GWMs White Cat shows whats wrong with China EVs

I am owning a BYD Dolphin (1 year, 28,000 km) and I am very impressed of its quality. The Chinese car manufacturer have improved a lot within the last years. I am living in Thailand where Chinese EVs are more affordable than in Europe.

[@Ashinsa2001]

Does geely g8 available in Thailand?

@@Ashinsa2001 No, or not yet. Geely will start soon with the Galaxy E5.

[@InternetExplorer-s9g]

BYD is building a factory in Hungary that might bring EVs to masses in Europe - unless unelected EU officials pull out some dirty tricks

[@kosmokramer9502]

I too am loving my 60.48kWh Dolphin here in Australia.

[@randomthingsstuff6591]

Every time i go to Thailand i keep seeing beautiful new chinese cars my new favorite car is the GAC Aion Y Plus ❤

[@karlwest437]

They always go upmarket because they know they can put an extra $1000 worth of hardware in the car and charge $10000 more for it

[@electricelliotrichards]

unfortunately true

[@easygreen8243]

I agree with you Elliot, more cool looking affordable cars like this, so more people can afford the adoption of EV cars

[@jedics1]

We are long overdue for a "peoples car" like the mini and the beatle in Ev form.

[@TempoLOOKING]

😮😅

[@annavariumful]

I'm still rocking a 2010 i-MiEV, and loving it. Did a 288 kilometer round trip to Marcus Beach last Sunday. "Fuel" cost $12 AUD, love this little EV!! We need more like them!!!

[@InternetExplorer-s9g]

I just did 500km trip in my 2010 diesel car, average fuel consumption 3.9l/100km. Fuel cost 29 USD

[@theotheleo6830]

@@InternetExplorer-s9g The OP's "fuel" cost is less than half that of yours.

[@InternetExplorer-s9g]

@@theotheleo6830 DC Fast Chargers in Australia : 40 c/kWh average EV consumption :18 kWh/100km 18kWh x 0.4=$7.2 /100km Diesel in Sydney is $1.86 per litre 1.86 x 3.9 l= $7,25 /100km

[@electricelliotrichards]

nice!

[@chrismartin5129]

Right on Elliot, let's keep the conversation going on small, affordable and well designed. Ora have given it a good go, new Renault5 looks great and can't wait to see it on the road. Big doesn't mean better!

[@electricelliotrichards]

strong agree!

[@riph-a]

Honestly this car looks awesome. I kinda wish they made more like this but with a better and refined interiors.

[@jonperkins8696]

I don't want a bunch of overpriced junk on my car.....I just want a well made car.

[@electricelliotrichards]

AGREE

[@gavjlewis]

Best selling car in Europe. The Dacia Sandero. Just reading today that Genesis and DS brands are struggling. Seems most people just need a comfortable reliable car to get from A to B and a reasonable price they can afford.

[@thorbjrnhellehaven5766]

True 👍 we need more small EVs. I want an electric L6e car 🙂 L6 are very small, I expect this to be just above those specs. Maybe it can go as an L7, but even if it would be an M1 there would be a market for them.

[@kucingsuci]

Yokohama design studio, I'm like no wonder it reminds me of JDM Daihatsu kinda looking car

[@tonyduncan9852]

This octogenarian hasn't disagreed with your argument for sixty years. Morris Minors, 2CVs, Volks. They are the hardest and least rewarding things to do, but the best for our society.

[@oliverstemp9132]

It looks like the Scion xB and the VW Up! had a baby.

[@kevtheobald]

I do agree that simple EVs have been skipped by many. I still remember the Honda CRX in the 1980s was great and affordable, but did not sell in huge numbers, but the Civic from that era did. Honda has allowed the Civic to become very complex and costly. It was sad that the Honda 😢Fit/Jazz did not sell well enough for the US market. I do think for US customers, the Chevy Bolt was the right idea, just not designed to manufactured cheaply enough. In theory, they ate fixing that. Time will tell. I have some hope that Tesla will bring a simple and more affordable vehicle to the US market in 2025. Was hoping VW would come through, but no shock their compact EV, but it got pushed back. We are just getting the VW electric van in the US. No matter EV or ICE, manufacturers have been slapping on larger rims and other features not needed, but it gave them an excuse to raise prices. The last report I heard was that only 16% of Americans feel they can afford a new vehicle. Focus on feel, because reality is probably half of that 16% can truly afford a new vehicle. Insane to think less than 10% of a nation of over 300 million people can afford a new vehicle.

