Zotye 2008 Electric SUV to launch this month
Zotye are set to launch their new electric SUV very soon according to this mornings news reports, a launch date of January 2010 has been announced and also a price tag of 110,980rmb ($16,000USD) has been announced.
The Zotye uses a mature SUV platform that they have been producing and selling for a number of years, according to Zotye the car does not make any loud noises, has zero emissions, and uses the latest li-ion batteries mated to an excellent charger which can be charged from both a home outlet or a fast charging station. Max power for the motor is 27kw, and top speed is reportedly 110kph, a single charge will see the mini SUV reach 300km. Overall, its four to five times more economical than the gasoline version.
Zotye entered the car producing business in 2005 and quickly developed itself to become one of the leading SUV producer in China.
The 2008 EV SUV has also become one of the few electric vehicles to be used by the Chinese State Grid as one of their ‘official cars’. Zotye are also working on producing an electric version of their Zotye Multiplan MPV, as well as a duel CNG/Gasoline version.
Londoners may get a chance to drive this vehicle soon, as a London based EV dealer has reportedly gained the rights to sell this vehicle in the UK capital.
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Kinda looks like a Nissan Terrano 2. It’ll be interesting how the EV competition pans out in China.
Who is going to be able to use an EV other than Government or fleet? The apartment parking is not set up for it and I haven’t seen anyone building new apartments down here thinking about it. Unless people charge them at work. Seems like it will be slow growth.
My underground parking lot has sockets set up already.
China is heading towards an electric car future, there is an immense wealth of information on it, but unfortunately it remains all in Chinese and I don’t have the time to translate all of it.
Where are you again? I am down in Shenzhen and I haven’t seen anything on it or any plug in sockets. The power is coming from a coal power plant or they changing those over to nuclear? I heard they are building nuclear plants like crazy over here. I think I am near one of the first built ones in China which is not the best thing to know.
Setting up a underground garage with electric plugs is easy – a lot of them already have plugs in place for electric bikes. I’m in Nanning, and almost all of the newer apartment buildings here have sockets (or at least the wiring in place in the concrete walls) set up in garages already. I pay a monthly fee of 25rmb to park my e-bike in a secure garage and plug it in as needed for recharging – easy to set up a area for electric cars to plug in as well. This Zotye can also plug in to a standard household outlet, so even easier – ANY garage already setup for e-bike recharging can handle this electric car (and any others in the future that have a standard household plug in option). Looks like the electric car future in China is getting closer and closer…..I can’t wait!
Same here. China does things faster than anyone one else, so don’t worry about not having sockets.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_China
Coal is seen as a short term fix, nuclear and other renewable energy sources are the long term fix.
Is Daihatsu the donor of that old platform?
Can we expect to see extra long extension chords hanging out of apartment house buildings? This along with those rusted gratings on windows, will push China even further from the beautiful Song dynasty landscapes of old……
EV-wise China has an advantage over the U.S. in that household voltage is 220.
Hehehe……..I had to do EXACTLY that 5 years ago when I bought my first e-bike! I was living in a older building (no underground or covered garage area), and my bike was directly below my dining room window. Luckily I lived on the second floor, so my extension cord was only 50-60 feet long…..5 years makes a BIG difference. Like I said earlier, almost all newer buildings are set up to handle e-bikes from the beginning – dedicated parking and plug in areas are common now. Here’s a question….since e-bikes are so commonplace throughout China, will that help the consumer to make the mental “jump” to e-cars easier? People are already used to the idea of plugging in a transportation source to recharge batteries, so will that lend itself to a quick acceptance of e-cars in China? I know affordability is also a big factor, but this Zotye is VERY affordable, can cruise at highway speeds and can go up to 300km on a single charge – if these specs are real (and we all know how companies love to exaggerate their specs) then we are at a price point (100,000rmb) that makes e-cars (at least this one) a REAL viable alternative for car buyers. Maybe 2010 will be the beginning of the e-car market segment?
I thought E-bikes are illegal here in Shenzhen. I looked at getting one and I was told the police would take it the same as motorcycles. I see them a little but I also see people riding motorcycles which even I used to do to go to work.
Honcho, you’re right……..sort of. Technically, e-bikes are not allowed in the central areas of Shenzhen. However, in areas like Longgang and even Xili (north Nanshan) they are still fairly common (more of a worker’s area, less people can afford cars). In Shekou or central Futian? They’re rare, but some people still use them. Now, in my city (Nanning)? E-bikes are still legal….as they are in most second tier and smaller cities in China. Only the biggest of cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) have stopped allowing motorcycles (gas or electric) in the central areas, which is a good thing for those areas – trying to mix a sea of bikes and a sea of cars is not a good thing! It can get bad sometimes in Nanning, but at least we still have dedicated bike lanes for most big streets. I only use mine for short trips (local shopping, to school and back) and never in the rain (I will NEVER wear one of those poncho things!!!), and I also avoid the heaviest commute times….too many crazy drivers for me to deal with. Once e-cars have more of a “foothold” in the market, I’ll make the plunge and get one – my apartment building already has plugs in the garage and they’re prepared to set up a area for e-cars once consumers can buy them!
I have seen many fields around here which are a sea of motorcycles and e-bikes. I am assuming they were impounded and left to rust. Seems like they should ship them somewhere and sell them off instead of just leaving them there to rust.
Not to keen on the colour!
However it looks OK and hopefully it will prove to be a large step in the eco direction.
i really hope the car have an automatic light sensor that will always turn on the light when its dark. If there is a light switch im sure 90% will drive without lights in the night to get a few more kilometers range like all these crazy ebike riders.
Same with non-electric cars on the freeway. Many cars never turn their lights on until it is pitch black out. As soon as the sun is below the horizon it is hard to see cars.
seriously ,daihatsu donor this car,,
cause its 100% like a PERODUA KEMBARA here in malaysia,,
well, Perodua is subsidiary from Daihatsu and Toyota..
light switches should be made from oxygen free copper so that they last longer:,`
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