Chinese electric car maker Kandi announced that it will bring its electric vehicles to the US, making them the cheapest new electric cars in the United States, starting at $ 12,999 after the federal tax credit.
Several Chinese automakers are looking to expand outside of China, and that is especially true for electric vehicle manufacturers.
Even foreign automakers, such as Volvo and BMW, now produce electric vehicles in China and export them worldwide. The Chinese-made Polestar 2 will be unveiled later this year. BMW is also considering bringing Chinese-made electric vehicles to the U.S.
But when it comes to China-based electric car manufacturers, Kandi leads the way in selling first in the United States.
Last year, Kandi announced that it received approval from the United States to sell two electric cars in the country.
Now a year later, the automaker announced that it will start selling next month and released details of the first two cars to hit the market: the Kandi K27 and K23 models.
Johnny Tai, CEO of Kandi America, commented on the announcement:
“Electric vehicles have been valued for years for their efficiency, sustainability and innovation. However, owning the ‘it’ car often eluded consumers who wanted a great EV along with all the other conveniences of modern life. Kandi is changing that by revolutionizing the EV shopping experience for many. Kandi’s mission is to make electric cars accessible to everyone. With these first two models, we are starting an Auto EVolution that will allow anyone, regardless of financial status, to afford a reliable, high-tech EV. ”
Initially, sales of the new electric vehicles will focus on the Dallas area, where Kandi purchased a company with a dealer license to facilitate the introduction of its imported vehicles.
However, they plan to expand rapidly. More should be announced on August 18 in a virtual event when presales will begin.
Kandi K27
The Kandi K27 is a small, compact vehicle with just a 17.69 kWh battery pack, limiting it to an optimistic 100-mile range.
But it starts at just $ 20,499, and after the federal tax credit, drops to $ 12,999.
In some states, the small electric car will cost around $ 10,000 after EV incentives.
Here are some photos of the Kandi K27:
Kandi K23
The K23 is an older brother to K27. It would still qualify as a compact vehicle in the US, but it’s significantly larger than the K27 and features a much larger 41.4 kWh battery pack, which should allow up to 180 miles of range.
It starts at $ 29,999, but with EV incentives, the price should drop to over $ 20,000 in some key markets. That’s the same price as the 110-mile Mini SE we just reviewed.
Here are some photos of the Kandi K23:
The taking of Electrek
Here they come. Chinese-made electric vehicles will be hypercompetitive in the low-end market soon in Europe and the US These Kandi cars don’t look amazing, but if you can get them just for the price of gasoline, they could be competitive, especially in cities and campus / fleet situations.
Quality and safety will be big questions here, as China has a different set of safety standards. Marketing and design will also play a key role here in determining if these are just electric yokes.
It will also be interesting to see if the United States government continues to spend $ 7,500 / ea for these, in addition to state incentives. That is close to half the total price of these vehicles, while domestic players like GM and Tesla have to sell at full price.
FTC: We use automatic affiliate links that generate income. Plus.
Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.
