China’s auto industry – especially in the part focused on developing electric vehicles – is developing faster than ever. Many start-ups are now selling battery-powered products in local markets and heritage state automakers are fast catching up with new models. One of the latest to join the party is Changan, China’s state-owned automaker headquartered in Jiangbei.
Changan has two new brands focused on electric mobility. One of them is called Shenlan and this marque has a new product that will try to compete with the Tesla Model 3 in the People’s Republic. There is a new video from our friends on Wheeled boy detailing what the Shenlan SL03 is called and below it you’ll also find an exclusive photo gallery of the electric vehicle.
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Co-developed with Huawei and CATL, the SL03 is very similar to a traditional liftback. While the overall shape may remind us of the Tesla Model 3, the car is actually longer and has an edgier shape that makes it look sharper on the outside. As well as being a pure electric vehicle, it’s also being sold as a range-extender EV with a 1.5-liter engine. Today however, we will focus on the battery powered variant.
Dry figures show power comes from a rear-mounted 255 horsepower (190 kilowatt) electric motor, which has a peak torque of 236 pound-feet (320 Newton-meters). The battery has a capacity of 58.1 kilowatt-hours, which should be enough to go around 320 miles (515 kilometers) on a single charge according to China’s WLTC cycle. The sprint from rest to 62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) takes 5.9 seconds.
The comparison with the Tesla Model 3 is no exaggeration. The SL03 is similar in performance capabilities, the two vehicles share the same basic design, and there’s even more in common in the cabins. The EV from China has the same minimalist interior layout even taken to a new level with no decorations available in colors other than black. One particularly interesting feature is the tiltable center display for the infotainment screen, which – according to the host – is a more useful feature than expected.
