Founded in 2006, Zhido once dominated China's all-electric mini EV market, but entered bankruptcy reorganization in 2019.
(Image credit: Zhido)
Zhido, one of China's earliest electric vehicle (EV) makers, has rolled out a new electric vehicle (EV) model in an attempt to get back in the game after several years of silence.
Zhido today launched the Rainbow mini EV, its first model following a re-branding effort, at a time when competition in the sector in China becomes red-hot.
Zhido is offering five versions of the Rainbow, with starting prices of RMB 31,900 ($4,400), RMB 35,900, RMB 39,900, RMB 41,900 and RMB 43,900, respectively.
The EV maker is offering limited-time discounts on the model, similar to what many other peers are doing these days.
Customers who buy the model before May 18 will receive a RMB 4,000 discount, bringing the model's starting price down to RMB 27,900 yuan.
Founded in 2006, Zhido was one of the first local EV makers and had dominated the pure electric microcar market.
The EV maker sold 43,000 units in 2017, second only to the then EV king BAIC New Energy.
In 2018, China mandated that EVs with a range of less than 250 kilometers were no longer eligible for subsidies.
After that, Zhido sales declined rapidly and entered bankruptcy reorganization and dropped out of the public eye after delivering 2,005 vehicles in 2019.
On March 7 this year, Zhido announced it had completed a strategic recapitalization and began warming up for the Rainbow.
In October 2023, Zhido completed a strategic recapitalization thanks to the combined efforts of Geely Auto Group, Aima Technology Group, and other investors, according to a statement it made last month.
The Zhido Rainbow measures 3,224 mm in length, 1,515 mm in width and 1,630 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,100 mm.
For comparison, the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, which has been a hot seller in China for the past few years, measures 2,920 mm in length, 1,493 mm in width and 1,621 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 1,940 mm.
This means that the Zhido Rainbow is bigger and wider than the Wuling Honda Mini.
The Rainbow offers four CLTC range options, including two with 125 km, two with 205 km, and one with 201 km.
Zhido offers several color options for the Rainbow, seemingly hoping to cater to a younger demographic.
The EV maker didn't release the Rainbow's powertrain specifications, but a previous regulatory filing revealed that the model has two options for the motor -- 20 kW and 30 kW.
The model also has two options for battery pack capacity, 17.18 kWh and 17.3 kWh.
($1 = RMB 7.2361)
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