China’s GWM reveals UK pricing and specs for its Funky Cat EV due this year

GWM ORA has announced pricing and specification details for its Funky Cat model, marking its entry in the UK’s market later this year.

Revealing the price, the Chinese automaker said the Funky Cat First Edition will start from £30,495 (after PiCG). The vehicle will go on sale in Autumn, with deliveries to follow soon after.

The vehicle, formerly known as the Cat 01, comes with a 48kWh battery offering a WLTP range of 193 miles. The company will provide a 5-year vehicle, unlimited mileage warranty with cover on the battery for 8-years or 100,000 miles.

The Funky Cat model is equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control, 360 Degree Cameras, Reversing Camera, LED Headlights, and 18in Alloy Wheels. It comes with integrated Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, as well as wireless phone charging and electric front seats. It can provide 6.6kW single-phase AC and 11kW three-phase AC charging as standard. It will also feature a maximum of 80kW DC rapid charging and come equipped with a CCS socket as standard.

Based on 15-80% charge status, 6.6kW home charging will take users between 5 to 6 hours. This time is cut drastically when moving up to 11kW AC charging, which takes around 3 to 4 hours. Additionally, 80kW rapid charging will take around 40 minutes.

The Funky Cat First Edition will be available in four colour variations. As standard, the vehicle will be presented with a Nebula green exterior paint finish and a black interior, but customers can also opt for a Starry black exterior paint. Additionally, Mars red (red & grey interior) and Aurora green (green & grey interior) variations will be available at launch and feature a black or white contrasting roof.

GWM ORA is planning to launch a Queue Jump scheme in June, which will give customers the opportunity to place a £100 refundable deposit, granting priority access to stock when it arrives, the company said.

The Chinese automaker said it is working to establish a nationwide network of retailers. Besides physical retailers, the vehicle will also be available to purchase through the ‘ORA Online’ sales platform, which is planned to launch in August, it said.

“The UK is a key launch market for the GWM ORA brand,” Yao Fei, Vice President, Great Wall Motor said. “As a new disruptive EV brand, we will offer customers high quality products, with a unique design that will bring a fresh new look to European streets.”

The announcement comes after the brand’s first ever UK public debut at Fully Charged Live in April.