Great Wall Motors is planning to enter the Indian market in the near future and thus the company showcased an array of products at the 2020 Delhi Auto Expo. The Chinese car manufacturer is formulating plans to enter the Indian market with its two brands Haval & ORA and while the Haval is a leading SUV-maker (sports utility vehicle), the ORA specialises exclusively in making electric vehicles. At the fifteenth edition of this biennial event, Great Wall Motors showcased an upcoming EV which once launched will be India's Cheapest Electric car called the ORA R1 EV and as per latest reports, it will now get 400+ kilometres of range on a single charge.
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First of all, let's go into a flashback and try to seek a deep insight into this car. So, this neo-retro electric car is marketed all over the world as the ORA R1 EV and it has a tag of being the World's Cheapest Electric Car. However, it was marketed and showcased in India at the Auto Expo as the GWM R1 EV. This electric car is built on the Great Wall Motors's exclusive pure electric platform called the 'ME' platform and it measures around 3495 mm in length, 1660 mm in width, 1560 mm in height and gets a wheelbase of around 2475 mm. The EV also has a decent ground clearance of 140 mm.
Now, talking about the powertrain options, globally, the ORA R1 is currently available with a single electric motor but with two different battery configurations for extended range. The GWM R1 EV showcased in India at the Auto Expo was powered by a 33 kW electric motor that churns out 48 PS of power and 125 Nm of torque. Globally, this electric motor draws power from a 28.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack with a claimed range of 301 kilometres on a single charge and it also gets an optional 33 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that claims 351 kilometres of range on a single charge. However, soon things are gonna be more exciting.
According to a recent media report, the ORA R1 EV will soon get a bigger battery pack and a more powerful electric motor in China and this updated mechanicals are also expected to feature in the India-bound EV. The leaked documents suggest that the EV will now get a high capacity electric motor of 45 kW that generates 61 PS of power and 130 Nm of torque. The battery pack is also upgraded and it will now feature a 36 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that claims to deliver 400+ kilometres of range on a single charge, 401 kilometres to be precise.
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So, this was all about upcoming India's Cheapest Electric Car ORA R1 EV that can now run more miles per kWh. If we talk about its India launch timeline, Great Wall Motors is expected to launch a Haval-branded SUV in India in 2021 which will be followed by the launch of this electric vehicle. Once launched, it is expected to be priced under Rs. 10 lakhs, Ex-showroom and will rival against the likes of Mahindra eKUV100, Tata Tigor EV and more.
