Needless to deny it: when it comes to electric cars, the comparison is always with Tesla. This is the case for historic builders and it is also the same for startups. During the trip to China to learn about Chery's plans for Europe, we discovered that the Wuhu-based group, which will make its debut in Spain with Omoda and Jaecoo-branded cars, will expand its range destined for the West in the future with other brands, including which exeed.
With Exeed, which has been present in China since 2017, Chery will bring to Europe a series of premium electric models that Elon Musk and his associates will have in their sights. This is a big change of course for the brand which, like others, is trying to reposition itself with cars designed from scratch and designed to compete even beyond national borders.
Efficiency above all
Among the cars Exeed is working on there is first of all the E03, a 5-metre-long sedan with particularly tapered shapes that promises – it has been officially declared – fuel consumption of only 12 kWh / 100 km. This is a record value, which remains surprising even if approved with the Asian CLTC cycle which, compared to the WLTP, is much more generous. In short, the Tesla Model 3 (with the WLTP standard) reaches 13,3 kWh/100 km; the Model S, which is more directly comparable by segment, reaches 19 kWh/100 km.
But how does the Exeed E03 stop at 12? The reasons are many. The first concerns the weight. The car weighs 2 tons, which is not much considering its size. Again, the Tesla Model S starts at just under 2,4 tons. Then there's the aerodynamics: the Cx stops at 0,19. Then there's the powertrain.
The car has an 800-volt architecture and can be equipped with one or two electric motors, with rear or all-wheel drive respectively. The most powerful in the price list delivers 450 HP and goes from 0 to 100 in 3 seconds. Depending on the battery – you choose between 64, 74 or 100 kWh – it goes up to 700 km of autonomy.
Also in this case, as for the Omoda 5 and the other Chery electrics, the battery will be supplied by CATL, even if when asked directly about suppliers, it has not been excluded that others can also be contacted. The chemistry of the larger accumulators will certainly be of the traditional type NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) but for entry-level models (with a guaranteed range of 500 km) a chemical may be preferred LFP. For the reload speed, the Exeed finally promises to earn 150 km in 5 minutes.
It starts from 50.000 euros
But why so much interest around this Chinese electric sedan? Simple, because it will also arrive in Spain. It will do it in 2024 with a name that, if it hasn't changed, will surely cause discussion: Exlantis E03. Yes, the assonance with the Italian-French group is evident, but knowing the Chinese ways of doing things can still change.
Will the prices also change? Let's hope not. For now it has been said that the car will be sold in Europe from 50.000 €. For the top versions it will reach around 80.000 euros. Above all, lots of technology on board, including Level 3 autonomous driving.
After the sedan it will be the turn of the SUV Exclaiming E0Y (a name that has a vague assonance with another successful electric SUV), which has similar design and technical characteristics to the E03 sedan and is expected by us for 2024 or, at the latest, 2025.
