Will the EEZI Vc be launched in time to fight off the smart #1 EV?
The passenger electric vehicle scene is mostly populated by brands looking to upsell customers with alternatives to premium SUVs and sedans. The Model S presents an electric alternative to the 5 Series. The Lucid Air takes on the S-Class. The logic is that batteries and new platforms will drive costs up anyway, so taking on the premium segment first would be the best idea. The technology can later trickle down into the mass market. There are other reasons for going this route, like packaging restraints.
But a few companies are trying out different things. One such company is the Shenzhen-based EEZI Technology company. It’s hard to get any official information about this company, but late last year, they promoted a compact electric vehicle prototype that looked like it could take on the Geely-Daimler smart #1 electric car, which is coming to Malaysia later this year.
The EEZI Vc may not have the right branding to compete, but it will be put together by BAIC – a huge Chinese auto conglomerate with loads of experience making both ICE and electric-powered cars for various companies including its own in-house brands.
The Vc will be built on the EEZI Step 1.0 electric platform. It takes the form of a 5-door hatchback and is 3,906mm in length with a 2,520mm wheelbase. Height is 1,740mm and width is 1,550mm. There’s no word on a frunk, but the volume up front doesn’t look very promising either way.
Performance figures were largely not disclosed when the Vc was first shown. However, one metric that was shared was range… and it was dismal at just 200km on a full charge. This is somehow worse than what’s offered on the Mini Electric. That being said, the EEZI Vc has got fast charging on its side, which is quite rare for an electric vehicle of this size. Fast charging on such a small battery should return all the energy you need in under 10 minutes!
Maybe if the pricing is right, the EEZI VC can make some headway into the growing and untaxed electric vehicle market. It certainly has very inoffensive looks going for it.
