$10,000 EV from China – meet the Dongfeng Nano Box. It’s okay if you’ve never heard of the Renault Kwid or City Z-KE; you’re not the only one. But I’m sure you’ve heard of Dacia Spring. The Renault little city “CUV” is available in India as the Aeolus EX1, the Fengxing T1, or even the exotic-sounding Venucia e30. They are siblings but were made for distinct markets.
The Dongfeng Nano Box is another rebadged Dacia Spring, but it also has a new interior in addition to a few minor exterior aesthetic modifications. The price has to be the selling pitch; the automobile starts at RMB 65,700, or about $9,750. At that price, it won’t be easy to locate a four-seater (or five at a push) electric vehicle with a 200+ km range.
Most of the body panels interchangeable with other Renault Kwid-based vehicles. The front bumper and front and rear lights are different. The models sold under many names appear to selling quicker than they can produced, which is a recipe for keeping costs low.
Due to its off-roading design with a high ride and small overhangs, the car appears considerably more prominent in the images than it is. But in actuality, the car is just 1,515 mm tall, 1,579 mm broad, and 3,723 mm long. It could fit in your kitchen or balcony if you don’t have a garage. Dongfeng Nano Box (I love the name) has an entirely distinct interior that conceals its low-cost origins.
$10,000 EV from China – meet the Dongfeng Nano Box
There are two screens: the 7″ screen behind the steering wheel shows all the information the driver might require, while the central 10″ screen handles infotainment. The center console has dials for climate control (hallelujah!) and an oversized dial that toggles between forward and reverse motion. It’s as simple as that. With just one tiny electric motor driving the front wheels, Nano Box follows in the footsteps of its siblings.
Simplicity the language used here. Even though it only has 45hp (33 kW) of power and 125 Nm of torque, it’s more than enough to transport you around the city easily. In all honesty, even the WLTP cycle’s 225 km for the Dacia version is optimistic. The CLTC cycle predicts the range to be a stunning 331 km. Expect a maximum range of 200 km from its 27.2 kWh battery, as the vehicle is merely a lovely city shopping trolley.
The good news is that a tiny battery can charged to 80% capacity in just 30 minutes. However, a full charge will take 4 hours due to heat issues and a steep charging curve as the battery fills out. Like all of its brothers, the Nano Box comes in two variations. The less expensive one costs RMB 65,700 ($9,750), while the more expensive one costs RMB 71,700 ($10,640).
The company received almost 10,000 orders on the first day, proving that the price and cuteness are effective, and the waiting list has grown to two months. Nonetheless, you could always purchase an electric bicycle if you live in a city and want a low-cost yet stylish EV runaround. But if you value your life, you’ll buy Nano Box since it must be the one with the best moniker of all the clone squads.
