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Meet the Newest EV Sensation (With a Staggering 4 Horsepower)

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There are days when you see things that just make you smile. For today, I would like to present a vehicle highlighted by Car News China, a swoopy supercar-styled little electric car called, appropriately, “Supercar.”

That little beauty comes at an approximate MSRP of 38,000 yuan (or $5,470 for the US). So, how does this amazing-looking little car get away with its modest price tag?

It is a low-speed electric vehicle (LSEV), a segment of little EVs that can only be used inside cities, and so don’t need big engines, high top speeds, or even advanced battery technology–many models rely on lead-acid batteries, which were in use to move cars over 100 year ago. These models have achieved special popularity in China’s more populous regions like Shandong Province, a coastal area that is one of the most affluent provinces, and so have been adapted to come in many forms, with producers creating more and more interesting designs.

 

Enter the Supercar.

The Supercar was originally designed by a man named Liu Shengqi, a 26-year-old native of the more northerly Jilin Province, who expressed a dream of designing a sportscar for young people, citing Pagani and Ferrari as his inspirations. He designed the Supercar over a period of seven months, even spending the money he and his wife received from friends and family when they got married in the production. Finally, though, Liu moved to Shandong and pitched the Supercar to LSEV producer Shandong Qilu, who agreed to produce his car.

So, now the citizens of China will be able to buy, as a base model, a street-pounding 4-horsepower Supercar with a top speed of 40 kmph (about 25 mph) and a range of 80 km (about 50 miles) on a 60V/120A lead-acid battery (that puts it about on the same performance level as Google’s koala self-driving cars). Or, for a little more cash, buyers can go for the high-performance model, which pumps out 10 horsepower for a top speed of 60 kmph (about 37 mph) and a range of 100 km (about 62 miles) on a 72V/120A lead-acid battery.

The Supercar comes in a choice of red, white, or a two-toned red-over-white paint scheme.

What a time to be alive.

News Source: Car News China