At slightly over 3m in length, Geely Panda Mini EV offers space for 4 adults – Only for Chinese market as of now
Remember Geely Holding Company? It is the parent company of Volvo Cars, Lotus Cars, London Electric Vehicle Company, and Qianjiang Motorcycles along with Geely Auto as a brand. The brand’s primary market is China and it is one of the most well-established automotive companies in the world.
There is a market in China for tiny electric vehicles primarily targeted at urban buyers. Cars like Wuling Hongguang Mini EV / MG Air often top the sales charts in China. These cars have a tendency to be cute-sy and toy-ish in many ways which appeal to the target demographic perfectly.
New Geely Panda Mini Electric
With that market in mind, Geely has now showcased its new Panda Mini EV via its subsidiary brand Geome. The theme of this car is, you guessed it, Pandas. The company has successfully designed this car to match or come close to the cuteness of an actual Panda.
China is notoriously famous for congestion along with pollution in major cities. A small electric vehicle is a boon for situations like this and is set to be wallet-friendly when compared to large electric vehicles with large batteries and powerful motors.
Geely Panda Mini EV tries to radiate as much cuteness as a Panda would. In that regard, we have a toy-ish exterior design. We can see references to Pandas in its front and rear bumper design with black inserts, mimicking black patches below a Panda’s eyes. There is a small rectangular cutout for air intake to cool the batteries. Rest of the front fascia is closed-off.
There are circular LED DRLs around the headlight and between them, we have Geome branding in a cutout that is likely to be the opening for its charging setup. It also gets blackened ORVMs that come off as ears of a Panda.
References to Pandas don’t stop there. Alloy wheel hubs are designed to mimic panda paws and finish off the overall Panda-inspired design. Geely showcased the Panda Mini Electric Car in Hangzhou and even the demonstration was filled with pink and light blue shades and panda figures everywhere.
Specs & Features
It has seating for four and two doors for ingress and egress. A large infotainment screen and a digital instrument cluster dominate the pink dashboard. Other features include a panoramic sunroof, physical climate control buttons, and more. It measures just over 3m in length and 1.5m in width. Panda Mini EV is 1.6m tall and has a wheelbase of 2.01m.
It is said to be equipped with a Lithium-Ferrous-Phosphate battery from Guoxuan High-Tech. Speaking about driving range, expect around 150 km of range from a single charge. A 40 bhp motor (30 kW) should be enough to move around this tiny vehicle. In China, Geely Panda Mini EV is likely to be priced between 40,000 and 50,000 Yuan (approx Rs. 4.73 lakh to Rs. 5.92 lakh). It mainly rivals Wuling Hongguang Mini EV and MG Air EV which is set to launch in India as well.
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
