Great Wall Motors to launch R1 electric car in India?

Great Wall motors is expected to come into the Indian market soon through its Haval sub-brand. The company will first introduce its SUV lineup. But it can be seen that the company will also bring in EV cars to the market soon after as it has displayed the R1 electric car for India. The company has confirmed that it will launch its Haval sub-brand in India in 2021 followed by its sub brand for electric cars- GWM EV.

Design

The R1 electric is expected to be the first car to be launched from this sub-brand. It gets a very conventional design and looks a bit like the original mini cooper with its circular headlights. The R1 electric is supposed to be a long distance one for the masses and therefore will be priced competitively. The bonnet is horizontally shaped. It gets projector headlamps along with DRLs. The front gets a white surface instead of a grille with dots in them and also surrounds the headlights, with a charging socket in the middle. From the side you get the idea that it will be a compact hatchback meant for the city.

It also gets steel wheels instead of alloys. The rear of the car gets square-ish LED lamps that look retro.

GWM R1 features

On the inside though things are a bit different and it gets a funky design. The R1 electric gets a huge power button that looks futuristic along with buttons for the different gears. It also gets a huge floating infotainment system that will control all the settings of the car. The controls for the AC vents will also be operated from the infotainment system itself as no buttons have been given on the dashboard.

The dual-colour theme has also been carried forward on the dashboard, the stitching on the seats, as well as the seat belts. For the instrument cluster you get two large circular dials that are digital and display all the necessary information.

It will also get connect options. At the rear, you do not get a lot of comfort options and the window also can not be winded down manually but has to be manually slide like an old school SUV.

Battery of the R1

The R1 electric car is based on the company’s ME pure-electric platform. It gets a 33kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a 33kW electric motor with an added option of a fast charger. The R1 will get 300kms of range when it is fully charged which will be very impressive.

The car is expected be locally produced and get a very competitive price that will help in its sales. Have a look at our walk around of the car: