By Thatcar.co.za
There is a sweet spot that has been identified by the Chinese automakers, and we think it works.
Electric vehicles have never been an option for many people because they are expensive. A decent EV would cost R800k upwards, and in many instances, you can’t even get to TEPENE (Durban, to people who live south of the Limpopo River) without needing to charge for at least an hour — if you can find a charger!
So, they have never really been an option, even for us petrolheads.
(So, what do you call us now? Car lovers? Eskomheads? Coalheads? Megawatts? Batterylove? 😂)
Until now!
We spoke about three sub-R400,000 fully electric vehicles, and we liked the Chery Q. Now, there’s another one!
Let’s give you more info.
It’s FOXY! Ha ha ha!
A new battery-powered five-door, the love child of a hatchback and a crossover — because what isn’t an SUV these days? — has officially arrived in South Africa.
It’s known as the Arcfox, a sub-brand of BAIC.
Relax, relax! It’s new to us, but it has been manufactured in China since 2017. Arcfox is the fully electric sub-brand of the Beijing-based BAIC Group.
Welcome to Mzansi, Arcfox T1!
The lineup comprises two derivatives at launch, with the Arcfox T1 Pro coming in at R359,900 and the T1 Max at R399,900, making it the fifth-cheapest EV.
The 411
Firstly, the T1 is larger than the likes of the Geely E2, BYD Dolphin Surf, Dongfeng Box and Chery Q.
It has a front-mounted electric motor delivering peak outputs of 70 kW and 176 Nm, allowing the car to travel a claimed 310 km on a single charge.
As we always say, knock off about 30% if you want to estimate real-world range.
The interior
Well, I don’t mean to be that guy, but it’s one screen in front of you, a bigger one in the middle, no buttons and some phone charger somewhere in the middle.
Sounds about right, right? 😂
Extra features include a powered tailgate, as well as front-seat heating and ventilation.
The top-of-the-range model will also come with a full suite of advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) features.
What we think
We love the fact that we’re getting more affordable EV options. The fact that you can now consider an electric car without spending R800k or more is a good thing.
We like the look of the T1, but can we please design some different dashboards?
And there are 26 letters in the alphabet and a gazillion numbers. Could we come up with another name? How about an L487? Or an F-0? LOL! Or F10, or W3, or something!
Okay, let me wrap up.
It’s a good-looking car, we’re grateful to have it, and we want more of these affordable EVs.
But, great people of China, please look at the iCAUR and start designing cars that look different, both inside and out.
We like the Arcfox, though. Welcome to Mzansi!
One top tip: avoid Delft! 😂
