Such a happy looking car. China’s Kandi plans to enter US market, unveils two new electric cars in Texas | Electrek
Problem with these tiny cars in the US is they have the same safety requirements as full size cars but no crumple zones to absorb impacts... The reason those "smart" cars of similar size back in the day only got 32mpg is they have to build them like a safe, with huge amounts of reinforcement so they're super heavy and able to withstand a serious collision. Had a couple friends that had their "smart" car totaled in an accident and the collision was way worse than if they had been in a lighter car with crumple zones to better absorb the force. So if China succeeds in getting these cars sold in the US (impossible for many political & economic reasons) they will be as heavy as a full size car, which doesn't seem like a top selling EV in terms of performance to me...
Smart cars always had the reinforced cabin cage. The reason they had low MPG ratings in because short cars have crappy aerodynamics, and we only got the largest gas engine available to the model and no manual option. The diesel ones the Canadians got could be fuel efficiency beasts. Sounds like Kandi has already brought the models up to US DOT specs, and has a distributer for Texas. I don't seen the smart clone doing well, but the SUV could be a contender if the estimated 188 mile range survives certification.
FYI. The article actually is talking about 2 cars. K22 and EX3. Uh... who is doing the marketing here in US? Texas, really? If I was marketing this thing, Texas might be the LAST place to start their venture. I am going to say Texas will be a flop for the K22 already. No one will ever buy a toy car there, nor a care with 83 miles range, I assume that will be less when it gets here officially. The EX3 might have a chance with 188 miles range. I will say they will not get anywhere close to 188 miles on 41kWh battery pack. My guess is 150 miles like the Nissan Leaf with similar pricing. For that money, I will buy a Leaf (in Texas) first with warts and all. On top of that. The range might still be an issue in Mid-West areas with inter-city driving. Seems like 200+ miles is the magic number... and they missed it. CA would have been my first choice as LA and SF area would have been HOT EV markets, with customers with money to burn. And the K22 might work as a city car exactly like the Fiat EV with less 2 seats.
Note that they didn't just partner with some ATV distributor, but bought them. So they could conceivably open up a store where ever they want. California has a lot of EV competition, and the traditional car makers are willing and able to give away their compliance cars to meet ZEV requirements. Then these cars don't have the Tesla sexy to help sell them. Plus, the first Chinese BEV to the US, the Coda EV, started there and failed. Texas has some nice incentives, that exclude Tesla, and it is close to Colorado, which has the most generous state incentives in the country. The gas iQ and smart are gone, and the smart ED is a low volume seller; the Spark EV out sold it when around, and was just sold in 3 states. The K22 will only have a chance if it is cheap. EX3 will be an electric SUV, that is a plus in its favor. there is only the Outlander PHEV and Model X right now, with the Kona and Escape PHEV coming next year.
Kandi sold cars and other vehicles here once before (remember the Kandi Coco?) Cars do not need to be crashed if they can 1. Fit into LSV / Nev Law 2. Get a US reinvestment/ development exception for low volume sales (the Think EV never had to be tested)
The Kandi Coco was $1000 after rebates and tax credits, just to give a baseline of the Companies last effort
CA has a lot of competition, but they have buyers willing to buy an EV. How many percentage of Texans will give up their Pickup/SUV to get into a micro car/SUV. The SUV is smaller in length than a Bolt. Can that even be possible? And it again comes back to range. Inter-city traffic will be a big complaint for these cars. Even in Priuschat, I think I remembered a few said they love their Prime just because of inter-city driving limits are their biggest issue. Coda. Oh my gosh!!!! That thing looked like a Soviet made car from the 80s. Who would want that mess? And not very efficient too. My Rav4EV looked like a million bucks next to it. 100 out of 100 times I would buy a Nissan Leaf before even "thinking" about the Coda. I doubt this car company with their offerings will be successful here. I think Chinese players like Niro and Byton could be successful here, with US tastes in mind. But why risk it when they can sell every cars in China.
That looks even more like a smart fortwo clone. So did the Mirai. Not the crash testing requirement, but for failing to comply with high voltage equipment isolation regulations. Before they can sell in California, they need someone to willing to sell the product. With established makes offering plug ins, what dealer, even if they forgot about the Coda, would want to carry a Kandi? Going alone will have a high cost in California. Texas has a lower cost to entry, and might become the next EV market. Why Texas could be the next hot market for EVs -- wind, competition and progressive utility programs | SEPA Less competition is a plus. Tesla is barred from direct sales there. Is Texas part of the South where Primes aren't welcome? And don't forget Austin. Then Kandi is hoping to expand outside of one state. Like Tesla, they aren't in the game because they have to have a plug in to appease CARB. For those that qualify for the full federal tax credit, the K22 price may be under $12,500. The smart EQ(wonder why they changed the name) is nearly $4000 more than Kandi's price target. It's EPA range is only 58 miles. Kandi Electric Car Coming To America | CleanTechnica
I don't know if you really want to. The water in the fountain isn't a chemical blue or blue-green color.
