- Geely recently launched an affordable electric vehicle brand globally.
- The Geometry A is the new brand’s first offering.
Many of us have, at some point over the last few years, dreamed of owning a Tesla. After all, who doesn’t want a vehicle that completely bypasses the combustion element of a traditional automobile engine, whilst maintaining a high degree of driveability?
Depending on where you’re located as well as the high prices touted for Teslas, you may not have access to fully electric vehicles. Or maybe the ones that are available are pretty early-generation stuff (Read: Nissan Leaf).
But things are about to change, with Chinese automotive giants, Geely, launching Geometry—a sub-brand that will focus on manufacturing fully electric vehicles—at the global launch held in Singapore.
Geometry A
According to An Conghui, President and CEO of the Geely Auto Group, the launch of the Geometry brand and the Geometry A is the next natural step as part of the Blue Geely Initiative (announced back in November 2015).
As for the Geometry A, the compact sedan-sized car is a fully electric vehicle that is aimed at an audience that is “young, educated, and tech-savvy”. It also comes with a price tag that falls significantly below the Tesla Model 3 (Tesla’s cheapest option) that starts at a base price of USD35,000.
This is where things get a little confusing, as electric-energy vehicles are given different subsidies and exemptions in different regions. In China, the Geometry A starts at RMB150,000, which translates to roughly USD22,000 after subsidies (that’s around MYR90,000!).
The Geometry A comes in 2 variants; a standard range version that can travel approximately 410km on a single charge, while the long range version can do around 500km (For reference, the Tesla Model S can do around 500km on a single charge).
But how long does it take to charge the car to its full capacity? As described by Conghui, the car can be charged from 30% to 80% in just 30 minutes, which puts it within the range of certain large smartphones today.
Pretty impressive.
Here are some interesting things to know about the Geometry A:
- The battery in the car is extremely rugged, as it has undergone rigorous testing. This includes submerging the vehicle/battery in deep water for an hour and ensuring that there is minimal risk of explosion or electricity leakage from the battery.
- The car comes with advanced safety systems, including a MOD (moving object detection) front and rear moving object system, pre-tensioning seatbelt for the driver’s side (a first for a pure Chinese electric model), and more.
- The material used for the seats is created using nanotechnology, with the resulting fabric hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly.
Due to Geely’s partnership with Malaysian carmaker Proton, quite a few Malaysians have a certain question in mind. After all, Proton’s first SUV was based off Geely’s best-selling Boyue.
Are we going to see a “Proton A”?
In short, no. Not anytime soon, at least. Victor Yang, Vice President of Public Relations, explained to us that the despite plans to implement hybrid technology in rebadged Proton cars in the future, there are no current plans for Geometry to make its way over to Malaysia.
This, according to Yang, is due to the lack of a clear consensus from the Malaysian government when it comes to allowances and exemptions for EEVs (Energy Efficient Vehicles). He explained that in order for commercial electric vehicles to make headway in a region, governmental help is needed during the early stages.
Despite that, the thought of hybrid Protons (rebadged Geely cars), is still a thought to whet the appetite of many Malaysians. One day, perhaps.
- Click here for Geely’s website.
Feature Image Credit: Geely