SAIC, the largest automaker in China, has officially mass-produced the first MG CyberE (codename EH32) at its Ningde plant. The MG CyberE is an electric hatchback. It has been made with a collaboration between the British team and the Chinese team at SAIC to cater to the design requirements and user habits of global consumers. Ever since the project was started, the European market was set as the primary target.
Patent images of the vehicle dubbed the MG Cyber electric hatchback had surfaced on the internet earlier in February.
The MG EH32 was designed by combining the next-generation EV architecture, intelligent driving, cockpit, and creature comforts. A lot of credit goes to the governments of Fujian province and Ningde City which have shown strong support and helped resume the work and production at the SAIC Ningde facility.
MG’s product planning slides that were shown at an internal presentation revealed that Cyber will be used in the names of the new EV series. Chinese companies have demonstrated a pattern of admiration towards naming products in series. This will also be seen in MG’s four upcoming electric vehicle names. The long-expected MG Cyberster sports car, the MG CyberE hatchback (code name EH32), the MG CyberS SUV (code name IP42), and the MG CyberX SUV (code name AS34).
According to MG, the CyberE will be released on the latest EV platform which supports level 3 autonomous driving, a smart cockpit, and 5G connectivity.
As the EV has successfully been mass-produced and rolled off, its launch is expected somewhere in 2022. The SAIC facility at Ningde, a coastal city just between Shanghai and Shenzhen, is not an ordinary base and is the largest vehicle factory in Asia. It has received the title of “China Benchmark Smart Factory in 2020”.
Speculations suggest that the powertrain used in the new MG EV will be similar to the one used in the MG Marvel R. It comes in either a 288 hp twin motor configuration or a 284 tri-motor setup and is already on sale in European markets.
Big data intelligence, intelligent equipment, and a smart supply chain are the three main hallmarks of intelligent automotive manufacturing at the SAIC Ningde facility. The average production capacity is capable of reaching 300,000 units a year which translates to an average of one new car being rolled off the production line each minute.
Apart from the upcoming MG EH32, the Ningde factory makes and exports vehicles such as the MG eHS plug-in hybrid to New Zealand, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and South America plus some other foreign markets. This has made it China’s largest EV export base. This will help the brand reach its goal of sending 120,000 units to Europe in 2022.
The biggest opponent in the market for the MG CyberE hatchback is the Volkswagen ID.3. It has garnered the reputation of an all-electric family hatchback. Competition will be in the looks department, competitive pricing, and technology.
Source: Autohome
NICE looking EV as a Hatchback. Likely to sell well in Europe. Hope production in their new factory can keep up with DEMAND. PLUS are they learning what TESLA is doing to Ramp up Production ? Especially Batteries.
The EV sure does brilliantly in the looks department as it shares minimum design similarities with non-Chinese car makers. Comparing MG to Tesla would not be fair, in my opinion, due to the parity between the brands and how they are run. MG should take notes from other worthy contenders like Leapmotor.
China designs, builds and exports while European legacy automakers sit on their hands promising sometime in the future we will make a car you can’t afford.
Chinese automakers, without a doubt, have an edge in the industrial side of things. However, it will take some time for them to make a place in international markets and the public, something the European legacy automakers have an advantage in.
Looks great – I’m hoping the Australian market gets an option with a battery size larger than 45kwh. We have the Dolphin coming here too, but with our long distances between towns I need something with a bigger battery pack. China is leading the way on EVs – can’t wait to see what the future holds.
A bigger battery can be one solution for range anxiety as it will be more likely to take you to the next charger. However, I feel that an extensive supercharging network across the Australia is the real solution. EV’s cannot be widely popular if there isn’t proper charging infrastructure, comparable to the availability of gas stations. No ICE carmaker ever gives the option for a bigger gas tank.