Chinese electric car company Chery has revealed its first EV for the Australian market, the Omoda E5. While the company wasn’t willing to talk price (yet) at the reveal event, it did show off one particularly interesting aspect: a full-size spare tyre in the back, something a few other electric cars in the Australian market currently have.
We praised the new Hyundai Kona at the start of the year for including a spare tyre, being one of the few electric cars in the market to have space for what we consider an essential. But that spare tyre was a space-saver; a smaller wheel built to work, but only temporarily in case of emergencies.
Outside of the EV space, the humble spare wheel is becoming an increasing rarity, excluding many serious offroaders, of course. With EVs, however, more space is naturally dedicated to the battery, so the spare tyre space gets axed. We can argue about needing a spare over the thing that most EVs tend to come with (a puncture repair kit), but to us, it’s more of a ‘have it, and not need it’ kind of thing.
But there’s other stuff we learned at the reveal yesterday. Firstly, the car is being released in two trims – an entry-level and a premium model – both with a FWD drivetrain, and no option for AWD. WLTP range is 430km, and the company claims a 30 per cent to 80 per cent charge time of 28 minutes. If that seems slow, it’s because the maximum DC (public) charging capacity of this car is 80kW – well below many major alternatives from pretty much every EV maker.
It’s also got a 0-100km/h speed of 7.6 seconds, and a claimed consumption of 1.5kWh/100km.
The model we have shown in this article is indicative of the cheaper trim, and the more expensive trim will ship with a panoramic sunroof. Keep in mind that this is a pre-release model, and some parts, both aesthetically and internally, could change before launch.
It doesn’t have a particularly big frunk, nor does it have too ambitious an exterior style, but this car will likely be on the lower end of the Australian EV price scale. The BYD Atto 3 ($48,011-$51,011 across two models) and MG4 ($40,000 – $59,990 across five models) are tipped as close rivals for the Omoda E5 by Chery, and if we were to hazard a guess, this car might be priced around the $50,000 point.
“The arrival of the OMODA E5 later this year is the next step in our local expansion strategy and underscores Chery’s commitment to providing Australian drivers with access to advanced electric vehicle technology without compromising on performance or style,” Chery Australia managing director Lucas Harris said.
Sadly, we didn’t get an opportunity to drive it, but based on looks and sitting in a stationary pre-production model, it seems fairly inoffensive. It’s Chery’s first punt at electrification in Australia, and its major Chinese rivals are both extremely competitive on pricing at the moment. While we don’t expect this car to move the needle, it could be the right fit for drivers who want a slightly bigger electric car without spending too much.
Image: Zachariah Kelly/Gizmodo Australia