[@Darkest_matter]

you don't know how shocked i was when i seen the ora cat price in the uk.. it was so overinflated, when i know it costs like £8, 500 in china. (it's £30, 000 in the uk)

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

Which is why they have only sold less than 2,000 of them since 2022. They are not a £30k car and there is much competition out there in that price bracket for EVs. It's got a bad reputation as a car because people were judging it as a £30k car. Now if it were £15k, it might sell. But I can't see that happening. They got greedy and paid the price.

[@pinkelephants1421]

I've always said that most people don't even know what their gadgets' features are beyond the daily meat and potatoes functions, nor do they really care - despite, however illogically, having gone out of their way to pay extra for the latest and greatest shiny shiny. Video and DVD recorders were a prime example. Full of features, but you needed to get the manual out and spend half an hour reading it to discover the gazillion ways to do the same basic thing when one would've been more than sufficient; EVs are no different. They're just gadgets on wheels.

[@electricelliotrichards]

Nailed it

[@pinkelephants1421]

@@electricelliotrichards What I forgot to add, is that in the interests of making more affordable EVs, auto manufacturers could save significant amounts of money on software development for the multitudes of fancy features that noone is aware of and or would never use anyway if they were. If nothing else, this would shrink vehicle development times allowing them to come to market far more quickly.

[@Cyromantik]

​@@pinkelephants1421 That's basically what modern American car manufacturer are doing now by replacing manual cabin controls with those giant pseudo iPads.

[@luisdominguesforprogramaca3221]

I can't understand such a rant. There are tons of cars like that being manufactured. Comes to mind the BYD Seagull and the LeapMotor T03, to start with. Any video taken in the Beijing motorshow will list a dozen or more mini cars. Why did you had to bring a model already out of production?

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

THEY ARE AWFUL! The Ora White is the only ideal low cost EV design - mainly because of space efficiency - and nobody bought it.

[@grinnerwolff1]

Market forces dictate that “affordable EVs” are still more expensive than affordable ICE cars. Going upmarket is where the money is

[@georgikolev8700]

The problem is most car makers don't make their own batteries and that means the price of the most expensive part is almost the same as higher class car that means the profit margin of A and B segment (small hatchbacks) is negative. Not small it's negative... that's why most car makers are going into luxury SUVs

[@charlesuk5358]

I guess the nearest modern equiv would be the Dacia Spring, which i believe is still a rebrand, but simple basic cars are the bread and butter of car making outside of business/fleet class models, Think early 2000's fiesta, picanto, corsa small city hatches with a bigger family car targeted cousins like the Focus, ceed, astra, all were sub £10k and £15k for the mid hatches It seems more that the manufactures have raised the cost of entry level cars or removed them to justify the higher costs of the ev alternatives " bridging the gap"

[@tj_enju]

the sentiment, the theme, the overall message of this video is an important one... it reeally is

[@nathangoshawk]

In view of GWM dropping this model, the one bit of information I'd like to know is, how well did it sell?

[@raygunz333]

Looks like a streamlined Nissan Cube

[@ramblerandy2397]

I do get why Elliot chose this car. He illustrated that, instead of going upmarket, GWM were already making the type of cheap BEV that many (most?) people are still crying out for. And yes, it is an obsolete model because GWM itself went upmarket. And no manufacturer appears to be listening. The Citroen Ami BEV is not realistic for all but one or two people on a tight budget, so let's not go there .

[@santostv.]

Citroen ami is a quadacycle and for it's category it's sold well in europe

[@ramblerandy2397]

@@santostv. Whivh is why I said don't go there..." with the Citroen Ami. Because it is a totally different animal.

[@hughmarcus1]

I think the challenge is to make budget city EVs profitably

[@JianYZhong]

I’m with you, I would like a small car with good quality interior and smart functionality” (including cruise control, maps, etc), don’t mind paying more. But not if it is low on energy efficiency

[@rolandkovacs3936]

It’s quite similar to volkswagen up if i look at the side and the rear of the car

[@tarant315]

I really like the look outside and it's massive inside

[@6ettinold]

It looks like a Chinese reworking of the Daihatsu Materia or possibly the Kia Soul.

[@video-carl]

thanks for post. a bit harsh on the interior. compared with 1994 (30 years ago), the interior has satnav, can connect to a smart 'phone from 2010+ and has a large screen :) Quite an advance from my Saab 900i which they stopped making in 1993 :)

[@CallumElsdon]

Great video, Elliot. You make a real fair point - cars today are just way too big. Am UK based and did consider getting GWM Ora 03 - but found it a bit bulky. This would be the perfect size for me and many others - a shame that manufacturers are doubling down on SUVs and crossovers. Funnily enough...I ended up importing a kei car instead... Haven't commented before but discovered your channel after watching a few Fully Charged Vids. I like your analytical eye - far less sycophantic, more objective than many other PRC-based car YTers I've seen!

