Buick's all-electric Electra is a 5-seat mid-to-large-size SUV with a single motor delivering 180 kW of peak power.
In China's fast-growing electric vehicle market, local brands are racing to launch new models while foreign brands are relatively quiet, but things can't stay that way forever.
GM's Buick brand is filing an all-electric SUV in China, the first time we've seen the brand start to make a play for the popular Chinese crossover segment.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology late Wednesday released the latest batch of models that will soon be allowed to be sold in China for public comment, and the Buick Electra from SAIC-GM is included. The public can submit their feedback between November 17 and November 23.
Entry into the catalog is the last major regulatory process for a model to be able to start selling in China, and if there are no surprises, that means the official launch could be within months.
Buick's all-electric Electra is a 5-seat mid-to-large-size SUV with a length, width and height of 4,892 mm, 1,905 mm and 1,681/1,684 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,954 mm.
For reference, the Nio ES6 measures 4,850, 1,965, 1,758/1,731 mm in length, width and height, respectively, with a wheelbase of 2,900 mm.
The model entering the catalog has a single motor with a peak power of 180 kW.
Its battery is a ternary lithium battery, supplied by a joint venture between Chinese power cell giant CATL and SAIC.
The top speed of the model can reach 180 km/h.
From the pictures in the filing, the model has a closed front and hidden door handles, common designs for mainstream electric vehicles currently sold in China.
It is worth noting that, unlike the current practice of a large number of local Chinese automakers to commonly equip their SUVs with LiDARs, Buick's model does not offer this component as an option.
This means that the Buick Electra may not have assisted driving capability as one of its selling points, as local car companies do.
Here are more images from the filing.
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