Appealing EV at an almost palatable price
GWM Ora 03 is still out of reach of the masses, but the Chinese electric car has charm and a decent range, writes
Last week Ebrahim Patel short-circuited hopes of cheaper electric vehicles (EVs) in SA by announcing their import duties would not be reduced any time soon. The trade, industry & competition minister said Eskom’s power supply woes do not make SA conducive to large fleets of battery-powered cars.
It means EVs continue to carry hefty premiums over internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, unlike in many countries where tax and cashback incentives are offered to reduce the price gap.
The most affordable local EV is GWM’s recently introduced Ora 03 priced at R686,950 for the entry-level model, making it SA’s only sub-R700,000 battery car but still well out of reach of the motoring masses. There are four Ora 03 variants and the range-topping 400 GT Ultra Luxury, with a full house of features and a larger battery for a longer range, sells for R835,950.
The Chinese hatchback has charm by the bucketload, with its doe-eyed headlamps giving off very distinctive Mini/Beetle vibes, while the range-topping model has sporty red flourishes and unique 18-inch wheels.
Step inside and you’re greeted with an impressive highquality cabin that has a suedecovered dash, soft-touch surfaces and appealingly modern styling. It’s roomy enough for four people and has all the requisite charging ports and connectivity for ensuring family harmony.
At 4,235mm in length the Ora 03 is about the same size as a VW Golf. Due to the battery pack taking up space, the 228-858l luggage capacity is smaller than a Golf’s but swallows a decent stack of luggage.
The minimalist dashboard is on trend in terms of styling but not as user friendly as it could be, as there are no physical buttons for oft-used functions. Everything, including the climate control with its small icons, has to be accessed by the infotainment touchscreen. While other brands are undergoing digital “detoxes”, GWM and other Chinese brands are enthusiastically committing to the anti-analogue revolution — like it or not.
The Ora 03 has a five-star crash rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) and is very well specced, with a full suite of luxuries including electrically adjusted front seats with heating and cooling.
Like many Chinese cars it tries a little too hard on the tech front, however, and driverassist functions such as the side and front-collision warnings are oversensitive. I opted to disable them but had to do so every time I started the car as it doesn’t remember your settings. The same applies to the one-pedal mode which applies more offthrottle braking to regenerate energy and increase range; it kept defaulting to “off” mode.
The digital bird’s-eye view that popped up on the infotainment when stopping at intersections was irritating too, as it prevents you from using the infotainment system for other things.
Overzealous tech aside, driving the Ora 03 is an enjoyable experience overall. It is swift and silent, with neat handling and a comfortable ride. With a 1,580kg kerb weight it’s unusually light for an electric car (they’re usually weighed down by heavy batteries), giving it a responsive and fleet-footed driving feel.
With no gear changes, there is no lag in the power delivery. The typically instant, pause-free thrust of an electric motor makes for eager performance, especially in Sport mode. The power sometimes comes in too robustly, leaving you unintentionally spinning the front wheels like a boy racer.
All Ora 03s are powered by a 126kW electric motor feeding the front wheels, with the 400 GT Ultra Luxury equipped with a 63kWh battery for a promised 400km range. The test car never managed that distance but in a mix of urban commuting and open-road driving had a useful real-world range of more than 300km, which was good enough to drive for several days without having to plug in.
Charging from 10-80% takes about an hour on a fast public DC charger, and the company will provide an optional 7kW home charging wallbox if you choose, which charges the car quicker than a regular 230V household socket.
GWM quotes a R0.40 costper-kilometre for the Ora 03 versus about R1.17 for a petrol car and R1 for a diesel car at current fuel prices.
It is still difficult to justify EV ownership from a value-formoney aspect — a petrol or diesel car with similar features will cost a lot less and it would take years to make up the price difference in fuel savings. EVs are also impractical as long-distance vehicles and they don’t satisfy a green conscience as long as our (intermittent) Eskom supply is mostly delivered by dirty coal.
The future of motoring they may be, but it is not difficult to see why EVs aren’t flying out of SA showrooms right now.
That said, for early adopters of the technology, the Ora 03 is one of the country’s most affordable EVs and has a lot to offer in terms of comfort, range, style and driving enjoyment.
Also a consideration is that Volvo’s more powerful EX30 is soon being launched at similar prices to the Ora 03.