Baojun E100 model is charging forward
With a few taps on her tablet to place an order online, Liuzhou resident surnamed Li became one of the city’s 11,000 owners of the Baojun E100 electric vehicle.
The Baojun E100 is the first fully electric vehicle launched by SAIC-GM-Wuling, with sales initially restricted to Liuzhou in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
SGMW is a three-shareholder joint venture formed between SAIC Motor, Liuzhou Wuling Motors from China and General Motors of the United States.
Launched in July, the Baojun E100 cars that line up outside the showroom are from the Baojun Base in Liuzhou, which is the company’s production facility for both conventional and green vehicles. SGMW also has manufacturing bases in Qingdao, in eastern Shandong province, and Chongqing in the southwest.
To cope with the high demand, the company offers one-stop services at its showroom. Clients can place orders, apply for licenses and pick up their cars all at the same place.
According to a salesperson at the showroom, two versions of the electric vehicle are available — standard and premium, both of which come in any one of five colors. Other colors are also available from the company’s palette for an extra fee.
Buyers can pick up their car within one week, but the waiting time is usually shorter than that. Take Li for example. Since her order did not have many customized features, she could drive her car home the same afternoon as she selected it.
Price is one reason behind the popularity of the tiny twoseater Baojun E100. Though the original price ranges from 93,900 yuan ($14,400) to 109,900 yuan, its actual price can be as low as 35,800 yuan after local and national electric vehicle subsidies.
“Many buyers flock to our store because they are afraid that the subsidies for electric cars will be modified or canceled next year,” said the salesperson. The company said sales of the Baojun E100 in November ranked the highest in China’s electric vehicle market in terms of total sales in one city.
According to SGMW, most buyers are interested in the Baojun E100 as a second family car or a supplement to their petrol-fueled cars. Designed for commuting in cities, the vehicle can run for 155 kilometers when fully charged. The weekly electricity bill for charging it is around a mere 8.50 yuan.
SGMW’s special technology enables users to charge their cars with a standard 220 volts, which means that drivers can charge anywhere through a regular outlet. The company has also built 3,500 charging stations across Liuzhou to offer free charging services to all users.
While the sales of its electric vehicles are still restricted to Liuzhou, SGMW has expanded its other product lines beyond China. In July, it inaugurated its first manufacturing facility in Cikarang, Indonesia.
With a total investment of $700 million, the facility consists of a 30 hectare vehicle plant and a 30 hectare supply park to accommodate suppliers from China and overseas. The facility was designed to reach an annual capacity of 150,000 cars and provide 3,000 jobs.
The first product from the plant was the Wuling Confero S, a multi-purpose vehicle based on the design of SGWM’s bestselling Wuling Hongguang. Since its launch in China in September 2010, more than 3.57 million Hongguangs had been sold as of November 2017, topping sales in China’s MPV segment.
The manufacturing plant will implement a localization strategy while following General Motors’ global manufacturing system to maintain high quality standards. SGMW also partners with vocational schools in Liuzhou to provide training programs for Indonesian technicians.
“Japanese automobiles take a major market share in the Indonesian market,” said Nong Chi, overseas business manager of the company.“Having a local manufacturing plant will help to build our brand image, not only in Indonesia, but also across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.”