Chery iCar 03: The small electric G-Class from China

While Apple has completed further development of the iCar, the first cars with this name are already roaming the streets in China. This is a new brand of Chery Group. “Don’t worry, Apple fans – iCar is designed by us,” Chery is spreading on social networks. The first model is the iCar 03 – an angular off-roader that is disconcertingly similar to the legendary off-roaders G-Class, Land Cruiser and Defender.

The 4.41 meter long cube is now sold in Chinese stores. This measurement makes it an arm’s length shorter than the current five-door Defender. And the width of 1.91 meters puts the iCar 03 more in the compact segment next to the VW ID.3 – even if at 1.71 meters it is larger than conventional electric cars.

LFP instead of sodium-ion battery

When it comes to battery technology, Chery still relies on lithium iron phosphate cells from CATL, contrary to the previous promise from last year – new sodium-ion storage units were announced. The different battery sizes in the iCar 03 should still enable ranges of between 400 and 500 kilometers according to Chinese test standards.

Battery maker CATL recently confirmed Chery as the first customer for the new sodium-ion batteries. It is still unclear when and in what model Chery will introduce the technology with its sub-brand. In the future, however, only sedans and SUVs will be called iCar. And the first images of other models from the new brand are already circulating online.

Very low price, but performance too

The basic version of the Chery iCar 03 is powered by an electric motor on the rear axle. It is said to have a peak output of 135 kW, which is certainly not a performance record in this class. All-wheel drive variants with a second motor on the front axle should produce at least 205 kW. This should also include sporty driving performance.

Considering the low price, the technical performance data is good. Finally, the base price of Chery iCar 03 is only 109,800 Chinese Yuan. That is equal to only 14,000 euros. In general, Chery wants to keep the iCar models at a reasonable price, below 300,000 yuan (equivalent to 38,000 euros), focusing on younger buyers. It remains to be seen whether prices will be available in the EU.