Roewe Ei5 a electric estate
Looking to buy an electric estate and you cannot afford a converted electric Tesla shooting brake? Well Roewe in China has the Roewe Ei5 an electric estate car, the only down side is the fact its presently only sold in China.
Photos sourced from d1ev and d1ev
The Roewe Ei5 has a NEDC rated range of 301km (187 miles) that comes from its 35kWh ternary lithium battery, priced from 133,800 RMB ($20,789) to 145,800 RMB ($22,654) depending on which variant chosen. the Roewe Ei5 is the only electric estate in China and the Roewe Ei5 was designed with an electric car in mind so has benefits that come from not being a retrofitted design.
Roewe which is a brand created by SAIC in 2006 using intellectual property and technology from the defunct British automaker MG Rover already has a number of electric cars, they are E50 a compact car, the ERX5 a SUV and a number of hybrids.
The Ei5 is an estate/station wagon from Roewe which is a bold choice because the estate is not a common sight on Chinese roads but is good for the consumer because it increases the number of cars and body types that are electric and hopefully increases the reach of the electric car market.
Design
The Roewe Ei5 is a well designed car, the design is reminiscent of many recent cars but the Roewe Ei5 is integrated into Roewe’s design style by using the Roewe’s fake grill that was used on the ERX5 before. The Roewe Ei5 also drops the tradition of using blue decorative highlights to identify it is electric which clears up the look.
Exterior
Exterior of the car is vey standard for the market segment, although the design has been kept modern by using bigger lights on the front and back and the chromed air intake design on the front and back. The Roewe Ei5 body size is 4544/1818/1532mm, and the wheelbase is 2665mm.
Interior
The interior of the car is enhanced by the fact that the battery does not stick into the passage or storage space, giving the car a spacious look. Many Chinese EV the storage space is normally very small, so it is a welcome change. The overall style of the interior straddles modern and luxury, with a mix of black leather, plastics and chrome that is tastefully laid out, it also mixes buttons and a smart central display for customers of all stripes.
Capabilities
The Roewe Ei5 electric motor is a permanent magnet synchronous motor, this motors maximum power is 85kW and it has a maximum torque of 255NM. The Roewe Ei5 comes equipped with regenerative breaking that was previously less common in Chinese EVs. The Lithium ion battery pack give the Roewe Ei5 a reported NEDC range of 301 KM (187 Miles) and it can recharge to 80% in 40 minutes. The Car has three driving modes, Eco, Normal and Sport, although I have not experienced them myself.
Equipment
The central console come with software developed by Alibaba an android competitor for smart devices called AliOS, the AliOS is part of China’s push for smart internet connected cars and its voice controls can allow the driver to interact with the music, air-conditioning, navigation, windows etc using natural language, you could ask it to find the nearest charging station and it would set the navigation system to that location.
The car comes equipped with a PM2.5 air filter which seems to be a trend at the moment for new released cars in China.
Pricing
The Roewe Ei5 comes in 2 options the Electric Internet Deluxe Edition and the Electric Internet Ultimate. The Electric internet Deluxe Edition is 213,800 RMB ($33,219) before subsidies and 133,800 RMB ($20,789) after subsides, the Electric Internet Ultimate is 223,800 RMB ($34,773) before subsidies which is 145,800 RMB ($22,654) after subsides.
Summary
The Roewe Ei5 is good addition to China’s electric fleet, giving buyers more options along with many other electric car offering that I’ve written about here and here. The Roewe Ei5 is a designed well and range and features fit its market segment. The Roewe Ei5 is reportedly doing well, so it will most likely do well in sales in the coming years.
Sources: d1ev, d1ev, d1ev, d1ev, d1ev, d1ev, roewe, autohome, autohome, autohome, autohome, cleantechnica, cleantechnica, alios