If you’re interested in the little Volt City EV, which was launched in Thailand last month, you’ll be able to get your hands on one next year, because the electric hatchback is coming our way. Local firm KuroEV has signed an agreement with EV Primus Company to become the Malaysian distributor for the little Volt.
According to KuroEV founder Ken Too, the company plans to bring-in about 500 units of the Volt in phases, with the first cars expected to arrive here sometime in the Q2 2023. A demo unit will be brought in this year for testing as well as for JPJ VTA type approval.
However, you won’t be able to purchase the car outright, not at the start anyway. Too said the first 500 cars will only be available under a yearly subscription, the intent being to gain feedback from subscribers as well as obtain driving and usage data via an installed telematic device. He added that pricing for the subscription will be revealed at a later point.
To support the initial phase of the brand’s entry into Malaysia, KuroEV will setup Volt 3S centres in all major cities over the next three years. He said that the company will decide on how best to eventually market the Volt once it gets enough market feedback, and added that there are plans for the brand to penetrate other right-hand drive ASEAN markets such as Singapore and Indonesia within the next three years.
To recap, the Volt City EV is available in two- and four-door configurations, each featuring two trim specifications, namely Classic and Premium. Prices start from 325,000 baht (RM39,650) for the two-door Classic and 355,000 baht (RM43,300) for the two-door Premium, while the four-door Classic starts from 385,000 baht (RM46,960), and the Premium, from 415,000 baht (RM50,620).
In terms of dimensions, the two-door Volt City EV measures 2,920 mm long, 1,499 mm wide and 1,610 mm tall, with a 1,980 mm wheelbase. As you’d expect with its size, the little tyke only weighs 690 kg. Meanwhile, the larger four door model is similar in width and height, except that it’s longer (3,380 mm) and has a longer wheelbase at 2,440 mm. It’s also heavier, tipping the scales at 795 kg.
All Volt City variants are powered by the same powertrain, a single synchronous permanent magnet electric motor, which on the two-door offers 40 hp and 90 Nm. The motor is juiced by a 11.8 kWh lithium-ion battery, which provides the two-door version with up to 165 km of travel (based on a NEDC cycle). Top speed is 100 km/h and with an 3.1 kW AC charger, it takes four hours to fully charge the car.
The four door model bumps up the output of the motor to 46 hp and 102 Nm, and it also has a larger capacity 16.5 kWh battery, increasing the range up to 210 km (again, NEDC). Top speed is identical to the two-door, and again, with a 3.1 kW AC charger, it takes 5.5 hours to fully charge the battery.
