The Geometry EX3 becomes the latest model targeting the low-end market to stop taking orders, as the impact of rising raw materials continues.

(Image credit: Geometry)

Tight supplies of raw materials are forcing more electric vehicle (EV) models aimed at the lower end of the market to exit.

Geely's EV brand Geometry announced Thursday that it has stopped taking new orders for its small SUV EX3 this month due to a shortage of raw materials, including batteries and chips.

Geometry will try to meet deliveries for consumers who have signed contracts to buy the car, it said.

The Geometry EX3, which went on sale on November 14, 2021, is the brand's lowest-priced model, previously offered in two versions priced at RMB 68,800 ($10,200) and RMB 78,800.

The car measures 4,005 mm in length, 1,760 mm in width and 1,575 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,480 mm. It is powered by an electric motor with a maximum power of 70 kW, a battery capacity of 37 kWh and an NEDC range of 322 km.

Other Geometry models on sale include Geometry A with a post-subsidy price range of RMB 139,800 to RMB 175,800, Geometry C with a price range of RMB 139,700 to RMB 175,700, and the Geometry E with a price range of RMB 86,800 to RMB 103,800.

These are the prices of Geometry after the price increase of RMB 3,000-7,000 at the end of March.

At a time when raw material prices have risen sharply over the past month and year, lower-priced models have been less able to withstand the impact and have been the hardest hit.

At the end of February this year, Ora, Great Wall Motor's EV brand, stopped accepting orders for both the White Cat and Black Cat models in China.

Although Ora has an advantage in the supply chain, these two models still brought huge losses to the company. In the case of the Black Cat, for example, the company lost more than 10,000 yuan per unit sold on the model after raw material prices rose sharply in 2022, Ora CEO Dong Yudong said in a February 23 statement.

On June 29, Changan EV, Changan Automobile's EV division, announced it would suspend taking orders for the Benben E-Star starting July 1.

The Benben E-Star has been popular with many customers since its launch, but the model is facing long delivery lead times due to upstream raw material shortages and vehicle and parts capacity constraints, Changan EV said at the time.

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