GWM Ora (GWM stands for Great Wall Motors – one of China’s largest players in the car world), first launched the Ora 01 in 2018, and is now expanding to Europe early next year, including to the UK.
The 01 is the EV-only brand’s flagship model, and a compact electric hatchback that aims to undercut many rivals for price.
With a funky look, including design details such as Mini-like large headlights and a rear light bar embedded into the rear window. The Renault Zoe rival also gets plenty of technology as standard, including a large 10.25-inch touchscreen and digital dial system of the same size. A 360-degree camera system is also available, while on top of a suite of safety features, a highlight is a facial recognition system that can sense if the driver is fatigued.
The Ora Cat 01 will be available with two battery options – a 48kWh or a 63kWh version – with the latter offering an electric range of 261 miles. Each also features an 180bhp electric motor, while 80kW rapid charging comes as standard, which means a 10-80 per cent rapid charge can take as little as 40 minutes.
Pre-orders for the Cat 01 are set to open in December 2021, with first deliveries expected in the middle of 2022. While full pricing hasn’t been finalised, Ora hopes to sell the model for ‘around £25,000’, with further derivatives and models also set to join the range.
