Chinese EV Company Exports 106 Happy Messenger Electric Cars to US Buyers
28 December 2005
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| Happy Messenger |
Tianjin Qingyuan Electric Vehicles has exported 106 of its Happy Messenger (earlier post) electric vehicles to buyers in the US. According to the company, the US buyers are townships, military bases, ports and research institutions.
The Tianjin company sent over six Happy Messengers in April for performance tests and marketing. The electric vehicles, developed internally, are priced at around $10,000.
| TianJin QingYuan Happy Messenger Specs | |
|---|---|
| Length / Width / Height (mm) | 3,395 / 1,475 / 1,695 |
| Gross weight (kg) | <1,400 |
| Curb weight (kg) | 1,050 |
| Max speed | 100 km/h (62.15 mi) |
| Acceleration | 0-400m, <20s |
| Grade-climbing ability | >20% |
| Range(km) |
Constant
speed: 250 km (155 mi) City driving: 150 km (93.2 mi) |
| Motor rated power/peak power (kW) | 20 / 60 |
| Motor Rated torque/maximum torque (Nm) | 53 / 160 |
| Battery type | NiMH |
| Cycle life (80% DOD) | 500 |
Now, the range surely sounds sensible here, and the price is cheap too, it is on 4 wheel not 3, so whats the problem? Did someone complain about its max speed and max power?
Burn more fuel and you get mad max power.
Posted by: rexis | 28 December 2005 at 04:34 PM
Kinda puts that 3 wheeled Meyers Motors to shame. It uses nimh batteries vs lead acid in the Meyers, it has 4 wheels, its 1/3 the price. WOW. Actualy it sounds too good to be true. The range is the part I didnt think they could achive at that kind of price. I would like to get one! Where do I sign up??
Posted by: hampdenwireless | 28 December 2005 at 05:15 PM
Too bad those who run GM and Ford will not feel the pain bailing out of their bussiness in golden shutes when these kind of cars (Chinese or from India) gain traction in US and Canada.
GM does a great disfavour to US by not producing EV vehicles when its country gives away lives of its sodliers in Iraq for bloody oil. Just this alone makes this car attractive leave alone its price and daily expences.
Shame on GM and Ford.
Posted by: Alex | 28 December 2005 at 08:08 PM
the only thing that's slightly worrisome is the extremely low power of this car (peak @ 80 hp? wow.) and its nonexistent track record.
however, i'd be highly interested in this. sign me up!
lol.
Posted by: lensovet | 28 December 2005 at 11:46 PM
This car just might be cheap in price because it's cheap in quality. China will likely become a superpower quickly, but it's not quite there yet, and much of the stuff coming out of China, while improving all the time, has quite a way to go still. For example, I purchased a brand new (2004) Chineese made 150cc large scooter, and compared to the Honda's I've driven for my whole life this scooter might as well be held together by bubble-gum and duck tape, plus there have been a million little cheaply put together fit and finish issues, etc. Very frustrating. I got what I paid for you could say. (it was cheap).
Not to put the car down unnecessarily. It could be super quality. It's a great idea and can only get better so keep it up, and I wish more companies were as brave as this one to venture out here into this market; just be a careful and smart as purchasers in N.A. of this car and don't be surprised *if* there are quality issues. It's like what someone said above: it could be too good to be true.
Posted by: John W. | 28 December 2005 at 11:51 PM
NiMH is a very toxic stuff, you wont want your car leaking any in your garage.
Posted by: rexis | 29 December 2005 at 12:50 AM
NiMH is not toxic. Nickel Cadmium, yes very toxic, Lead-acid, toxic too. NiMH is used in all the hybrids currently on the road and when the batteries are spent the nickel can be used in the making of stainless steel, so recycling them is not a problem either.
Posted by: Schwa | 29 December 2005 at 01:27 AM
This product is very interesting as a second car for commuting to work or running errants and it can probably cover 75 to 80% of all travelling. The only problem is not technical. It's the marketing and support
infrastructure. Unfortunately until a major manufacturer starts offering a product like this in their showroom very few people will risk buying them.
Think of maintenance and replacement parts and warranties...
Posted by: Andre Bonneau | 29 December 2005 at 05:21 AM
Ramp it up. We could buy millions of these for the cost of the Iraq war and distribute them free to U.S. citizens. Or how about car sharing. Provide one free every mile or so in cities. This does sound too good to be true, but then the prices of DVDs sound too good to be true, too.
Would be interested in the cost per mile.
Posted by: t | 29 December 2005 at 05:34 AM
Sounds like a great development in the EV world. My only concerns are the unknown with this company such as maintenance/quality history and the very low recharge rate of 500 cycles (2 to 3 years depending on driving habits for full batery replacement).
Posted by: skimonster | 29 December 2005 at 06:24 AM
When they replace the battery with the new A123Systems M-1 battery, and if they keep the price under US$10,000, sales of this car should take off.
Posted by: Arnold Larsen | 29 December 2005 at 11:19 AM
Much like the Japanese import craze of the early to mid seventies due to the OPEC embargo, I feel these type of Chinese EV imports will get a foothold here in the US, and force the domestic manufacturers (now including Toyota, Honda, etc.) to adapt and cut costs to compete. And they will adapt, eventually. Lets just hope the leaders at UAW have the foresight to adapt and allow the automakers to adapt.
