The Chinese auto industry’s global takeover moved at least three steps forward this week. First, we learned that Canada would be importing a new entry-level Model Y from Tesla’s Shanghai plant, then a bunch of media reviews of the new Lotus Eletre surfaced, suggesting that the jumbo electric SUV wasn’t the dynamic disaster some people had expected (and possibly secretly hoped for). And now we hear that GWM’s Ora brand wants to take on Tesla in Europe.
Ora introduced the little Funky Cat EV to Europe last year and the firm has revealed that by early 2024 it will have a big brother. Ora’s new compact doesn’t have an official European name yet, but you might have seen it in its domestic setting where it’s called the Ora Lightning Cat and is aimed squarely at Tesla’s Model 3.
Ora’s British team says that prices haven’t been locked down, but the EV will be pitched to be competitive with brands like Tesla, Hyundai, and Kia. We’ll be surprised if it isn’t significantly less expensive, or at least stacked with more power or better equipment levels to help it gain a foothold. The company suggests features like a panoramic glass roof, faux-leather upholstery and multi-color ambient lighting for the interior will all be standard.
Related: China’s ORA Funky Cat and WEY Coffee 1 Impress In Latest Round Of Euro NCAP Crash Tests
The technical specs are also still TBC, but Ora says the new car will deliver more than 300 miles (483 km) of WLTP electric driving range and offer both two- and four-wheel drive layouts. Go for the all-paw and you’ll get around 394 hp (400 PS) and 502 lb-ft (680 Nm) of torque, which doesn’t quite help the EV take off like a scalded cat, but zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.4 seconds is still reasonably rapid.
“The reveal of our next premium electric vehicle is a really momentous occasion for the brand,” said Toby Marshall, Managing Director, GWM ORA UK. “We always knew our first model, ORA Funky Cat, was just the start. There are lots more exciting things to come.”
