To understand just how big a threat the traditional auto makers consider Chinese EV brands to be, look no further than the recent comments from Stellantis’ chief, Carlos Tavares, when faced with BYD (or Build Your Dreams) expansion into Europe.
“The European market is wide open to the Chinese, and we do not know if their strategy is to grab market share at a loss and increase their price later,” he said, as he called on the EU leadership to impose new tariffs on vehicles from China to help level the playing field.
The idea, he says, is that Chinese manufactures should pay the same taxes imposed on European vehicles in China, to prevent the brand’s gaining unstoppable momentum with cheap EVs that undercut local brands.
It also means he, and the heads of other car makers see the competitive threat of Chinese brands clearly, and as something to take seriously, despite China only currently accounting for around five percent of European EV sales as it stands right now.
But there is another way to look at it, of course, and that is that cheaper electric vehicles from China will force traditional car makers to either produce vehicles that can compete in that space, lower their prices, or abandon the entry-level EV segment altogether.
If they opt for either of the first two options, then consumers win, with more choice across a range of affordable EVs than ever before.
And it’s not too difficult to see why they’re worried. Just look at Chinese auto giant Great Wall Motors, which this week unveiled an EV attack plan that will see the brand launch 50 “new energy” vehicles by 2025 – with Australia a key pillar in the brand’s takeover strategy.
Leading the charge will be the Next Ora Cat, which will take aim at premium EVs like the Tesla Model 3.
Unveiled in Paris this week, the Next Ora Cat is a dual-motor, AWD EV that will produce an impressive 300kW and 680Nm – enough, the brand says, for a brisk sprint to 100km/h in just 4.3 seconds.
Also on board is an 89kWh battery pack that will deliver a 430km driving range between charges. And when it does come time to plug in, you can expect to go from empty to 80 per cent charged in a little under an hour (when plugged into an 80kW fast charger).
The tech and features are handy, too. Think 19-inch alloys, a 12.3-inch central screen (and a second 10.25-inch digital cluster in the driver’s binnacle), frameless windows, massaging seats and a huge panoramic sunroof.
Will it come to Australia? Almost certainly. While GWM is yet to officially confirm the model, the brand has been on something of a trademark run, securing the name Good Cat for our market.
The Chinese brand began the trademark process in December of 2021, with the move supporting news out of the GWM in China that the electric vehicle will launch in Australia.
“Under the overwhelming wave of electrification, as one of the important areas of Great Wall Motor’s global strategic map, the Australian market has laid out the line-up of electrified products prospectively, and started the ‘fully charged’ journey of electrification,” the brand said in statement last year.
Given it has just been detailed, though, it’s far more likely that the first model we will see in Australia will be the Funky Cat, which is the little brother to the Next Cat (or Lightning Cat, as it’s otherwise known).
While the Next Cat (which measures 4871mm in length, 1862mm in width and 1500mm in height) is a premium-feel saloon, the Funky Cat (4234mm long, 1825mm wide, 1603mm high) is a city-friendly EV hatch about the size of a VW Golf or Toyota Corolla.
The Funky Cat’s electric motor produces 126kW/250Nm to the front wheels, which enables a 0-100km/h acceleration run in 8.3 seconds. It’s equipped with a 48kWh battery that allows for up to 311km of driving range before need a recharge.
It would act as the entry point to the Ora EV family, with its international positioning suggesting sharp pricing in Australia.
Launching at £30,495 in the UK, the Funky Cat First Edition would equate to around $53,734 in Australia. But it is important to mention that the initial pricing is for the high-spec First Edition, so you can expect more cost-effective models to arrive, too.
What else lies within GWM’s 50-model rollout? It remains to be seen. Though the brand points out the “new energy” refers to hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full EV models.
Based on what’s already been revealed internationally, CarsGuide would expect as many as eight electrified Great Wall models to arrive in Australia before the end of next year.
They could include the already-here Jolion Hybrid and H6 Hybrid, as well as two hybrids in the Tank 300 and Tank 500 families. Throw in some PHEV powertrains on existing models, and Great Wall’s new energy take over will look well underway.
Then there’s the MG ZS EV, which can be yours for $44,990 drive-away. That’s for the cheapest Excite model, which will deliver a pretty decent 322km driving range between charges.
Or the BYD Atto 3, which is priced from $44,381, but that price doesn’t include on-road costs, which push it just above the MG (depending on which state you live in).
BYD, by the way, is expected to secure position number three on the best-selling EV list when it begins officially listing sales figures, representing a pretty meteoric rise for a brand-new marque in Australia. And more BYD models are on the way, including the Atto 4 sedan and the Dolphin city hatch that will be renamed for Australia.
Meanwhile, three Chery vehicles – the Tiggo7 Pro compact SUV, the Tiggo8 Pro mid-size SUV, and the electrified Omoda5 – have touched down in Australia before the end of July for evaluation purposes, ahead of an expected launch in Australia next year.
“The first thing is to check the market, and to have some localisation tests to fit the customer requirements, and to fit the market. The road environment in Australia is a little bit different to other markets, so we should have this kind of test before we launch there,” Chery’s VP of Australian Operations told CarsGuide.
According to monthly sales data released by Australia’s peak automotive body, the FCAI, some 14,889 Chinese-built vehicles were sold in Australia September, with the number of deliveries only bettered by Thailand (20,363) and Japan (23,880).
That number will only grow. And it has got the other car makers sweating.
Keyword: China's massive electric car takeover of Australia: Why Great Wall Motors, MG, BYD, Chery and Geely have the other electric vehicle makers shook | Opinion