One challenge for the uptake of electric cars is that the equipment levels and technology involved has left many EVs with a list price above the £40,000 threshold. That means the annual VED renewal bill for these cars sold after April 1 this year leaps to £605 (£195 standard rate plus the £410 expensive car supplement.
But that’s not a concern for consumers who choose the GWM Ora 03. In its lower spec Pure+ guise it costs from £31,995 and in the fully loaded Pro+ trim it is priced from £34,995, well clear of the punitive extra tax cost.
It is the GWM Ora 03 Pro+ that I recently picked for a long-term test, and I’ll be writing more about in in the weeks ahead. My initial impressions are very good, and as I’ve put some miles on it those impressions have simply been reinforced.
This is a cracking suburban runabout. Funnily enough, I’d been talking with a dealer group MD just weeks before and he said GWM had been a good addition to his franchise portfolio in a major city, and I can see why.
The driver interface and infotainment has improved significantly since I drove the very first Oras brought into the UK by International Motors in 2022 – at that point the navigation system was poor and there was no Android Auto/Apple CarPlay integration.
The software has been updated since those early cars and now the touchscreen menus are easier to use, the in-built systems are fine and, with smartphone connected, any journey is easy.
I do particularly love how simple it is to use the voice control – a ‘hello Ora’ activates the AI to respond to my verbal instructions, such as turn on the heated seat to maximum or play a radio channel.
In Pro+ form the Ora O3 comes with a larger capacity battery than the Pure+ model (63kWh vs 48kWh) which gives it a WLTP electric range of 260 miles. In practice, and without dramatically changing my driving style, I’m getting 200 miles capability shown to me when I charge it to maximum.
That’s fine in my view, and when an EV is loaded with comforts like heated seats and climate control what’s the point in switching it all off!
The growth in the number of public charging points gives me a lot of confidence when I’m taking the Ora 03 across the country. I’ve already done a longer trip in the GWM Ora 03 Pro+ that required a public charger visit and even that was no sweat, so I look forward to more.
More about that to come in my next report.
GWM Ora 03 Pro+ Tech Spec
Price: £34,995
Powertrain: electric motor, 63kWh Ternary Lithium battery, front wheel drive
Efficiency: WLTP range 260 miles; 0g/km CO2
Performance: Top speed 99mph; 0-62mph acceleration in 8.2 seconds
