How this Chinese rival Hyundai Kona Electric hopes to shake up the Australian electric car market

How this Chinese rival Hyundai Kona Electric hopes to shake up the Australian EV market

The fledgling importer plans to bring this Chinese mid-size electric SUV to Australia with a range of 405 km.

EV Automotive is a new Australian importer that has taken on the ambitious challenge of bringing a range of electric vehicles to the local market.

The importer will bring a range of electric vehicles originally produced by the Chinese brand Dongfeng.

Dongfeng is one of the largest electric vehicle manufacturers in the booming Chinese market and has joint ventures with Nissan and Peugeot.

EV Automotive plans to offer the Glory E3 midsize SUV in the Australian market in 2020 under its own brand (rather than the Dongfeng DFSK brand). The SUV offers a range of 405 km and a 120 kW/300 Nm engine.

It will only be offered in one specification level with no options and a choice of just three colors. It can be charged via a European Type 2 (CCS) port, which has a "fast charge" time of 20 to 80 percent in half an hour, or a "slow charge" time of eight hours.

The Glory E3 is also promised to accelerate from 0 to 50 km/h in just 3.9 seconds, and standard equipment is expected to include a 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen, 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and push start, fully LED lightening. , heated front seats, faux leather trim, anti-reflective rear view mirror, heated side mirrors and single zone climate control.

How this Chinese rival Hyundai Kona Electric hopes to shake up the Australian EV market While this is just the beginning for EV Automotive, the Glory E3 has promising specs and features.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity has yet to be confirmed, but EV Automotive is lobbying Dongfeng to make it available for cars heading to Australia.

Safety is said to include six airbags, lane departure warning and "forward collision warning", although a five-star ANCAP safety rating would require at least a full AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection.

While Australian Design Regulation (ADR) compliance and the upcoming ANCAP rating are currently still pending, EV Automotive does not expect any major hurdles for a "end of Q1 or QXNUMX" XNUMX year launch date.

Expect a more precise specification, including more detailed specs, closer to the Glory E3 release window.

How this Chinese rival Hyundai Kona Electric hopes to shake up the Australian EV market The single specification level will form part of its mid-sixty thousand price target, with standard items such as a digital instrument cluster and leather-trimmed seats.

Asked about price, the brand told CarsGuide at the Australian Electric Vehicle Association's Sydney show that they were aiming for a $XNUMX below-average price range.

While it may not sound cheap for a Chinese mid-size SUV, the Glory E3 will enter a segment in Australia where there is little to no price competition.

The smaller Hyundai Kona Elite Electric can be purchased starting at $59,990 before travel costs, and the only other all-electric midsize SUVs are the Jaguar I-Pace (starting at $119,000) and the upcoming Mercedes Benz EQC and Audi e-Tron. , which will also exceed $ 100,000 XNUMX.

The only more affordable alternatives would be PHEVs like the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (starting at $47,490) or hybrids like the Toyota RAV4 (starting at $35,140).

How this Chinese rival Hyundai Kona Electric hopes to shake up the Australian EV market Expect Dongfeng to lose all of its Chinese branding before it goes on sale.

Despite its significant alliances with global brands such as Nissan and Peugeot, Dongfeng has no interest in the Australian market, and a right-hand drive factory conversion of the Glory E3 has been made possible by significant investment from EV Automotive and other importers who hope to use the Glory. EV as an entry into European RHD markets such as the UK. This also allows Dongfeng to sell the Glory E3 in the Hong Kong market.

The brand hopes to do away with the dealer network model, aiming to offer a more "Tesla-style" direct-to-consumer model, the details of which (as well as the method of car maintenance and support) are currently being released.

How this Chinese rival Hyundai Kona Electric hopes to shake up the Australian EV market The brand says the Glory E3 will be available for purchase online and also offers retail stores for customers to see the cars before they buy.