Due to professional reasons, I spent a lot of my youth on wheels, and I am afraid that there are more than a hundred new cars that pass every year. To tell you the truth, as the test experience is gradually enriched, it is inevitable that there will be some boredom and tedium in my heart. Even with a mid-range sports car in front of me, it's hard to bring up 100% interest. Unexpectedly, at the turn of winter and spring, a pure electric mini-car caught my attention. Cloaked in an ordinary coat, it sells for less than 50,000 yuan, but it is more curious than a seven-figure luxury car. Taking the key and resetting my mood, I began a week-long shuttle with "Zhuo Wenjun" through the imperial capital.
Don't misunderstand, "Zhuo Wenjun" is not Zhuo Wenjun, and I am not Sima Xiangru. Please forgive my imagination, "Zhuo Wenjun" buddha-figure is Lingbao BOX from Jimai New Energy. The manufacturer gave Lingbao BOX a special set of names, and the configuration versions were named Li Qingzhao, Cai Wenji, Zhuo Wenjun and Wang Zhaojun. The test model is the 2022 Lingbao BOX Zhuo Wenjun edition, the official guidance price is 49,800 yuan, and the battery life and configuration are in the upper position of the whole series.
Before getting into the main topic, we may wish to talk about the history of Lingbao Automobile. In 2018, the sales volume of new energy passenger cars exceeded 1 million units for the first time, making a name for itself in the market. That year, in Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, a car company called Jimai New Energy was officially born. For consumers, Jimai New Energy is an unfamiliar name, but it does not lack strength at all. In the era when "Wei Xiaoli" was still worried about qualifications, Jimai New Energy threw 800 million yuan and won the vehicle manufacturing license.
K-car Chinese cousin
Behind Jimai New Energy is a company with more than ten years of experience in electric vehicle manufacturing - Jinpeng Automobile Industry. From 2008 to 2020, Jinpeng has sold more than 10 million electric vehicles. You read that right, the average annual sales exceeded one million. They look like this:
Interestingly, the person that Lingbao BOX wants to please happens to be the "mengxin" who buys a car for the first time. With a budget of 50,000 yuan, you can buy a bag for him or buy an electric car that can legally go on the road. Compared with star models such as Hongguang MINIEV and QQ Ice Cream, Lingbao BOX appears to be unknown, but this does not prevent it from becoming a special existence of the same level. On the concept of the whole car, Lingbao BOX can be described as a replica of the Japanese K-car - the body is narrow and high, five doors, and four seats.
The online Lingbao BOX used The body mold of Daihatsu Cast, but the official has never confirmed it. It is certain that the head of Jimai New Energy once went to Japan to investigate K-car, and decided to use K-car as a node to complete the transformation from low-speed electric vehicles to electric vehicles. In a country with a complex traffic environment, the pocket-sized figure of Lingbao BOX is of great benefit to flexibility. Driving on narrow roads, you will most likely clap your hands at the K-car concept.
It is undeniable that Lingbao BOX borrowed from Dafabet Cast to a large extent, and the design originality was not good. Putting aside the pedigree and focusing on the substance, I think that putting into production of electric K-car in China is a useful attempt. As for the originality, leave it to time to solve it.
Small stature, big world
Inside the car, the familiar K-car style comes to mind. That's right, Lingbao BOX once again chose to copy and paste. Putting Lingbao BOX and Dafat Cast together, the interior design can not be said to be somewhat similar, but can only be said to be completely consistent. Looking for a difference? It's good to pay attention to the platform. In several iterations, the Lingbao BOX redesigned the gear shift mechanism, and the mechanical gear lever originally located at the bottom of the center console was replaced by an electronic shift knob at the central platform. The central aisle separates the main and co-drivers, and the one-piece front seats are a thing of the past, which is a bit regrettable.
Before the test, we didn't have any thoughts about the performance of the Limbo BOX space, but the reality was shocking. Thanks to the exquisite arrangement of the whole vehicle, Lingbao BOX has maximized the space, and the expected sense of cramping has not appeared. The engineers made the roof and sitting position too high, and exchanged the vertical space for the vertical space, which improved the overall spatial performance. In the author's opinion, K-car is somewhat similar to LOFT architecture - there is not enough flat space, and a high roof is put together.