And yes, if this Happy Messenger were available with financing and some sort of warranty in my area, I would be driving around Central Texas in it tomorrow.
Happy New Year to everyone.
Posted by: MARK A | 29 December 2005 at 11:23 AM
Impressive for the first Chinese EV in North America. At $10,000 everybody will want to buy two or three. Better buy one (or more) very quickly before Washington comes up with strict import quotas or 300% special Big three + UAW protection import duties or both. We are all anxious to see how the greatest free democracy and the local OIL lobbies will react to block this product.
Posted by: Harvey D | 29 December 2005 at 05:23 PM
80hp comming from an electric motor on that weight of car is quite good. Again I am more worried about it being 'too good to be true'. The EV1 was 137hp so it was a little faster but I had a Toyota with 80hp on a gas motor and lived with it. In fact it was fun to drive.
If you know electric cars, unless there is a 'catch' somewhere they are not telling us, this is a good deal. It would be a good deal at $15000. At $10000 its a steal.
Posted by: hampdenwireless | 29 December 2005 at 06:06 PM
150km in the city would make it 75000km
If I drive Civic it would cost me around 5000us in fuel
on the top of car price.
For the past 4 years I drove around 50000km, this car will last me for 6+years, and if not deplete batteries it could easily go for 100k km. By then new more advanced batteries could be installed and GM and Ford go to hell with their
SUVs though by then I think many would forget that those existed.
Posted by: Alex | 29 December 2005 at 07:54 PM
I consider myself a global citizen before an American. I dislike nationalism. With that said, I would still like to buy an American car to support the American autoworkers and our economy however I'm ashamed that the American car manufacturer's mgmt. teams have made such horrendous decisions in recent decades that there are no environmentally friendly American cars available. While the rest of the world’s car manufacturers have set the pace, our car mfrs. have prioritized to have planned obsolescence built into their cars, profits as their sole god, and an undying commitment to support the anachronistic oil industry.
How can we buy American cars when the US auto industry has abandoned our environment and us long ago? They are morally bankrupt and deserve the same financially. It is apparently time to democratize the economy in a meaningful way by creating worker cooperatives and throwing out senior management without golden parachutes.
Posted by: Daryl E | 29 December 2005 at 09:03 PM
What about all the people buying gas guzzlers when there are alternatives available? Are they not also morally bankrupt?
I have little sympathy for the American auto companies, especially GM. But while I appreciate the strides that Toyota has made, for example, they all push their big SUVs.
Posted by: t | 30 December 2005 at 06:51 AM
SUVs offer safety to those who drive them at the expence of those who doesn't. The vehicle weight is your safety.
Besides not caring of nature those who drive SUVs don't care of those who drives lighter vehicles. SUVs should be taxed as they are more likely to bring fatalities.
Public should be educated and thats is a primary objective of the goverment, which apparently does exactly the opposite -encourage you driving SUV and going to war for the right to drive one. Looks like they have some interest
in this order of things and one doesn't have to be Einstein to figure out why.
Posted by: Alex | 30 December 2005 at 07:55 AM
Here is the competition ....
http://www.zapworld.com/cars/xebra.asp
Posted by: jmy | 30 December 2005 at 08:21 PM
Pathetic! 40 mile range? 40 MPH maximum? Lead-acid battery? 3-wheels? That's simply not in the same class as this vehicle.
Posted by: Schwa | 30 December 2005 at 09:18 PM
Zap is in a little bit of trouble too.
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20051228005072&newsLang=en
And Zap probobly wants 2x the cost of the Chinese EV for something that is less. I value what Zap does but they have always taken the view that selling to a few people at an astronomical markup is better then selling to many at a reasonable markup.
Posted by: hampdenwireless | 31 December 2005 at 08:49 AM
Xebra is $9000 40mph and 40 mile range is great for some people ....
http://tinyurl.com/d994x
Is the Happy Messenger for sale or just vaporware ??
4 wheels requires a lot of DOT testing
Posted by: jmy | 31 December 2005 at 12:12 PM
Its only a NEV ...
http://www.milesautomotive.com/
Posted by: jmy | 01 January 2006 at 09:51 PM
There have been remarks on other lists that NiMH cars with 7-70-70 performance (0-60 in 7 seconds, 70mph cruising speed, and 70 mile range) are being sold in other countries, but not in the US.
So it seems to be with the Happy Messenger. Someone did some research and found out that the US version is an NEV, not a freeway-capable car.
Similarly with the REBA, and (at least so far) with the Tango.
Can anyone say that this is true (or prove it not so, with, say, a counterexample)?
If it is, who would care to speculate on why?
--Gil
Posted by: Gil Dawson | 02 January 2006 at 03:48 PM
Personally a 7-70-70 NiMH car would be perfect for me, as it would be for a majority of single occupant commuters here in the US. The first major company which markets ano frills, full electric which goes 0-60 in under 15 seconds, with a obtainable 65mph speed at a 75 mile minimum range, with financing and a warranty, for under $15,000 will get my business, and alot of others. Chinese or other.
Posted by: Mark A | 03 January 2006 at 07:18 AM