Update: ‘Wuling Mini EV’ section updated with pictures and specifications in the ‘Wuling Mini EV Convertible’ sub-section.
The Wuling Mini EV (Wuling Hongguang Mini EV), the best-selling electric car in China, will receive a long-range variant shortly. The additional variant would address the low-range concern about the budget electric car among Chinese customers.
The Wuling Mini EV, launched in China in July 2020, is the top-selling electric car in the brand’s home market. In 2021, SAIC-GM-Wuling sold 395,451 units of the Mini EV, registering a phenomenal year-over-year growth of 250.7%. The success, according to GM, comes due to the young audience base of the Mini EV preferring its urban-friendly dimensions and youthful appearance. Timely updates and variant extensions should help the company sustain the momentum.
According to a report from autohome.com.cn, the 2022 Wuling Mini EV will receive a 26.5 kWh battery pack (almost 2X current battery capacity) this year that provides a range of 280 km/174 miles (CLTC). Thanks to a long range of nearly 300 km/186 miles, many customers may need to charge the Mini EV just once a week.
Wuling Mini EV
The Mini is the first fully electric model from Wuling, and the micro EV is built by the joint venture between SAIC Motor, General Motors, and Liuzhou Wuling Motors. The design has been inspired by Japan’s Kei cars, but being an EV, the inside is spacious despite its compact dimensions thanks to a cab-forward design and the higher volume due to the flat roof. The compact two-door four-seater with a short wheelbase is perfect for narrow roads and tight parking spaces.
The rear seat folds flat if not used, and the company claims that with the seat folded down, there is space for two large suitcases behind the driver. A single electric motor producing 20 kW of power and 85 Nm of torque drives the car. The Mini EV comes with two Lithium-ion battery pack options – 9.3 kWh and 13.9 kWh. The 9.3 kWh offers a range of 120 km (NEDC) and has a 100Wh per kg density, while the 13.82 kWh battery provides a range of 170 km (NEDC) and has an energy density of 110 Wh per kg.
The battery, covered by the manufacturer for 8 years/120,000 km, comes with preheating and insulation function, which allows it to be charged safely and efficiently at low temperatures. The battery pack is pre-started to warm up and maintain the temperature at 20-25° C to achieve low-temperature charging efficiency.
| Aspect | Wuling Mini EV Specification |
| Length (mm) | 2,917 |
| Width (mm) | 1,493 |
| Height (mm) | 1,621 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1,940 |
| Maximum power (kW) | 20 |
| Battery capacity (kWh) | 9.3 & 13.9 |
| NEDC Range (km) | 120 (9.3 kWh) & 170 (13.9 kWh) |
| Boot space (l) with rear seat folded | 741 |
The Mini EV’s battery has passed 16 safety tests such as overcharge, over-discharge, overtemperature, short circuit, fire, seawater immersion, simulated collision, etc. Under the extreme cold and high temperatures of -25 to 45 ° C, the vehicle has completed 28 tests over 300,000 kilometres. The battery is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance. The car comes with an intelligent battery management system that can monitor the battery status in real-time. It can be charged using a 220V three-pin plug at a household and is equipped with a high-efficiency charging gun with easy storage.
The prices of the Wuling Mini EV start at just CNY 28,800 (GBP 3,334).
Wuling Mini EV Macaron variant
Coming to the premium Macaron variant of the Mini EV, three new colours are available for the exterior – Avocado Green, Lemon Yellow, White Peach Pink. There are two more paint options – Coconut White and Merlot Blue. Customers can specify the car’s roof in a contrasting white or black to create a two-tone scheme regardless of the body colour option selected.
The Mini EV Macaron also sees new features, including a driver airbag, ABS, EBD, low-speed pedestrian monitoring, tire pressure monitoring system, rear parking camera, and rear parking sensors. The electric powertrain is carried over from the regular model (specifications below). The prices of the Mini EV start at CNY 37,600 (GBP 4,353) in the 120 km variant and CNY 43,600 (GBP 5,047) in the 170 km variant.
| Aspect | Wuling EV Macaron Specification |
| Length (mm) | 2,920 |
| Width (mm) | 1,493 |
| Height (mm) | 1,621 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1,940 |
| Maximum power (kW) | 20 |
| Battery capacity (kWh) | 9.3 & 13.9 |
| NEDC Range (km) | 120 (9.3 kWh) & 170 (13.9 kWh) |
| Boot space (l) with rear seat folded | 741 |
Wuling Mini EV Convertible
The Mini EV Convertible debuted at the Auto Shanghai 2021 motor show, which opened its doors on 19 April 2021. According to Chinese media, the images released by Wuling are not of a concept but the production version.
Key changes to the Mini EV convertible include an electric soft top mechanism, dual 10-inch screens on the interior, upgraded trim and material, a white, dual-spoke steering wheel, and the rear seat’s deletion to accommodate the soft top. The Mini EV convertible is unlikely to see a change in its mechanical setup, but details have not been announced yet.
According to the data China’s Ministry of Industry & Information Technology (MIIT) has published, the Wuling Mini EV Convertible will come with a 30 kW motor and a 26.45 kWh (115 V, 230 Ah) LFP battery pack. This configuration will provide it a top speed of 100 km/h. The tiny electric convertible will measure 3,059 mm in length, 1,521 mm in width, and 1,614 mm in height. It will have a 2,010 mm-long wheelbase and ride on 12-inch wheels wrapped with 145//70R12 tyres.
Freze Nikrob EV
The Wuling Mini EV arrived in Europe as ‘Freze Nikrob EV’ in 2021, with Lithuania as its first market in the region. Dartz has rebadged and modestly restyled the electric car, and Nikrob UAB locally assembles it.
In 2021, Leonard F. Yankelovich, who heads operations at Dartz, told ElectricVehicleWeb that the company wants to sell the Freze Nikrob and its convertible version, the Freze Froggy, in left-hand-drive markets in Europe. The company aims to conquer 10-20% of the market share in the micro car segment with this model. A study has been launched to prioritise the launch markets. “Every day we get 50-100 requests from one-car clients and 2-5 (requests) from potential dealers. Car is cheapest in EU and that makes sense. Now we are concentrated on carsharing companies,” Yankelovich told us last year.
Dartz sees the cars going to right-hand drive markets in the region with enough demand. Do note that a right-hand drive version doesn’t exist at the moment. Cyprus, Malta and Ireland could be among the countries that could get the rebadged Wuling Mini EV if a right-hand-drive version is released, and the studies show enough demand. Yankelovich told ElectricVehicleWeb that the company could manage the conversion in-house with enough demand from RHD markets.
Dartz is a Lithuanian armoured 4×4 maker, and by teaming up with coachbuilder Nikrob for the small EV’s local assembly, it can sell the Freze at an attractive EUR 9,999 (GBP 8,422). The Freze Nikrob is the most affordable EV in the EU as it undercuts the Dacia Spring (the incumbent title holder) by a huge margin. The Dacia EV, imported from China, costs EUR 17,390 (GBP 14,648) onwards in France.
Dartz has confirmed that the estimated price of the Freze Froggy in Europe is EUR 20,000 (GBP 16,847), and the launch is in summer this year.
Featured Image Source: GM
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