While the Tesla Model 3 may be sold in markets all around the world, it is not selling in anything like the quantities of the Wuling HongGuang Mini EV in China, the nation’s best-selling EV.
The HongGuang Mini EV comes courtesy of the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture and went on sale last year. It is proving so popular that in January and February, more than 56,000 examples were sold in China. The release of sales data from Q1 2021 has now revealed that Wuling sold a total of 96,674 HongGuang Mini EVs across the first three months of the year, giving it a 20 percent share of the market.
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To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model 3, the second best-selling EV in China, shifted 52,859 units in January, February, and March, equalling an 11 percent share of the market. Other popular EVs in China include the BYD Hang EV with 21,354 sales, Great Wall Ora Black Cat (19,178), Tesla Model Y (16,422), GAC Aion S (14,554), Li Xiang One HREV (12,579), Chery eQ e (11,871), Changan Benni EV (10,590), and the SAIC Roewe eRX5 PHEV (9,176), Car News China notes.
Key to the HongGuang Mini EV’s success is the fact that it is affordable. Very affordable. In fact, prices start at just 28,800 Chinese Yuan which is just a touch under $4,500.
For that money, customers get a 27 hp electric motor that’s driven by a 13.8 kWh battery pack. The vehicle is capable of hitting 62 mph (100 km/h) and can travel up to 124 miles (200 km) on a single charge, making it well suited to those that live in large urban areas.
