--- title: "This $4,500 EV Is Now Outselling Tesla in China" description: "A compact electric vehicle that costs just $4,500 is vastly outselling Tesla's vehicles in China, the BBC reports." date: "2021-02-25" modified: "2021-02-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/this-4500-ev-is-now-outselling-tesla-in-china" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "china" - "electric cars" - "Model 3" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # This $4,500 EV Is Now Outselling Tesla in China ![A compact electric vehicle that costs just $4,500 is vastly outselling Tesla's vehicles in China, the BBC reports.]() *\Image: SAIC Motor\* ## City Slicker A compact electric vehicle that costs just $4,500 is now vastly outselling Tesla's vehicles in China, the [*BBC* reports](). Like, *beating the the pants off* Musk's motors. The adorable city slicker called Hong Guang Mini EV is actually a partnership between General Motors and SAIC Motor, China's top carmaker. Sales for the vehicle have recently taken off, outpacing Tesla's offerings almost two to one last month, according to the BBC. The vehicle itself has very few frills. In fact, the $4,500 base model doesn't even have air conditioning — you'll have to shell out an additional $500 to keep temps down. It can also can only carry four passengers, has a top speed of just 62 mph, and a moderate range of 106 miles. ## Outpacing Tesla Tesla's Model 3, now being manufactured in the carmaker's new factory in Shanghai, was the number one EV in the country in terms of sales in the second half of last year, despite its much higher price tag of $39,000. The Hong Guang Mini EV however took over this year and [rocketed past the luxury sedan]() in monthly sales after Chinese regulators found Tesla's quality lacking, pointing out safety issues at its Shanghai plant. According to the *BBC*, the tiny vehicle is now the second-best selling EV in the world, following the Model 3. It's a significant shift in consumer demand for Tesla. China is the Elon Musk-led company's second largest market after the US. The Hong Guang Mini EV goes to show that there's significant money to be made by selling smaller — and more competitively priced — electric vehicles. The question now isn't whether or not Elon and Co. will continue to attempt to compete in China, because he will. The question of *how*, however, is gonna be the exciting one to watch. **READ MORE:** [Chinese £3,200 budget electric car takes on Tesla]() \[*BBC*\] **More on Tesla:** *[Texans Are Sleeping In Their Teslas to Survive Freezing Cold]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()