Get ready for some REALLY affordable electric vehicles from a Chinese brand called Lingbox.
This morning we got news that local automotive OEM EP Manufacturing Bhd (EPMB) has won the exclusive rights to assemble and distribute Lingbox cars in Malaysia. The deal gives EPMB’s subsidiary EP 4Wheeler Sdn Bhd a 5-year exclusive distributor agreement with Hubei Dongfeng Power Auto Trade Co Ltd and Xiamen Tsingyan Hylong Motor Technology Co Ltd.
The Lingbox, known as Lingbao Box in China, is a tiny 5-door hatchback (smaller than a Perodua Axia, but slightly taller and with the same wheelbase). Ground clearance is 121mm. It is produced by Jiangsu Jemmel New Energy Vehicle Company. The Lingbox is available with either a 41hp (30kW) or 48hp (35kW) electric motor with a 19.2 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate battery capable of returning 220km of range. Speed is limited to just 101km/h.
Information is a little hazy, but it apparently supports DC Fast Charging. But it’s not very impressive – it takes 72 minutes for the battery to go from 20% to 80% on fast charging. Home charging takes 11 hours. This could work as a 2nd in-town car for some middle income households if priced right.
In terms of equipment, it’s not completely spartan and far from gloomy. There are two digital screens – a 7″ digital instrument cluster for the driver and a 10.1″ infotainment system. There are manual controls for the air conditioner, two cupholders between the front occupants, and storage compartments. The steering is flat-bottomed for a bit of a sporty look.
The gear selector is a little plastic dial in the center and behind that is a manual handbrake. Seats are upholstered in fabric. The dashboard features light coloured plastics with a dual-tone look.
The Lingbox comes with just a driver airbag. This would make it an outlier in the Malaysian passenger car market where even the base model Perodua Axia E comes with 2 airbags even though it’s stripped down for driving school fleet sales.
What do you think about the Lingbox? Will it be the first EV in Malaysia to be priced below RM100,000? Below RM50,000 even? According to CarNewsChina, the Lingbox is available for about US$8,000, which would translate to RM35,000 before taxes. Let’s see what EPMB can do. The company has many years of experience manufacturing parts for Perodua, Proton, Toyota, Honda and more.