[@victorsvoice7978]

All manufacturers think about it. Are big cars for big profits. They have abandoned small affordable city cars.

[@SinaArsani]

isn't byd seagull/dolphin mini selling in Europe yet?

[@wj9494]

With such a small battery, going to spend a lot of time at the charging stations, how do you sleep in that?

[@rjbiker66]

The interior tells you why GWM dropped it after 2yrs. Didnt the Ora Cat come out instead?

[@marksmith9566]

Umderstood, you want an electric Honda Civic [the original not the current model]

[@gmazelli]

love the look (outside) 😊

[@lookoutleo]

Think it's because profit is higher on massive monster EVs , I loved my 2010 Suzuki alto , wish we could buy cheap electric cars here, £20k seems to be starting price here. Love that wee car :)

[@baltazarkosa29]

city car at affordable pricing - why not?

[@theotheleo6830]

Not much profit in lower end models. The vast majority of those who are in the market for low cost models can't or won't pay for premium add-ons.

[@stoner27th]

I think you meant to say BYD Dolphin throughout the video..

[@mikadavies660]

Elliott you are not the only one that is angry. I'm pissed off, instead of seeing a video of a car that is never coming to England... I'm now watching cars that are cancelled...!! What a waste of my life.

[@VegBazzoBoys]

Can’t agree with you more Elliot.

[@MrGMawson2438]

Cheers Elliot

[@Foersom_]

3:24 battery size does not determine fast charging time, C-factor does.

[@SydneyEV]

OMG the Curb rash! how do you curb rash a car that small?

[@electricelliotrichards]

I know right…

[@GlitterGuru]

Looks like a Scion XB with a body kit 😂

[@toyotaprius79]

Yeah, it's rather short sighted for Ora to look down their noses at affordable EVs like these when the Hyundai Casper/Inster has made such a limelight for itself. Chasing down the route of upmarket and crossover-SUVs will eventually lead to a dead heat or dead end, and inflation. It's a Market Failure and that's exactly what the EU and US market is struggling with. Look at the Kia Picanto or Toyota AygoX for a dose of depression. Not to mention the sustainability losses of going up market and SUV...

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

Ora has the more internationally known "Cat" or "Good Cat" which as far as I know, isn't much more expensive, but has a much better range.

[@santostv.]

People in the eu buy the dacia sandero and in the case of my country is mostly businesses buying new cars and you will not see those guyscdriving a dacia spring😂

[@just4therecord]

There’s still Wuling. Let’s hope they don’t go “big powerful luxury”

[@kumbackquatsta]

gwm needs to make cat a budget sub brand

[@Foersom_]

7:07 please include metric unit measurements everytime.

[@PazLeBon]

Oh, came here for Morgan Gibbs White

[@Scarbir]

What if you bought one and it’s out of production now? That’s the problem with Chinese brands. You just can’t rely on them atm

[@ranggaajibaskara1809]

I just hope the battery don't cost so much. It's still a hindrance for many people. Even the price of used EV can be cheaper than the battery is insane

[@deltajohnny]

I like the design 😍😍

[@GearUpind]

White cat ? Strange naming

[@Sadenaike1]

The is need for a variety of cars, customers preference and use cases

[@nonyanks2510]

I agree 100% !

[@johnknight9150]

They should license it to someone like Dacia or Tata.

[@kjh789az]

What we want in the UK is a decent EV with reliability, good value and range. Not some pathetic excuse, "Oh its an urban runabout designed for city driving." As if we only drive in the city so only need a range of less than 200 miles. Low power consumption would be good as electicity on public chargers is 70p + per kw. currently with VAT at 20%. Shocking! Alternatively, just buy a pre-owned EV for £15k and resist the BS of the YT presenters.

[@hughmarcus1]

Has Elliot parted ways with Fully Charged?

[@electricelliotrichards]

Im still there - will be at the LIVE show in Farnborough in October.

[@Voxabonable]

Making what people want is bad business. Making people want what you want them to want is good business.

[@dgurevich1]

Leapmotor t03 is the car you want

[@macjim]

Isn’t that what the Dacia Spring is for? A basic no thrills electric car that is more affordable than the rest… 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@grahamcastle8189]

Exactly 💯

[@urbanstrencan]

Looks like a Smart car

[@AprezaRenaldy]

GMW It is a state-owned company and they are still making losses every year.

[@ContraVsGigi]

They are not making small cars because they don't make money with them.

[@altvamp]

John shows what's wrong with English grammar in video titles, the country is China, the car is Chinese.

