China's most popular EV to date, it has sold more than 1.2 million units, often to consumers with lower incomes in provincial cities and smaller towns. Photo: Jade GAO / AFPSource: AFPCao's ruby-red car is adorned with a large white decal in the shape of Mickey Mouse alongside smaller stickers of other cartoon characters. Tu Le, founder of consultancy Sino Auto Insights, said the affordability meant "many people in smaller cities tend to treat them less as a vehicle and more as a style accessory". Photo: Jade GAO / AFPSource: AFPBut lower-end cars like the Hongguang Mini are "extremely important for the China market", said Tu of Sino Auto Insights. A lack of charging infrastructure in many smaller cities and long-running struggles by some automakers to make the cars profitable also cloud the sector's future.

Source: Daily Nation February 23, 2024 08:45 UTC