Lingbao BOX not only inherits the advantages of K-car's riding space, but also has a wealth of storage space. There are four storage compartments near the center console, and the front/rear door panel storage slots are complete, and the overall performance is satisfactory. Above the prototype Daihatsu Cast, next to the air conditioning panel is a mechanical barrier. On top of the Lingbao BOX, it was transformed into a vertical storage compartment, which is quite suitable for the wallet.
By the standards of a mini car, the ride space of the Lingbao BOX is very good, and it can even be said that it is unreasonable to be spacious. In terms of vertical and vertical space alone, the car's performance can even be cross-level challenged. What's even more rare is that the storage space is far richer than imagined, and mobile phones, wallets, and water glasses can all find a place to stay.
Walk the streets and alleys of artifacts
On japan proper, K-car is subject to strict regulations, and the engine displacement must not exceed 660cc. In China, pure electric is the better urban transportation solution. The Limbo BOX features a front-mounted single motor layout, offering two power calibrations and four endurance versions. The 140km and 180km models are equipped with lithium iron phosphate batteries and only support slow charging; the 320km and 351km models are equipped with ternary lithium batteries, which provide two charging methods: slow charging and fast charging.
The Zhuo Wenjun version of the test is a new model in 2022, equipped with a 31.5kWh battery pack and a CLTC cruising range of 320km. The ternary lithium battery cell adopts soft package design, and the supplier is Fu Neng Technology. In addition, Jimai New Energy set up a subsidiary, Kimpac New Energy, which is responsible for manufacturing battery pack assemblies. The permanent magnet synchronous motor is supplied by honeycomb drive with a maximum power of 35 kW (48 hp) and a maximum torque of 125 Nm.
When it comes to electric vehicles, there are always people who pick and choose how to drive. Let go of stereotypes and look rationally, and the situation doesn't seem to be as bad as you think. At the minicar class, electrification may be a better way out. Don't look at the Lingbao BOX only 48 horsepower, but the city driving does not appear "meat" at all. The electric motor provides a brisk power response, the initial torque is enough, and the low- and medium-speed power performance is not bad. As long as you are willing, Lingbao BOX can fully take the lead in front of the traffic lights and leave Xuanyi and Langyi behind.
The top speed of the Lingbao BOX Zhuo Wenjun Edition is 101km/h, just above the speed limit of Beijing's Fifth Ring Road. For urban cars, there are not many opportunities for speed to break through 100km/h, and is the extreme speed of 101km/h not enough? The problem is that the mid-to-late acceleration is slow. After the speed exceeds 80km/h, the acceleration is all dependent on "yo", and the driver has a feeling that the swing cannot be swung.
It should be noted that the power performance of electric vehicles is affected by the remaining power. The lower the battery, the more attenuated the power becomes, sometimes accompanied by power limitations (deliberate tuning). If the power reserve is sufficient, the power attenuation is not enough, and it is difficult to perceive daily driving. On the contrary, entry-level electric vehicles are significantly affected by this, and they can only stomp their feet and be anxious when the battery is low. Specifically, Lingbao BOX has three key nodes:
When the power is less than 40%, the power output is limited to a certain extent, and the acceleration force is significantly weakened, but normal urban driving can be maintained;
When the power is less than 20%, the power output is significantly limited, and the maximum speed is reduced to about 60km/h, which is not suitable for driving on the ring road;
When the power is less than 10%, the power output is severely limited, and acceleration within 30km/h is very difficult, which is easy to attract the "kind greeting" of the driver of the rear car.
Lingbao BOX adopts front McPherson type independent suspension and rear torque beam type non-independent suspension, which is the more mainstream chassis hardware of the same level. Frankly speaking, the chassis cost of the mini car is strictly limited, and the driving quality should not be expected too much. For a medium-sized car, "flexible handling" means that the steering response is fast and the chassis is dynamic and stable. For mini cars, the focus of handling is whether it is convenient to move the car at low speed and whether it is easy to drive in the city.
At low speeds, road noise is the main source of noise. From 20km/h, the rumble of the tire rolling pierced the body and passed to the inside of the car. Entering the middle and high-speed range, road noise will bring about a sense of auditory oppression, and subjective feeling is like an elevation increase causing a change in ear pressure. The tall body not only brings a larger crash area, but also increases wind noise. Of course, the noise is obviously not exclusive to Lingbao BOX, and most of the competitors of the same level are like this.
