Gasgoo reports that China’s Jinan (Shandong) BaoYa are seeing US demand for its electric cars jump dramatically. BaoYa sold 500 of its electric sedans last year, and despite a weak export market, this year’s US-market orders have already topped 4,800. BaoYa sedans are Zap Xebra-like Low Speed Vehicles, with a top speed capability of 50 mph (limited to 25mph in the US) and a range of about 90 miles on a 5-8 hour charge. We’re not entirely sure that the factory and production of BaoYa vehicles documented by Repubblica here is the same Jinan-based plant of Shandong BaoYa, but there’s little doubt that the nearly 5k BaoYas sold in the US were built in similar conditions. So Americans could gaze pityingly at their neighbors’ carbon emitting planet destroyers. Savor the irony.
For a second I thought this was the new Pontiac version of the Chevy Aveo.
The battery in the pic of the blatant Smart ripoff above weighs 384kg. That’s over 1/3 of total weight. Wonder how the frame will hold up to impact – right before you’re covered in lead-acid.
Did someone just make a larger Little Tykes car and put a Pontiac grill on it?
Looks like a Smartcar with a BMW grill
Wonderful Marketing! The company picked this name so they could get a thousand shout-outs every night on Jim Cramer’s Mad Money.
I’ve been covering the NEV market for about 10 years and I view the figure of 4,800 and even 500 with some skepticism. Sales of 4,800 in the US would put the company on par with GEM in terms of market share and companies like ZENN, Dynasty and Tomberlin are only selling about 200 vehicles a year.
http://www.smallvehicles.wordpress.com
The new Pontiac G1 (or BMW 0 series).
(or BMW 0 series).
You beat me to it, although that grille looks like a fake Buick sideports tack-on sticker…
With a ShamWow interior option, they could call it the BaoWow.
Sorry.
Where do I put my golf clubs?
What’s up with China and imitating everything on wheels. this looks like the Smart’s ugly cousin with pimples all around.
1.3 billion people and they still can’t find someone who knows how to draw from nothing….
Pontiac called. They want there grille back.