EVsmart blog Comfortably make electric cars and quick chargers for 450,000 yen China's best-selling electric car "Hongguang MINI EV" debuts in Japan-reports on the latest technology exhibition Popular articles Recent posts Category

[EV of 450,000 yen] "Hongguang MINI EV" made by Goryo

This booth is only an exhibition of actual vehicles, and the manufacturer's staff cannot enter Japan due to the influence of Corona and is absent. The battery was removed because it could not be brought to Japan while it was loaded in the vehicle. However, I was able to shoot everywhere, so I will deliver it in a photo report that includes my guess.

Exterior design / body size

When viewed from the front, it gives the impression of a light tall wagon, but when viewed from the side, it gives the impression that the overall length is short and the size is tight. Body size is

Overall length: 2,920mm Overall width: 1,493mm Overall height: 1,621mm Wheelbase: 1,740mm

Compared to the standard for mini vehicles (total length 3,400 mm or less, total width 1,480 mm or less, total height 2,000 mm or less), the total length is short, but the total width slightly exceeds the standard. Even if you can register in Japan, it is a body size that will be treated as a registered car.

The tire size is 12 inches, 145/70 tires are installed, the front brake is a disc, and the rear wheel is a drum type. The place where the wheel emblems are displayed without the same top and bottom feels like China.

The charging port is located on the emblem in the center of the front grill. Opening and closing is manual. The connector shape seems to be type 2, and it looks like it is made by Mennekes in Europe, but the details are unknown because there is no explanation staff.

The battery capacity was 20kWh, the cruising range was 200km (measurement standard is unknown), and the charging time was 7 hours, which was stated on the product description panel.

It seems that the headlights are halogen lamps instead of LEDs, and the rear combination lamps are also filament bulbs instead of LEDs because of their shape. The round one in the center of the panel with the "WULING" brand name is the electric switch on the rear gate.

Interior, cabin, luggage space

Thanks to the total height of about 1.6m, the author, who is about 180cm tall, could sit in both the front and rear seats without his head touching the ceiling. However, the space between the front and back is narrow, and it is a difficult cabin for four adults to ride for a long time. Since the wheelbase is designed to be about 70 cm shorter than the average of the light tall wagon, I guess that it was thought that one or two people would be on board. By the way, since it is a Chinese car, it has a left-hand drive.

The seat comfort is the place where I most realized that the vehicle price is 450,000 yen. The cushioning material was thin, and I had the impression that it would settle quickly. In addition, the area of ​​both the seat and backrest is small, so it seems difficult to drive for a long time. It was probably designed as a commuter EV. Also, the reclining adjustment lever is awkward to move, and it is not durable, so I felt it was about to break when I operated it.

The instruments are concentrated in a 12-inch liquid crystal display at the top of the handle column. There was no display such as an infotainment system or car navigation system, and no audio was found. It seems that the switches equipped were air conditioning (air conditioner was attached and was a universal adjustment mechanism) in the instrument panel center, headlight levelizer (manual) in the left back of the handle column, and tire pressure reset button. Switch (probably with a tire pressure alert function and a warning display on the instrument panel), fog lights, reset button (I don't know what the reset is) "E / S" is written on the far right side of the handle column. It had a button (switch drive mode?). A net-type storage is provided at the bottom center of the instrument panel.

The material used throughout, such as door trim, is resin. Although the cost of "The Plastic" is prioritized, a little fashionable feeling is produced by adding an orange color scheme to the two-tone color scheme and arranging cute design symbols of "+" and "-" on the pedals. doing. The power window switch is located on the center console. The shift operation is a dial type. The power switch seems to be a method of inserting and turning an old-fashioned key.

It is nonsense to expect a large luggage space with a total length of less than 3 m, but the rear seats can be divided into two parts so that the backrest can be tilted forward, creating a space for luggage. Luggage cannot be packed with the backrest of the back seat raised. Also, the rear seats did not have a front / rear slide function.

Powertrain / undercarriage / battery

Under the short bonnet, there was an inverter that receives the charging connector in the center (because the charging port is in the center of the front grill. The image is two on the right side), the brake servo and brake fluid tank (lower left of the image), washer tank, etc. .. Probably there is an air conditioner compressor on the lower side.

The front suspension is a strut type. It doesn't seem to have a stabilizer. When I looked into the undercarriage, it seemed that the muddy water was still splashing up, so it seems that an individual running locally was brought to Japan as an exhibit this time. This was also where I felt the Chinese character.

The rear is directly connected to the differential. It seems that the same thing as that of FR that feels nostalgic is diverted. The rear suspension is a 3-link rigid axle.

The battery was originally placed in the back of the motor and inverter, and on the bottom of the center of the vehicle, but even in the exhibition car, it was necessary to remove the battery before entering Japan (according to the event organizer).

About the price of "450,000 yen"

The manufacturer, Goryo, reports that "actual price: equivalent to 450,000 yen", but this price seems to be the amount of the local sales price in China converted into Japanese currency, and it is clearly stated that "there is no sale in Japan". rice field.

There are various hurdles to importing and selling "Hongguang MINI EV" in Japan. In addition to confirming that the vehicle meets Japanese standards, it may be necessary to manufacture new parts such as protrusions and lights on the vehicle to meet Japanese safety standards. ..

In addition, China has joined the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) multilateral agreement "Mutual Approval Agreement for Type Approval of Vehicles, etc." signed in 1958 (Japan's accession was 1998), which is called the "58 Agreement". If you do not pass many exams, you will not be able to clear customs. (Agreement member countries are usually exempt from testing only on documents such as technical conformity certificates prepared by the manufacturer)

Recently, it has become a hot topic that the Chinese luxury car "Hongqi H9" passed the test and got the number.

If you are going to sell "Hongguang MINI EV" in Japan, the company that claims to be an authorized distributor of Goryo will pay for confirmation and adjustment for number acquisition, parts manufacturing and replacement if necessary. You need to invest.

One of the biggest costs will be the charging system and its components. It seems that the cost is relatively low if only normal charging is used, but it costs a lot to support quick charging (CHAdeMO standard).

In addition, there will be costs to set up a service system such as maintenance in Japan.

In addition to the above, there seems to be a necessary cost, but as for the vehicle price at the time of sale in Japan, the amount of recovery of the investment amount for domestic introduction is almost added to the vehicle price of 450,000 yen. I'm sure.

Since there is no similar case of introducing a Chinese EV in Japan so far, it is difficult to predict how much the vehicle price will be, but the price setting below 1 million yen is strict, and it will be about 1.5 million yen at the lowest. I'm guessing that it might be. (Although it may not be very helpful, parallel imported cars from agreement member countries such as North America and Europe are about 1 to 2 million yen plus the local price)

>>> Following the dismantling model 3 exhibition report.

(Interview / text / Satoshi Uno)