Chinese Carmaker Great Wall Motor's New Energy Vehicle Brand ORA Launches New Flagship EV Model R1

Priced at 59,800-77,800 RMB, the model signals a new era for China's new energy vehicle (NEV) market

BEIJING, Dec. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor launches the second flagship EV model under its new NEV brand, ORA, at the RNG e-sports arena in Beijing on December 26, 2018. The subsidized price of the new model, ORA R1, ranges from 59,800 RMB to 77,800 RMB (USD 8,680 to USD 11,293, per the CNY/USD rate as of Dec. 25, 2018). As a newcomer to the new energy vehicle market, the R1, based on China's first proprietary electric vehicle (EV) platform, ME, revolutionizes China's fuel-to-electricity, low-speed EV market and pioneers the innovations in the EV sector, signaling a new era for the country's new energy vehicle market.

ORA R1 boasts several advantages over its peers in terms of exterior design, space, intelligence and safety and is referred to as the "world's fifth boutique vehicle" by many industry insiders for its superb look, spaciousness, intelligent functions, enhanced safety and level of attention to quality. The new model is expected to lead the market with its proprietary EV platform and features.

The vehicle has five color options: titanium white, cadet blue, sky blue, combination titanium white and glitter black, and combination cadet blue and titanium white. The model is backed by a three-year or 120,000 km guarantee for the whole vehicle, and an eight-year or 150,000 km guarantee for core components.

Ning Shuyong, general manager of ORA and vice president of Great Wall Motor, said: "As a new market entrant, ORA R1 delivers an unprecedented experience to drivers. ORA replaces the traditional sales, service, spare parts and surveys (4S) dealership-centered model that is common in China with a network consisting of ORA Home, experience centers and smart outlets in the central business districts of Chinese cities. In addition, the big data cloud that is created as the result of the information collected from the ORA app, the ORA shopping site and the Tmall e-shop opens the way to the development of multiple scenarios for offline sales and services as well as new transportation services for both drivers and passengers."

ORA opens the way to customized products, reinvigorates sales channels and creates new retail models, in a bid to build a new automotive ecosystem.