The cheapest new electric car in the world, the $1,200 Changli Nemeca from Chinese e-commerce website Alibaba, is a truly amazing machine. I bet a slightly less hilly route could have gotten this to 48 kilometres, but by the time I was over 42 km hill climbing got really, really slow and I finally called it when the Changli began to cut out, though I was able to coast home, luckily.Just to be clear: I’m an idiot.© 2007 - 2020 Pedestrian GroupUsing the speedometer app on my phone, I determined the highest indicated speed seen during my test as a blistering 37 km/h.
To do this, I started by taking a few longer trips in the Changli, errands to the grocery store and other destinations in town, round trips of about six to eight kilometres, then, as the battery indicator dipped below the halfway mark, I switched to a series of looping paths around my neighbourhood streets, so if I ran out of juice, I wouldn’t have too far to push the Changli home.I know people online in the comments of our Changli videos have speculated (or even sometimes, incredibly, insisted) that the speedo display is really showing range, but I promise you it is not.The MP3 player is pretty basic, starting at the beginning of the directory every time you turn on the car, so before I could get to any of the many Pixies albums I put on there, I started every drive with Dolly Parton’s heartfelt and powerful plea to that cruel beauty, Jolene:Regarding the battery indicator itself, like almost every EV I’ve ever driven, it’s not really all that accurate, I don’t think. Talking about speed and the powertrain, it is Using the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six as its siblings, The base 911 Targa 4 throws in the power of 385hp and 450Nm of torque. But...The Freeman! Designed and produced by Chinese manufacturer Changzhou Xili Car Industry, the Changli, or Changli Nemeca is a tiny electric vehicle that has been getting a lot of attention online after being promoted as the world’s most affordable electric car. Changli, the world’s cheapest electric car, will set you back just $930 ($1,200 with larger batteries), and can be ordered online and delivered to your door. The Changli has a laughable 1.1 hp that will take you to top speeds of 35 kph (21 mph), but the video below will show you that this estimate is far from accurate. Three pieces of cardboard—the one that the batteries came in, presumably—sit between the tops of the batteries and that large bar, presumably to prevent short circuiting.The curved glass, the coilover three-link front suspension, the rear differential, the almost-entirely-steel body that’s covered entirely in paint, the projector beam headlights, the aluminum wheels, the four single-piece lugnuts—the Changli was dirt cheap at only $1,200, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the hardware.But despite the quality issues, it’s clear that the Changli could have been much, much cheaper. Breathe. It weighs in at 323 kilograms and is capable of carrying up to 300 kilograms.
Have a seat. Plus, the driver’s seat has some hilariously shoddy staples holding the fabric together:I assume that 1:8 sticker on top of the housing refers to a gear reduction? The tiny EV reaches a maximum speed of 30 km/h, battery autonomy is between 40 and 100 kilometers per charge and the batteries – 800 W, 1,000 W, or 1,200 W – take between 7 and 10 hours to charge.
Packaging & Delivery.
This became clear as soon as my coworker Jason Torchinsky unboxed the car and saw its unexpected features, and even more so when he drove it. We also expect modifications to help stiffen up the body shell, and upgraded suspension to help deal with the extra power. The best part?
Give Tesla a run for its money?