Hongqi to bring two new electric cars to Europe

The Chinese car brand Hongqi, which belongs to the state-owned FAW Group, has unveiled two electric vehicles at the Paris Motor Show that are to be sold in Europe later this year.

The vehicles on show are the EH7 saloon with dimensions of 4.98 metres in length, 1.92 metres in width and 1.49 metres in height and a wheelbase of 3 metres. And on the other hand, the EHS7 SUV with a length of 4.93 metres, a width of 1.95 metres and a height of 1.68 metres. The wheelbase is the same at 3 metres. Orders for both models have officially started in Europe. The EH7 is offered at a price starting at 49,999 euros, while the EHS7 starts at 53,999 euros.

Hongqi wants to attack the European premium and luxury manufacturers, also or precisely because the prices are significantly lower. But whether this can really succeed is questionable. Robin Engelhardt was able to test the EH7 for us briefly at the Paris Motor Show and notes that the car is Chinese through and through: ‘Very comfortable chassis, lots of space in the back seat and zero feel in the steering. It’s certainly a comfortable motorhome, but unfortunately, our little test round didn’t show us what exactly you want to do better than Rolls-Royce or Bentley. Sure, the price is significantly lower – but in this segment that is probably one of the least important factors.’

The EH7 and EHS7 are built on the newly developed Tiangong electric platform, which was also unveiled at the trade fair. According to the company, this platform is characterised by a highly integrated electric drive system and a versatile voltage architecture, which is designed to extend the range and significantly reduce charging times. The EH7 saloon, for example, offers a range of up to 655 kilometres, while the EHS7 is designed to achieve 600 kilometres. Both vehicles should take 20 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 per cent at a fast charger.

Liu Changqing, Vice President of China FAW Group Co., announced together with Nicholas Caillault, CEO of Car East France: ‘Hongqi is not just a new travel option, but a trustworthy and reliable friend you can rely on. We are ready!’

Hongqi aims to build an extensive sales and service network across Europe, with service points in 29 countries. The first steps have already been taken on the continent: the E-HS9, the brand’s flagship SUV, was launched in Norway and the Netherlands in 2022. Sweden, Denmark and Germany were later added to the list of countries for the model. Hongqi is working with the Swedish Hedin Group for European sales. Hedin had also organised European sales for the Chinese brand BYD, but BYD has since parted company with Hedin.

Over the next five years, Hongqi plans to launch an additional 20 new models on the market in order to meet the growing demand for sustainable, high-quality electric vehicles in Europe. It will therefore be interesting to see whether Hongqi becomes a success story in Europe – Chinese car brands have had a hard time here so far.

In the meantime, Hongqi has applied for approval of the E009 electric sedan in China. Like the EH7 and EHS7, the E009 was also developed on the Tiangong electric platform. The E009 is equipped with an electric motor with a maximum output of 210 kW (282 hp) and a lithium iron phosphate battery pack from CATL. However, there is still no information on range, charging time and other powertrain parameters.

Source: Info via email, carnewschina.com (E009)