2,974 x 1,505 x 1,640
- Wheelbase 2,010 mm
- Seat capacity: 4
- Suspension (Front): MacPherson Strut
- Suspension (Rear): Multi-Link Coil Suspension
- Wheel and tire: 145/70R12
- Brakes: Disc (Front) + Drum (Rear)
- Steering: Electric Power Steering
- Turning Circle Radius (m): 4.2
- Max. Power: 42 PS (40hp)
- Max. Torque: 110 Nm
- Battery Capacity: 17.3 kWh
- Charger Connection: Type 2
- Electric Motor Type: Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor
- Estimated 3.3kW Charge Time (0-100%) 7 hours
- Estimated 3.3 kW Charge Time (0-80%): 5.5 hours
- Range in Single Charge: 230 km*
- Transmission: Automatic
- IP67 Rated Battery
- Dual Front Airbags
- ABS + EBD
- Reverse Parking Camera
- Rear Parking Sensors
- LED Rear Fog lamp
- Follow me home headlamps
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System (Indirect)
- Front & Rear Seat belt reminder
- Driver & Co-Driver Seat Belt with Load Limiter
- 3-point seatbelts for all passengers
- Manual Parking Brake
- Manual Day/Night IRVM
- ISOFIX Rear Child Seat Anchors
- Speed-sensing auto door lock
- Impact-sensing door unlock
With the purchase of a new MG, i-SMART services are complimentary for one year. So you can get all this in a 3-door 4-seater city EV for under $10,000! MG says it costs just 519 Rupees to charge the Comet at the standard grid price.
The SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture led the way when they essentially created this market for small affordable city mini EVs. Now they are taking these city EVs to places like Indonesia and India which are potentially very huge markets for this type of car.
Reference- Inside EVs, Wikipedia, MG website, Wired