The first pure electric vehicle from a joint venture company appeared in Guangzhou in Thursday. The Chevrolet Sail was developed in partnership between SAIC and GM in Shanghai, but with the gasoline powertrain removed and the addition of an electric powertrain the Sail has now become the SPRINGO.
“Production of the Sail SPRINGO EV is an important milestone in Shanghai GM’s ‘Drive to Green’ product strategy,†said Shanghai GM President Ye Yongming. “It demonstrates Shanghai GM’s success in the pursuit of electrification and other eco-friendly technologies for the benefit of our customers.â€
Based off a new electric vehicle architecture developed by Shanghai GM in conjunction with PATAC, the Sail SPRINGO EV has an emissions-free propulsion system. Its permanent magnet electric motor is capable of producing 85 kW of power and up to 510 Nm of torque, allowing acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h from a standing start in just over 10 seconds. Pushing the Sport button provides a 20 percent boost in acceleration at the beginning and middle of the torque curve compared to pressing the accelerator in a gasoline-powered vehicle. The top speed is 130 km/h. Its stability during high-speed cruising and cornering is optimized by a new tailored full-frame chassis with an enhanced stabilizer bar and a finely tuned suspension.
Buyers of the Sail SPRINGO EV in Shanghai will enjoy incentives of up to RMB 60,000 from the central government and RMB 40,000 from the Shanghai government. In addition, the car will qualify for a free local Shanghai license plate exclusively for electric vehicles.
The Sail SPRINGO EV will come with a vehicle warranty of three years or 80,000 km, as well as a battery warranty of five years or 100,000 km. Until the “Drive to Green†sales network is established, Shanghai GM’s Buick and Chevrolet service centers will provide Sail SPRINGO EV owners door-to-door service and exclusive steward service for a worry-free driving and maintenance experience.
Great photos of a nice looking EV!
But of all these new model specs the one we need to know most is…RANGE, RANGE, RANGE…it’s all about range.
Can it get me there and back, or will I be stranded, and left juiceless?
Right you are, dragin……..great photos and YES – range is definitely something we need to know. HOWEVER, there is one little detail we also need to know (just as important as range IMO) – PRICE, PRICE, PRICE. I’m still waiting for someone to finally sell a EV UNDER 200,000rmb – I was SEVERELY disappointed with the price of the Roewe RV (240,000rmb before incentives). Ideally, if a company can manage to sell a EV in the 150-180,000rmb price range (before incentives), then it becomes possible to get the end cost to the consumer down to the “magic” number of 100,000rmb (or close to it). At this point, it becomes a viable alternative financially for the consumer – and a real COMPETITOR in the market against gasoline cars. Yes, it would probably be a loss leader to start with – but as sales increase (love the dealer service incentives with the Springo – peace of mind for the consumer) and scale of production ramps up, the potential for it to become PROFITABLE becomes real. GM/SAIC just might be able to do it…..they have the dealer network strength, they saved R&D money by using a existing body design (the current generation Sail – a great looking small car) – and they have the financial power to advertise and promote the hell out of it. Congrats GM/SAIC – wonderful job! Let’s hope THIS can be the car that turns the tide of public support and approval for EV’s in China!