The steering feels light and takes care of the habits of potential users. The force changes with the angle and is flat, making it difficult for the driver to judge the steering wheel position by hand force input. Coupled with the sluggish steering response, the sense of steering connection is indeed relatively weak, and the driver will feel weak in the heart. However, when you drive the Lingbao BOX through the market, all the dissatisfaction will disappear. In certain scenarios, compact bodywork, light steering, and good visibility are undoubtedly a plus.
The roll amplitude is large and the roll rate is very fast. When cornering quickly, the body quickly collapses outward. The question is, who would do these things in a mini-car? Slow down the pace, slowly turn, Lingbao BOX will be a competent means of transportation.
Comprehensive endurance of 196km
◆ Endurance test
As an entry-level electric vehicle, the core task of Lingbao BOX is to shield the wind and rain and play the role of a good means of transportation. Because of this, the mileage is particularly important, determining the travel radius of the owner. In the low temperature environment in winter, we conducted an urban low-speed energy consumption test and an intercity high-speed energy consumption test on The Lingbao BOX. After weighted average, the measured average energy consumption of Lingbao BOX is 16.1kWh/100km. According to the calculation of the battery capacity of 31.5kWh, the full power comprehensive cruising range is 196km.
The temperature was low on the day of the test, and we needed to turn on PTC heating for a long time to maintain a comfortable temperature in the car. Under the dual factors of low temperature and PTC, the measured energy consumption of Lingbao BOX is slightly higher than expected. Overall, the city's low-speed energy consumption is moderate, and the measured score is 14.7kWh/100km. The high-speed energy consumption test requires a long period of time to maintain a speed of more than 90km/h, resulting in energy consumption rising to 19.3kWh/100km.
◆ Charging test
For electric vehicles, the importance of energy replenishment efficiency is sometimes even higher than energy consumption and endurance. Lingbao BOX Zhuo Wenjun Edition supports fast charging and slow charging two charging methods, and provides 220V home charging gun. In the test, the car completed 30%-80% charging in 50 minutes, with an average charging power of 17.9kW. After the SOC exceeds 80%, the charging speed decreases significantly, and the average charging power of 80%-100% is only 6.7kW. If you are very concerned about the efficiency of replenishment, it is recommended to use more 30%-80% of the section to avoid trickle charging.
◆ Accelerate testing
In the face of accelerated testing, Lingbao BOX showed some difficulty. After multiple sets of tests, the acceleration time of Lingbao BOX from 0-100km/h was stable in the 24-second range, and the best result was 24.20 seconds. Specifically, the acceleration time of 0-60km/h is 8.08 seconds, which is still within the acceptable range. After the speed exceeded 60km/h, the acceleration dropped to about 0.1g, and the speedometer hands climbed hard. The data fully proves that pure electric mini cars are more suitable for survival in the city.
◆ Brake test
There is no doubt that braking is more important than running fast. After testing, the shortest braking distance of Lingbao BOX is 43.37m at 100-0km/h. Considering that the car is only equipped with economy tires with a width of 165mm, this achievement is expected. In daily driving, the brake foot feels soft, and the braking force corresponding to the first half of the stroke is weak, which has a slight impact on driving confidence.
◆ Winding pile test
Coming to the test field, the performance of Lingbao BOX around the pile was actually somewhat joyful. In my opinion, a large roll amplitude is not a problem, but the non-linearity of the roll established significantly affects confidence and slows down the steering response. After giving the steering input, the chassis is first stuck in the original position, and when the tires are deflected, the body suddenly collapses to the outside, and finally the front of the car slowly points to the bend.
The chassis tended to be understeered, and the 165/65 R14 tires had weak grip and low handling limits. From another perspective, this is not a balance. When driving fiercely, Lingbao BOX will use the "push head" to protest, prompting you to restrain driving behavior. If the tire grip is too strong and the rear is too active, it will cause the risk of overturning. With the current tuning, the absence of an electronic stability system (ESP) has a limited impact on handling stability.
◆ Full text summary
Editor's comments: Germany has golf, Japan has corolla, and the United Kingdom has MINI. Different car cultures around the world have created a rich variety of classic models. In recent years, Chinese brands have played the trump card of pure electric mini cars, interpreting the characteristics of national conditions to the extreme. No blowing, no black, Lingbao BOX gave me an unprecedented experience. Without personal experience, it is difficult for me to imagine that a mini car can have such a spacious space, and it is difficult to understand people's simple cognition of "easy handling". In today's increasingly inward volume of competitors, Lingbao BOX has made people shine with the K-car concept and successfully won the opportunity to excel.