[@cowtc]

This is what the Kia Soul should’ve looked like, instead we got a weird ugly shape and style

[@STho205]

This car is the poster child of the electric car of the future in the Simpsons with the guys on the street laughing at you and calling you g...... Sure if every car was stripped down to bare...it gets you there. Of course the plastics are outgassing and will crumble. The used price is because no parts or service is available. The car makes a Ford Fiesta look spacious and luxurious inside. However if cars like this are $9000 and can deliver crash safety features equalling a Corolla or Prius....then they are goodbudget runabouts for congested areas. However they will never be touring cars in the modern world

[@STho205]

9000 dollars new including fees and taxes

[@mxmillo]

Looks like a Kia Soul knock off.

[@ermv]

Looks a bit like a VW Up

[@ianjco60]

£4,500 = $6000

[@Bod8998]

Its not cute and certainly doesn't look fun

[@user-tx9zg5mz5p]

Kia soul

[@discoverkenya]

Looks WAY better than the Ora 7 🤢🤮

[@santostv.]

You know the reason, its easy and been a ev journalist you know it, small cars means small profits especially small evs, also you are perfectly aware that it will never be sold for 10k$ in europe or the usa, the mini had thin profit margins it went kaboom the uk auto industry, Citroën went bankrupt Peugeot was forced to buy it. This car in particular is ugly and we already have the ugly dacia spring for a couple thousand more you can buy a mg4

[@hclau218]

I always laugh at how these Western "analysts" keep trying to "talk down" anything Chinese, as if their bovine excrement mean anything On the other hand their govt keep trying to find new words to try suppress China. Nonsense like "over capacity" bcos China exports. 😂😂😂😂

[@el_es]

Looks a bit like a copy of VW eup/seat Mii e/Skoda citigo iv

[@ddyeo503]

It looks like a girly car. No man would be caught dead it that!,,,,,,,,,,,,

[@vision9275]

Please, please, don't try to be ringside for a dime !!!!!! Your attempt to do so is definitely a failure. That's why you're disappointed. It's just a simple city car, not for a holiday destination far away. All those premium features are unnecessary and annoying. So keep it simple and affordable for the majority of people. For the rich and demanding people, there is plenty of choice in the premium classes on the market.

[@funkeeee]

This is a copy paste of the Nissan Cube.

[@toyotaprius79]

And yet, better prospects than what the European market is offering us

[@vision9275]

So what? Will it make me rich and live longer and healthily? It doesn't matter how or from whom, as long as it gets me safely from A to B at an affordable price per kilometer.

[@glumour3081]

😂😂 To be precise, Honda N-Box copies paste Nissan Cube

[@keithhooper6123]

Cube is not a kei car.It's larger.

[@sparky3927]

Oh look, a CCP car. Stop promoting this crap.

[@colincampbell3679]

Shame it is so damn ugly looking? I could design a better designed front of a small EV. and I not a designer. and no a car don't need to be fun, just be a personnel transport. If you like fun go race in a race car on the race track. That's the trouble with the EV market! Thanks to Tesla silly speed idea's every other EV maker thinks every EV must be sold as a race car with all this sales stuff about speed speed speed and foot pounds of force and 0 to 60 times? Not about the safety features or ease of use or how much to charge Just damn speed, power etc. Since the normal EV is and should be about non racing things not speed all the time.

[@kylenorris9585]

It looks like a rip off Kia soul EV

[@hklheman]

The ugliest car I have ever seen🤣

[@lkrnpk]

The problem with Western reviews of cars in China is that you cannot trust them... as you cannot really criticize government policy there, especially as a foreigner. And they have their lives there so they will not talk 100% honestly even if they are back in the West as they might not get their visa again then... so it's like, I cannot 100% trust all the people say. Of course you also cannot trust Westerners reviewing them in Europe/Australia as there is also ''Western'' bias in what people say we like in cars and how Chinese cars are ''weird'' in one or another way but still, it is hard for me to trust 100% a review coming from China from people who have toured factories in China and such

[@relax-ie3mp]

How about low price, high tech BEV like the Xpeng.Mona M03 pricing at under 140,000 RMB?

[@jorgbochow494]

This was not designed by GWMs Yokohama Design Studio. This was designed by VW in 2007. It looks 99% like the concept car 'VW Space up!' shown at the Washington Motor Show in 2008. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Volkswagen_Space_Up_concept_DC.JPG

[@simonmatthews7512]

You are absolutely correct and what a good idea that was. So much better than their own designs.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

GWM's design studio is an Intern with a photocopier... LoL 🤣

[@markthomasson5077]

Looks great, I would buy one.

[@markthomasson5077]

Ok, but I would say inspired by. Not totally similar

[@markthomasson5077]

Shame it doesn’t have a proper boot door…that is absolutely just what you need on a car designed for shopping