[El Dobro]

In China. Meet the E100.
http://insideevs.com/general-motors-baojun-e100-electric-car-priced-5300/

 

[Mister Dave]

Sales started in Liuzhou, Guangxi in July, but were limited to 10 vehicles. Over 5,000 people applied to get a hand on the first 200 E100s.

Wow! Can I put in a $1000 reservation on one?

I always wanted to drive an electric washing machine. Now I can!

 

[obermd]

Wow! Can I put in a $1000 reservation on one?

I always wanted to drive an electric washing machine. Now I can!

My washing machine walks across the floor.

 

[obermd]

Given the air pollution combined with absolute congestion in major Chinese cities this makes a lot of sense for China.

 

[Ladogaboy]

I don't know how well this stacks up against Chinese EV offerings. Even accounting for more lax fuel economy testing, BYD's EV offerings seem to be very competent cars.

 

[Fyodor]

Given the air pollution combined with absolute congestion in major Chinese cities this makes a lot of sense for China.

With the air quality index at 180 around Hong Kong and Macau this week, this can only help. And those are coastal cities.

 

[TheBlueFlash]

Looks like a clone of the Smart EV.

 

[Neromanceres]

This is a car literally bringing vehicle electrification to the masses. This is an affordable option in the worlds most populated country and largest automotive market.

It looks a like a great urban vehicle and I hope it does well for GM. I also hope GM brings this to other developing countries like India.

Not to mention this will help bring manufacturing scale to vehicle electrification and help drive costs down across the board. Mark Reuss said that GM will be the first company to profit from electric vehicles and this is another step in that direction.

 

[Raymondjram]

It is a great little city car, and can fit nose (or tail) first into a regular curbside parking area, since it is short. But I seriously doubt that it can pass Federal regulations for driving in U.S. territories (including Puerto Rico) as it must pass the NHTSA and the IIHS crash tests. Maybe China's regulations is weaker, allowing lighter vehicles to run about, eventually reducing the need for the heavier gas and Diesel powered polluting cars in their cities. And if the speed limits in China cities is reduced, their safety requirements are reduced, and cars can be even lighter and cheaper. Durability in the long term is the next issue, and for such a new car, only time will tell.

 

[obermd]

It is a great little city car, and can fit nose (or tail) first into a regular curbside parking area, since it is short. But I seriously doubt that it can pass Federal regulations for driving in U.S. territories (including Puerto Rico) as it must pass the NHTSA and the IIHS crash tests. Maybe China's regulations is weaker, allowing lighter vehicles to run about, eventually reducing the need for the heavier gas and Diesel powered polluting cars in their cities. And if the speed limits in China cities is reduced, their safety requirements are reduced, and cars can be even lighter and cheaper. Durability in the long term is the next issue, and for such a new car, only time will tell.

Who cares if it meets US standards? It's not being sold in the US. The question is does it meet China's standards, which is where it's being sold.

 

[Mister Dave]

It might help a little with this problem.

Anything that takes up less space, right?

I used to think California 5-lane freeways were insane.....

 

[jupitermoon]

The truth of the matter is personal transportation shouldn't be any bigger than this. It idiocy of the sizes of cars in Westernized countries...particularly North America/US....is truly stupefying.

 

[Mister Dave]

And if the speed limits in China cities is reduced, their safety requirements are reduced, and cars can be even lighter and cheaper.

See photo above. Speed limit?

 

[jbakerjonathan]

It might help a little with this problem.

Anything that takes up less space, right?

I used to think California 5-lane freeways were insane.....

I counted 44 lanes of traffic.... at least, I think that's the number of lanes; my eyes kept crossing

 

[Upper5Percent]

GM is selling a $5,000 electric car in China

http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/07/autos/gm-china-electric-car/index.html

General Motors will start selling a tiny electric car in China this week that will cost about $5,300 after national and local electric vehicle incentives, according to GM.
For that sort of price, the Baojun E100 is no Cadillac, of course. The two-seat car's wheelbase -- the distance from the center of the front wheels to the center of the rear wheels -- is just 63 inches. That's about 10 inches shorter than Daimler's (DDAIF) Smart ForTwo, a car that is already remarkable for its stubby proportions.

General Motors could not immediately confirm the full price of the car before incentives.
The E100 is powered by a single 39-horsepower electric motor and has a top speed of 62 miles an hour. The E100 can drive about 96 miles on a fully charged battery, according to GM (GM).

The Baojun E1000 has a top speed of 100 kilometers an hour, or 62 miles an hour.

The E100 does offer some amenities, such as an entertainment system with a 7-inch screen and built-in WiFi. All versions of the car will have parking sensors and pedestrian alert systems among other safety features. High-end models are available with a touchpad and keyless entry.

Baojun is a mass-market car brand from General Motors' SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture in China. It's China's eighth most popular car brand, according to data from LMC Automotive, ranking below brands like Volkswagen, Toyota (TM), Honda (HMC) and Buick.
The E100 is Baojun's first electric car.

The Baojun E100 is even smaller than a Smart ForTwo.

More than 5,000 people have already registered to buy the first 200 vehicles, according to GM. Another 500 vehicles are being made available this week. Sales will initially be limited to the Guanxi region of southern China. GM couldn't immediately say how it will choose which potential buyers get to take home the E100.
China is the largest automotive market in the world, and its government is making a big push for electric cars. Already, China accounts for 40% of all electric cars sold worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency.