---
title: "A Tesla Rival is Planning to Launch a $7,800 Electric Car in 2018"
description: "The model will run on changeable batteries so it will require little wait time to charge, and should run about $7,800."
date: "2017-06-20"
modified: "2017-06-20"
authors:
  - name: "Karla Lant"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/karla"
url: "https://futurism.com/a-tesla-rival-is-planning-to-launch-a-7800-electric-car-in-2018"
categories:
  - "Advanced Transport"
  - "Tesla"
tags:
  - "changeable batteries"
  - "chj automotive"
  - "ultra-compact electric car"
---

# A Tesla Rival is Planning to Launch a $7,800 Electric Car in 2018

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/chj.png>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000628134" target="\_blank"\>CHJ Automotive\</a\>\</em\>*

## Look Out, Tesla

CHJ Automotive, a Chinese startup and rival to Tesla, has become the latest entrant in the race to capture a piece of the electric vehicle (EV) market. CNBC reports, from Co-Founder Kevin Shen, that CHJ is planning to launch two vehicles which are now in development: a hybrid SUV and an ultra-compact car. The ultra-compact car, slated for a March 2018 release, is targeted for the Chinese market.

“In China, there are 340 million people (who) daily commute with e-scooters, but there is a strong demand for them to upgrade to something,” [Shen told CNBC](<http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/16/chinese-tesla-rival-to-launch-7800-ultra-compact-electric-car-in-2018-with-changeable-batteries.html>). “But we cannot imagine all of them driving cars, so we want to give them something else, which is an ultra-compact car.”

That diminutive size may seem odd in the U.S., but in urban areas all over the world, this kind of ultra-compact, electric vehicle is the [ideal affordable solution](<http://gas2.org/2017/06/17/chinas-chj-automotive-plans-7900-ultra-compact-electric-car/>) to traffic, pollution, and parking problems.

## Going Global

CHJ has yet to release official images of the car, but did show preliminary designs of the ultra-compact vehicle to CNBC. The car's tiny size, at 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) long and 1 meter (3.3 feet) wide, makes it lighter and easier to power. It will run on two changeable batteries, which means that it can quickly stop for a battery swap and then keep going. It will come with Google's in-car operating system, Android Auto, and will cost between €7,000 ($7,824) and €8,000 ($8,911.04).

CHJ is targeting European markets as well, but for ride-sharing projects, not yet for consumers. CHJ just entered into a joint venture with Clem, a [French car-sharing platform](<https://www.wired.com/2010/10/covoiturage-carpooling-website/>). Together the companies will trial a car-sharing service using the ultra-compact vehicles in Paris.

This kind of car is critical for China's goals under the Paris Accord — goals which the country sees as directly tied to its own public health concerns. Beijing is already moving to replace [70,000 taxis](<https://futurism.com/china-is-replacing-70000-taxis-with-electric-cars>) with electric cars, and the nation has [relaxed its protectionist laws](<https://futurism.com/get-ready-electric-cars-are-about-to-takeover-china>) to encourage the use of EVs. The availability of an ultra-compact option that's both local and affordable, and charges without a wait, is going to do very well in China, and probably all over the world, to the benefit of our planet.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlalant>)  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/KarlaLant>)