The Best Electric Cars China

The Best Electric Cars China

China's EV market is massive and growing fast.best electric car china The country is home to two of the world's largest electric car companies — BYD and NIO — as well as three battery makers that make about half of all the power cells used in EVs worldwide. And it's not just the big players getting into the game, with local Chinese automakers producing an impressive array of EV models.

But which are the best electric cars china? Here are a half-dozen of the country's biggest and most interesting.best electric car china

The most popular EV in China last month was Tesla's Model Y, but the big surprise is that it wasn't actually the most popular car overall, as it only took the top spot among individual models.best electric car china That distinction went to the SAIC-GM-Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, a tiny four-seater that was one of the best-selling new cars in 2021 despite its eye-watering price (around $5,000).

Powered by a 27-horsepower motor and capable of a top speed of 62 mph, the little Wuling can get you around town with no problem.best electric car china The base model has a range of up to 73 miles and the longer-range version is good for 175 miles.

This is an excellent example of how affordable EVs are in China, where subsidies and other incentives make them the most attractive way to go for many buyers. In fact, the government is promoting electric mobility so hard that it even offers free license plates for EVs. That's why it's not surprising that China is home to the world's largest EV production capacity.

SAIC Motor is the largest state-owned car company in China and it invests heavily in EVs, with partnerships with GM and Volkswagen to extend its global reach. It also sells its own brands like MG, Roewe, Maxus, Baojun, and IM.

The company is perhaps most famous for its L5 limousine, the official car of Xi Jinping, and it's bringing that experience to the mass market with the launch of the Li ONE electric SUV. Expect it to arrive in Australia next year with a price tag of around AU$70,000.

Another massive Chinese carmaker with a focus on electric vehicles, this publicly-traded company isn't quite as well known abroad. But it does have the most sales of any domestic automaker and produces some of the world's cheapest EVs. Its Wuling Hongguang Mini EV has already created a class of its own with a top speed of just over 100 km/h and seating for four people.

Its other offerings include the surprisingly quick U9 electric supercar, which will be shown at this week's Shanghai Auto Show. This premium brand is part of China's Geely Group, which also owns Volvo and the Polestar performance division.