GM is expanding its electric aspirations and launching a super-compact, cheap EV — but it’s only coming to China.
The automaker’s Chinese Baojun brand just launched its first mass-market electric car, the E100, for only about $5,300 USD after estimated local and national subsidies. The tiny two-seater looks like one of Mercedes-Benz’s smart cars (which has its own EV in the works), a design which GM claims is the perfect size for Chinese commuters looking for a compact, low-maintenance set of wheels.
The E100 doesn’t provide a ton of range or power, but that’s not what GM/Baojun are aiming for here, especially at the low price point. The lithium-ion battery has an estimated range of about 96 miles per charge and takes about 7.5 hours to power up, so this is definitely a vehicle meant to be plugged in overnight between commutes