The GWM Ora 03 has finally landed in South Africa, adding a much-needed new addition to the country’s small but growing electric-vehicle (EV) population.
The Ora is in fact South Africa’s cheapest electric car with a starting tag of R686,950, though you can increase this all the way to R835,950 if you want the best possible version.
That is still a high barrier to entry by the standards of the average salary, but it is a step in the right direction as it wasn’t that long ago that the local sub-R1 million EV scene had a sole contender in the shape of the Mini Cooper SE.
With brands like Volvo, BYD, and GWM starting to lead the way to more affordable electric transport in South Africa, it’s reasonable to assume that other manufacturers will soon jump on board and start bringing in their own mass-market EVs to populate showrooms and our roads.
That being said, the Ora is currently pioneering the push for battery-powered cars on the tip of Africa, so let’s have a look at exactly what it has to offer.
What you get
Regardless of the version selected, the Ora comes with a front-mounted electric motor that puts out a total of 126kW and 250Nm, which allows it to run from 0 to 100km/h in 8.5 seconds.
The actual drivetrain differences come from the battery, as the base “300” model uses a 48kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery, letting it do 310km on a single charge. There is a 63kWh range-extender battery with between 400-420km, too, but you’ll need to opt for the more expensive “400” models to get this.
Charging the hatchback can be done with a 64kW DC cable, which should take about 50 minutes for a 10% to 89% top-up on the smaller power cell, and an hour on the larger one. At home with an 11kW AC charger, it takes 5.5 hours to completely recharge the Ora 300 from 0-100%.
Standard equipment on the GWM includes LED headlights and daytime running lights, electric folding mirrors, 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, leatherette seats, electronic adjustability for the front chairs, climate control, a wireless phone charger, and two 10.25-inch screens for the driver and infotainment providing Apple CarPlay support, with Android Auto compatibility “coming soon,” said the automaker.
On top of this, you also get assistance items like a 360-degree camera, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, ABS, tyre-pressure monitoring, and six airbags for safety.
Each purchase of a new Ora 03 is accompanied by a 7-year/200,000km vehicle warranty, 8-year/150,000km warranty on high-voltage parts, 7-year/105,000km service plan, and 7-year/unlimited kilometre roadside assistance.
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