Spotted undergoing road trials earlier this week, the Nammi 01 EV, otherwise known as the Dongfeng Box S31, has been sighted again, with a different unit (with Box badging at on the tailgate, but Nammi wording on the headlights), seen at a charging station earlier today.
While it’s already known that the electric hatchback is set to make its way here, the appearance of more than one test mule suggest that progress towards market deployment is getting close.
Will it be this year? Well, the original timeline indicated last October when the Malay Vehicle Importers and Traders Association of Malaysia (Pekema) inked a deal with Dongfeng to assemble and market the car here was that it was due in sometime in the middle of this year.
The actual market introduction may still be a while away, at least with regards to the CKD version. The production timeline hasn’t been indicated, but given that Pekema, through its subsidiary Central Auto Distributors Bhd (CADB), has just signed an MoU with NexV Manufacturing for local assembly of the car, CKD production could be months away from happening.
This was reinforced by what the folk running the test mule seen today said, when we asked about when the EV was expected in the market – they indicated that the launch is planned for next year.
A quick recap of the Box S31/Nammi 01. Measuring 4,030 mm long, 1,810 mm wide and 1,570 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,660 mm, the Dongfeng offering is 260 mm shorter than the already compact BYD Dolphin, but is 40 mm wider.
Underpinned by the automaker’s Quantum Architecture No. 3 platform, the car incorporates a single drive motor with up to 163 PS, although some Chinese news outlets claim the motor is rated to produce 95 PS. A 43.3 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery provides the necessary juice for the motor, and is good to provide up to 430 km of travel range based on China’s CLTC testing standard. Top speed is a claimed 140 km/h.
No indication of pricing as yet, but the Box S31/Nammi 01 could well arrive under the RM100k price cap that is currently in place for fully-imported EVs, a condition specifically stipulated under the ministry of investment, trade and industry’s (MITI) guidelines on franchise approved permit (AP) requirements. Because the car will be assembled as a CKD, its pricing should technically circumvent the pricing cap, but it remains to be seen how this will play out.
GALLERY: Dongfeng Box S31 a.k.a. Nammi 01 at Auto China 2024
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what’s even the point it they can’t sell it for less than 100k here lol.
its ckd bro can sell under 100k