CHINESE automobile manufacturer group Great Wall Motor (GWM) has made its debut in Singapore, partnering Jardine Cycle & Carriage : C07 0% (C&C) as the distributor and dealer for Ora, its mainstream electric vehicle (EV) brand.

Following the announcement of the partnership in March 2023, Ora’s business operations officially began in Singapore with the opening of its showroom on Thursday (Aug 3), located in C&C’s facility in Alexandra Road, and the launch of the brand’s first model, Good Cat 03.

Good Cat is a small, fully-electric hatchback with a 105 kilowatt motor, 63 kilowatt-hour battery and a quoted range of 420 km. Eligible for a Category A Certificate of Entitlement (COE), the car costs S$161,999 with COE after incentives and rebates. Deliveries start in September.

The debut of the Ora brings the number of Chinese mainstream EV brands in Singapore to three, after BYD and MG; it will compete directly with the EV hatchbacks from those brands, such as the BYD Dolphin and the MG4.

Ora’s design differentiation and build quality were two stand-out points that made C&C keen to work with GWM on selling the brand in Singapore, said Wilfrid Foo, the managing director of Direct Motor Interests for Jardine Cycle & Carriage.

The Singapore market’s shift toward electrification was another factor, he added. C&C’s market research revealed that 67 per cent of existing petrol car customers intend to sell their current car by 2025 – and half of those intend to switch to an EV or petrol-electric hybrid, he said.

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C&C already sells EVs through its brands Kia, Citroen, Maxus and Mercedes-Benz, but Ora is its first EV-only brand, and the Ora Good Cat is its least-expensive passenger EV to date.

Foo said that Ora will be “quite aggressive” in expanding its model offerings, and that C&C would likewise expand the Ora model range for Singapore when ready. Ora currently also produces the Ballet Cat (a large hatchback) and the Lightning Cat (a fastback sedan) for overseas markets.

He added that C&C would be looking into selling GWM’s other brands as well, and that would be highly dependent, not only on market readiness, but local regulations as well, since Singapore is a “one of the most complex automotive markets in the world”.

C&C recently announced a 33 per cent increase in net profit to US$648 million with higher net income and sales from its automotive unit. Founded in 1984, GWM gained traction primarily as a manufacturer of sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks. The auto manufacturer, which listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange in December 2003, also produces vehicles under its eponymous Great Wall brand, as well as its other brands Haval, Poer, Tank and Wey.

Last year, GWM’s total global sales of 1,102,322 cars made it one of the largest automakers in China, after SAIC, Geely, Chang An and BYD.

GWM’s entry into Singapore is part of its aggressive expansion into the Asia-Pacific. It established subsidiary Great Wall Motor Malaysia in 2022 and began Ora sales in Malaysia this year. It also recently announced an EV battery plan in Thailand, and made a foray into Vietnam with its Haval brand last month.