China's tiny electric car
- Thread starter shemozzle999
- Start date
I'm sure eventually these might well catch on and become popular. In the late 90's I saw my first Smart car in France at a massive Hot air balloon gathering I was participating in, at the time I thought funky and French chic too small a car that will never catch on 
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We've already got the equivalent, the excellent Renault Twizy, and that can carry a tandem passenger or extra luggage for short trips:
the Chinese smaller sibling sells for $4,000 in China - well below the price of the cheapest Twizy and the price of the Twizy does not include the battery pack which is on hire.
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Automatic-Gear-Box-and-Left-Steering_60222729525.html
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Automatic-Gear-Box-and-Left-Steering_60222729525.html
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Which will easily cost the same as the Twizy if it gets here, and it uses a lead acid battery. You of all people know the huge difference between Chinese home market prices and what we pay here for most Chinese product.
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that buggy car may qualify for low emission subsidy, perhaps not as much as £4,500 a pop but possibly £1,000.
If you do a personal import:
FOB: £3,300
Freight: about £400
VAT: about £750
Total: about £4,450
less possible low emission subsidy.
One would hope that the Chinese would have done that by then, the car has been around awhile in its current format?
You just need to swap out the LA battery for a few HL batteries wired in parallel, you should be able to fit 6 x HL batteries in the space used by one LA.
I have run the numbers on a Twizzy vs a home made e-vélomobile and it costs over twice as much (2.3 times) per month and covers half the range. It does carry more luggage and/or a small passenger. It is easier to get in and out of but the aerodynamics aren't as good and it won't do 90 km/h downhill...
I have run the numbers on a Twizzy vs a home made e-vélomobile and it costs over twice as much (2.3 times) per month and covers half the range. It does carry more luggage and/or a small passenger. It is easier to get in and out of but the aerodynamics aren't as good and it won't do 90 km/h downhill...
Would it not also need type approval, CE marking etc and of course tax and insurance, before being eligible for use on public roads.... This is a real question, not a put down?
Of course. On the surface, at least, this looks like an commercial opportunity to me and if I were remotely associated with transport I would explore it.
There is a lot to be said for tiny cars, not only in big urban areas where parking is a problem.
there are still plenty of small villages throughout Europe, usually highly picturesque, untouched by wars over a thousand years, where even small cars like a twingo or VW up! have difficulty. All that is needed is a very low gear to traverse their steep inclined. Many people, particularly elderly , but not only, need them as shopping baskets. A big problem is the need for additional insurance and maybe road tax. Modifying these constraints is a simple problem for governments.
there are still plenty of small villages throughout Europe, usually highly picturesque, untouched by wars over a thousand years, where even small cars like a twingo or VW up! have difficulty. All that is needed is a very low gear to traverse their steep inclined. Many people, particularly elderly , but not only, need them as shopping baskets. A big problem is the need for additional insurance and maybe road tax. Modifying these constraints is a simple problem for governments.
The Chinese factory will pay for all of that. You'll get a CoC with type approval with the vehicle.
You pay registration fees, number plates and insurance. I think VED is nil.