Chinese startup WM Motor with its headquarters in Shanghai announced raising a billion dollars to output in the light of its first electric vehicle. The money will come from local and foreign investors, but this is not a technological magnates or venture capital funds, as in the case with a number of competitors. Specific names and company names WM Motor left out of the equation. A car with a price of about $35 000 or below will be presented and launched in 2018.
Electric cars for the mass market appear more and more often. In South Korea at a price of 40 million won ($36 thousand) in the sale recently received hatch Hyundai Ioniq Electric. Energy 28 kWh means a 250 km course in the NEDC cycle, but by Korean standards — 191 km in the combined cycle and 206 km in the city.
Founded the WM Motor in 2015 Freeman Shen — a former top Manager of Volvo and Geely holding, has 22 years of experience in the industry (in his record — BorgWarner and Fiat Chrysler). Shen said that it will soon begin construction of a plant somewhere in the Eastern part of China. More precisely the location of the boss is not named, but Reuters reports that, most likely, is Zhejiang province. That is, Freeman will set up his trade under the noses of former colleagues from Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Within three years after the start of the production volume, the WM needs to exceed the level of 100 000 vehicles per year.
Shen says that to create a fancy electric car, causing surprise and admiration, easier than ubiquitous and affordable, which can buy one. "We don't make luxury cars. But we will have a luxurious quality," — said the head of the company.
Freeman assembled a team of experts in the organization of production, work with suppliers. And the technical part (batteries, motors, electronics) project team of engineers in Germany (German firm-partner not named). Now they are testing about 20 prototypes on two different platforms. Shortly after the launch of the first model should be followed by two more. According to insiders, to sell electric Motor WM is going mainly through the Internet, with a minimal amount of salons. The first market will be, of course, China. After him, Shen intends to go to the expanses of the United States.
A sad example of attempting the creation of an affordable electric car — Coda sedan ($37 thousand in 2012), is actually a Chinese Hafei Princip, translated to electric. Battery of 31 kWh, mileage: 142 km in the EPA cycle or 200 on the highway. California firm Coda Automotive sold in the home state 117 of these machines in one year, and then went bankrupt.
China has recently experienced a boom in electric mobility. In addition to working closely automakers here we can recall such recent projects as LeSee, NextEV or Qiantu Motor. But the latter focused primarily on expensive cars — analogues of the older versions of the Tesla S, sports and hypercar on batteries. But WM Motor aims to conquer the mass market. So, under the scope of its products will be models such as the Chevrolet Bolt,Tesla Model 3 or even the next Nissan Leaf, well, all Chinese competitors in the same price range. published
Source: www.drive2.ru/e/BkV_wEAAA3c