The Hiroko MINI EV in the eyes of the Japanese

With simplified performance but no compromising comfort, and with a wider market around the world, the Japanese believe that the SAIC-GM-Wuling model, which launched the Hongguang MINI EV, is "a market that Japanese automakers cannot set foot in."

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Professor Masayoshi Yamamoto of Nagoya University in Japan and others found that simplifying brakes and replacing special in-vehicle semiconductors with general semiconductors are key elements of their low cost after dismantling the Hongguang MINI EV.

The dismantled model is a top-end version with a sales price of 38,800 yuan, and Japanese experts estimate that its cost is about 26,900 yuan.

According to the report, it is currently impossible to commercially import and sell Hongguang MINI EVs in Japan. The reason is that it is difficult to achieve profitability due to the need to modify in Japan, obtain safety certification, etc. In April this year, the Retail Price of The European Latvian automaker Dartz rose to 1.3 million yen (about 72,100 yuan) after adding local-oriented performance to the import of the Hongguang MINI EV.

On the electrification module that is the most concerned about electric vehicles, Hongguang MINI EV adopts the design idea of "easy to damage, but easy to repair" to effectively control manufacturing costs. Electronic components such as inverters and chargers use home appliance semiconductors rather than high-durability automotive chips, and inverters alone can "reduce the cost of about 60,000 yen (about 3,328 yuan) to about 16,000 yen (about 887 yuan)". In addition, there are air cooling systems for motors, generic products for bearings, and the elimination of brake energy recovery devices.

After discovering that the Hongguang MINI EV did not use Japanese-made parts in the core components, the Japanese side also expressed its approval of the popularity of the Hongguang MINI EV. According to the report, "As an urban means of transportation with low environmental load, it has attracted attention around the world." ”