Cheap Chinese mini-EVs hog spotlight

LIUZHOU, China (AFP) — Tiny electric cars weave through traffic in southern China, their cheap and cheerful designs bringing a touch of color to the EV revolution in the country’s overlooked cities.

China is the world’s largest market for electric vehicles (EVs), with premium models by Tesla and homegrown giant BYD a common sight in the nation’s affluent megacities.

But in a growing number of less-developed areas, the face of greener transport is the Wuling Hongguang Mini — a dinky two-door runaround that sells for a fraction of the price.

China’s most popular EV to date, it has sold more than 1.2 million units, often to consumers with lower incomes in provincial cities and smaller towns.

“This car is small and convenient, easy to park and charge, and it’s cheap — that’s why I chose it,” driver Cao told AFP as she loaded shopping bags into her vehicle in Liuzhou, in the southern Guangxi region.

“(It is) mainly used for picking up the kids, grocery shopping and work commutes,” the 47-year-old said.

Liuzhou, a city of around four million people, is more famous in China for misty mountains and pungent river-snail noodles than for advanced technology.

But its locally made mini-EVs are proving a breakout success, and authorities have responded by providing charging stations, discounted parking spots, and preferential policies for buyers.

Driver Tang Wenhui said he barely considered the environmental benefits when he and his family paid around 60,000 yuan ($8,300) — the equivalent of a year’s wages — for a new Wuling a year ago.

“I just wanted something to get me around town… not necessarily to travel long distances,” the 23-year-old programmer told AFP. “As a fresh graduate, it’s just made life a bit easier.”