Wuling / GM / Shanghai Automotive have Small EV Mojo in China selling 200,000 Mini EVs in 200 days.

GM could sell that as a Chevy something here..would be badass, as a sub-20k entry level BEV below the Bolt.   

Just have to get the UAW to agree to a 22-cents/hr wage in that plant.

7 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

GM could sell that as a Chevy something here..would be badass, as a sub-20k entry level BEV below the Bolt.   

I figure it would be about a 10 to 12K auto here.  

It wouldn't sell here as a $12K gas car, why would it as an electric? Fiat 500 is probably better built/more modern @ $16K, and no one buys those.
The U.S. is not the market for junk like this.

I actually like this....think this what will get the current generation interested in cars again. While it may not be the next Beetle/Civic, it is a car that goes back to the basics.....

I dont think these are going to be produced like the cheaply made Chinese products that Walmart and Dollar Tree sell to us. If GM is serious in bringing these to North America, or similar small EVs, Im sure GM will make sure they are not junk.   

But then again, GM did sell Vegas, Citations and Chevettes to Americans.  Oh...the calendar says 2021 and not 1981?  

That's right...2021.

Here we are bitchin' that EVs are waaaaay too pricey and electrification is damn near impossible because there is suuuuuuch a low take rate yet this thing exists...with an interesting marketing angle. Sold like designer clothes.  Like everything else we buy in North America since...I dont know...the 1980s, with both the young and the old. The Millennials, Gen Xers and the bloody Boomers...   We are conditioned to buy consumer products this way anyway...  

With Disney AND Nike co-branding... An angle like that seems...fun.    

Like who knew cars could be fun again?    And affordable.  

If I were them, Id try to get Hot Wheels involved as well.  And since Nike could be a co-branding entity, why not try to get the NFL, MLB, NBA and the NHL involved for North America too.   Id buy a Boston Bruin or a Darth Vader (Disney owns Star Wars...) version of this over a ho-hum Chevrolet Bolt any day of the week! 

I absolutely agree with  @daves87rs 's post above mine!!!  

A basic car, that is affordable. And it be fun to buy since it looks like it could stylized like a customized car, but at the car store (GM dealership) directly...

Didn’t the toyoter scion try that very tactic?

The ‘answer’ is an appealing product at a competitive price, TOGETHER.

3 hours ago, balthazar said:

Didn’t the toyoter scion try that very tactic?

The ‘answer’ is an appealing product at a competitive price, TOGETHER.

Well, at this point it would be a good start. Scions sadly came as SUV/CUVs were blowing up, so we never truly got to see what the brand could do. Had they maybe been able to at least put an affordable CUVin there, things could have been different. These little EVs could be something that could be built on. At around 10k ish, it brings in the young, and folks who may never gone down this road before. GM could put a few more affordable models above this. Then you could get into stuff like Bolts or Trucks. The market would still gently side toward EVs, but it still allows ICE based stuff to still have a role. Best part is that you are bring a new set of drivers who were not able to afford before.....

iQ, 'fun', 'customizable', 'cute'. $11,990. Dead in 4 years. 

On 3/27/2021 at 5:34 PM, David said:

range of 106 miles and top speed of 62 mph and depending on options sells starting at $4,500 and $6,300.

At those prices and range, I could definitely use one of these to just stay around town going to the bus stop for work, grocery store, gym, Rural King. 

2 hours ago, balthazar said:

iQ, 'fun', 'customizable', 'cute'. $11,990. Dead in 4 years. 

I get your point and agree that Scion tried this initially with the first push, but then FAILED as the Scion Stores did not deliver the true customization that people expected.

When you went into a store, there was nothing about adding stickers, easy add on's other than wheel caps as everything else was a dealer install option with a labor charge and while low income and families looking for a new auto for their teen bought initially, the add on / customization thing failed due to it not being as cheap as the initial marketing message implied.

This was the original auto show messaging:

We ended up with this.

The show rooms had expensive rims, radios and nothing of a clothing like inexpensive buy, add on yourself and go. Toyota FAILED to deliver on their initial marketing message.

If GM can learn from the success in China and bring a cheap customizable auto to the US, I do believe even in EV form that something like this could ignite passion in driving among the youth.

I don't think that was it at all- most consumers go to the aftermarket if they do any customization (which is a very small percentage). Dealer or aftermarket - I see no evidence that drives sales either way. Mini has offered some treatments; most folk don't choose them. Civics traditionally have frequently been customized- via my observation it seemed to be all aftermarket. It's the base car that's the fundamental here, and the Civic isn't nearly the punishment box the Scion iQ was, the fiat 500 is, or the wuling mini unquestionably will be. You can't (successfully) put lipstick on a piglet.

The China market is not remotely the U.S. market (and vice versa). Pointing to a success in the Chinese DM doesn't mean much here at all. Young motorists have no basis in micro-mini cars, so where would any demand come from?

I'd buy one for 4-6k. 

On 3/29/2021 at 3:01 AM, daves87rs said:

Well, at this point it would be a good start. Scions sadly came as SUV/CUVs were blowing up, so we never truly got to see what the brand could do. Had they maybe been able to at least put an affordable CUVin there, things could have been different. These little EVs could be something that could be built on. At around 10k ish, it brings in the young, and folks who may never gone down this road before. GM could put a few more affordable models above this. Then you could get into stuff like Bolts or Trucks. The market would still gently side toward EVs, but it still allows ICE based stuff to still have a role. Best part is that you are bring a new set of drivers who were not able to afford before.....

The Scion xB (the bB in Japan) is the closest thing that Toyota did to match this vehicle.  They sold well for their time before Scion itself was canceled.  The closest thing NOW would be a KIA Soul.  Imagine that: a KIA Soul EV at about 70% off of retail selling extremely well in China (albeit a GM joint venture product).  Too bad GM does NOT sell the Trax here at about $12,500 or so.  That would really fly off the dealer lots.

It's called a clown car. What a joke, it's even smaller than a "Smart" car. I could fit that thing in the back of my truck and still be able to shut the tailgate.