Changan launches Tesla-inspired electric car at just AED96,000

Beijing: Chinese automaker Changan Automobile has unveiled a new electric vehicle that resembles the Tesla Model 3.

With a starting price of $26,000 (AED96,000), the newly launched Shenlan SL03 is a small electric sedan, reports auto-tech website Electrek.

The front end of the vehicle, where the bonnet meets the fascia, and its dimensions look very similar to the Tesla Model 3, which is priced at nearly $40,000 (AED146,924).

In terms of specs, the base version comes with a range of 515 km based on the Chinese standard. A bigger battery pack is also available with a longer 705 km range.

The company took over 15,000 reservations for the new electric car only hours after launching it. Changan Tesla-inspired car

The report mentioned that it plans to deliver the first units to customers by the end of the year and ramp up production to eventually 15,000 units per month. Changan Tesla-inspired car

Meanwhile, the Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling electric car in Europe in 2021.

About Changan

Chang’an Automobile Co., Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Jiangbei, Chongqing. Founded in 1862, it is China’s oldest automobile maker. It is currently the smallest of the “Big Four” state-owned car manufacturers of China, namely: SAIC Motor, FAW Group, Dongfeng Motor Corporation, and Changan Automobile, with car sales of 5.37 million, 3.50 million, 3.28 million and 2.30 million in 2021 respectively.

The company produces and sells vehicles under its own brandings, such as Changan, Oshan, and Kaicene, as well as under foreign-branded joint ventures such as Changan-Ford and Changan-Mazda. In 2021, domestic branded cars took over 76% of sales (1.75m, 1.2m passenger vehicles).

Source: Agencies