New contender for cheapest EV title

Monday, 13 June 2022

The Ora Good Cat is almost certainly arriving in New Zealand, possibly before the end of the year.

The local boss of Great Wall Motors has confirmed that the Ora and Tank sub-brands are indeed coming to New Zealand.

Speaking to AutoTalk, Todd Groves said that both brands are expected to launch here by the start of 2023 at the latest.

Here are our five favourites from the 2021 Shanghai motor show.

Exactly which models we’re getting is still a mystery, with Groves citing “challenges with shortages on raw materials for batteries combined with suppliers struggling to meet demand and the exponentially increasing costs of batteries from the manufacturers.”

The Good Cat electric hatch is all but confirmed, however, with Cockram Ora suddenly springing up recently as a new dealership in Christchurch, part of the Cockram Motor Group.

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A minimal interior to go with the minimal exterior of the Good Cat.

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Two battery options are available overseas, a 48kWh lithium-ion phosphate pack, and a larger 63kWh ternary lithium unit. Range is rated at 336km for the 48kWh battery or 420km for the 63kWh pack.

Figuring out the motor set-up is a bit more tricky, as the Chinese and Thai models get a 105kW/210 electric motor, while the European and top-rung Chinese models get a stronger 126kW/250Nm.

Cockram Ora’s new website shows off the Good Cat in standard and GT trims, which gets non-functional corner intakes, a rear spoiler, two-tone interior, contrast exterior, and nicer wheels. No local details were given. Those interested can register their interest for more updates, however.

“We have a very good dealer network who are super enthusiastic with the future products coming so I think they are trying to generate some pre-orders ahead of anything official,” Groves said regarding the new dealer. He didn’t confirm any other dealerships, but that information shouldn’t be far away.

Meanwhile, the Tank brand will likely mimic the Australian line-up, which includes the Tank 300 and 500 models.

The 300 is a small SUV that rides on the appropriately named ‘Tank’ platform by Great Wall. It’s powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine making 167kW, with an eight-speed ZF-sourced gearbox sending power to all four wheels. We won’t comment on the, er, ‘inspired, looks…

Moving up to the 500 gets you either a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 making 260kW/500Nm or a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol hybrid offering 180kW/380Nm.

Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but there is a chance the Good Cat could ruin the BYM Atto 3’s party by being the cheapest EV in New Zealand…