Wuhu has turned out to be quite a surprise. While Beijing has those aromas and that life of what, clearly, is a great capital, Wuhu, although it is enormous, is more reminiscent of that “neighborhood China.”
The multi-hundred-story buildings that can accommodate hundreds and hundreds of families make an appearance, of course, but the atmosphere is different. There are restaurants, small shops, it feels more local, more authentic.
It is here where Chery, the technological partner of the Spanish company Ebro, whom I accompany on this trip, was born and has its headquarters. And it shows. Not because the hotel we stayed in belongs to the company, that too, but on the road.
A walk through Wuhu | Image: Xataka
If in Beijing you didn’t see a single Chery car, here they are religion. They are everywhere, wherever you look. The taxis? All Chery. Personal vehicles? Absolute omnipresence of the Tiggo and Arizzo ranges. BYD, Geely, Toyota, Kia and Hyundai are also here, but Chery’s dominance is absolute.
Caught | Image: Xataka
It’s something normal. China has that component of betting on the local. It is a kind of pride, something to boast about, using a product born in your city and the government promotes it. That’s why BAIC reigns in Beijing and that’s why when they ask you about your cell phone or watch model, they smile a little when they see that, in my case, they are an honor and a Huawei.
The same thing happens with Chery, but today it’s not time to talk about Chery, but about Ebro. Chery is the partner technology from the Spanish Ebro, which uses its platforms to sell its own models in Spain, Portugal and, soon, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia. A Ebro s700 It is, at its core, a Chery Tiggo 7.
Knowing that, it will not surprise anyone that Ebro’s new model is based on the Chery QQ3 EV. Because yes, Ebro has finally announced a completely electric car which will be produced in its factory in the Free Trade Zone of Barcelona. It still does not have a name and the specifications are not final, since the homologation is missing, but I can tell you a little something, since I have been able to see it in first person.
The new electric Ebro | Image: Xataka
This car has a clearly urban vocation and is focused on the younger audience. More circular and oval shapes, 2.7 meters between axles and 4.3 meters long give shape to a more compact car and very different from what Ebro has put on the road to date. It is a risky bet for 1) a brand that until now was synonymous with SUVs and 2) a market whose electrification still has a way to go.
It has a 42.7 kWh lithium-ferrophosphate battery, which translates into a range of more than 300 kilometers. It has a 90 kW rear axle motor, which allows it to offer, always according to the brand, 122 HP, 111 Nm of maximum torque, 135 km/h maximum speed and acceleration from zero to 100 in less than 11 seconds.
At the moment, his name is Ebro BEV | Image: Xataka
The power of the charging system has not been revealed, but it will be compatible with AC and DC and will be able to go from 30% to 80% in 30 minutes.
Inside the car we find two generous screens, a 15.6-inch floating central one with 2K resolution and a system powered by a Snapdragon chip, and another smaller one, 10.25 inches, in the instrument panel. In China, analog needles and lights have passed away.
Interior of the Ebro BEV | Image: Xataka
The price has not been revealed either. and the specifications, as we said, are provisional. When the process of industrial adaptation and approval is completed, we will clear up doubts.
This is not the only novelty, although it is the most notable.
Ebro has taken advantage of the presentation in Chery’s hometown to announce a new version of the Ebro s400 with 1.5 TGDI engine and DHT transmission with two electric motors. This has a power of 224 HP and consumes 5.55 L/100 km. An interesting thing is that it can move in tandem mode (so that the combustion engine generates energy so that the electric one moves the wheels) or in parallel (both engines working at the same time).
In theory, this should help reduce the car’s engine noise and improve the lack of “oomph” seen in the previous model.
Restyling of the Ebro S800 PHEV. The s700 and S400 maintain the same front grille design | Image: Xataka
Ebro also announced a restyling from the s700 and s800with a new front grille with rectangular shapes inspired, according to the firm, in Barcelona, and aesthetic adjustments designed to homogenize the design and give it a more rounded touch.
This has been one of the parts of the day, but today I have also been able to witness something that, to date, I had never seen: a crash test. I don’t know, there’s something, let’s say, funny, in seeing a car going towards another knowing that both are going to break down. Under controlled conditions, needless to say. It has a certain charm and, frankly, the real shame is that it lasts so little, because it’s barely a second.
New car for sale, few kilometers, one owner, always in a garage | Image: Xataka
For the test, Chery placed a Tiggo 9 (remember, the base of an Omoda 9 SHS) at one end of the road. To the other, a Tiggo 7 that rushed towards him at 50 km/h. At the same time that the Tiggo 7 crashed head-on, the Tiggo 9 received a complete impact against a barrier vehicle at 40 km/h from behind. They are, from what they have explained to us, two overlapping forces whose purpose is to bring the test closer to a real environment.
To the right and in the background, the Tiggo 7. To the left, the Tiggo 9 | Image: Xataka
It must be admitted that both cars were completely destroyed. Ahead, shattered. However, I was very struck by the fact that the interior was surprisingly well preserved and the things that, from my point of view, should still be operational after the accident, were still operational.
Below I leave it in slow motion, which is always nice to see.
This slow motion video has been provided by Antonio Guzman.
Some things that seemed striking to me were that the door handles opened, the airbags had deployed (the upper ones and the knee ones), the lights worked and the seat belt could be unbuckled. I think it’s something important in order to remove a passenger who has had an accident.
Yes, the front was in pieces, but the general structure of the car, both in the central area and in the rear, seemed to me to have been really well preserved. Now I would like to see part two, that is, the test at 100 km/h. If seeing it at 50 km/h is already impressive, at 100 km/h it has to be terrifying.
That’s a splash of paint and you don’t notice it | Image: Xataka
Be that as it may, why this test? Because Chinese brands are aware that carry certain prejudices which they must get rid of. These types of demonstrations, full-fledged tests of strength, are their way of sticking out their chests and punching the table. It is the usual trend that we have seen throughout this trip.
Tomorrow we have more, I leave you a preview below of what we will see. And by the way, if you ever come to China, take advantage and buy a proper power bank. In fact, you probably have to do it because, in complete safety and unless your battery have CCC certificationthey will take it from you at the airport. Today I bought a Xiaomi with 20,000 mAh and 165W of power for 30 euros in exchange, the bargain of the year.
This is coming tomorrow | Image: Xataka
Previous deliveries:
- Journey to the center of the Chinese motor (part 1): a walk through Beijing, Ebro, Chery and the silent streets
- Journey to the center of the Chinese motor (part 2): I have seen the future of cars in Beijing and yes, it is electric (and very cool)
- Journey to the center of the Chinese motor (part 3): discovering the largest railway network in the world at 347 km/h
Images | Xataka
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