If you’re interested in the little Volt City EV that launched in Thailand last month, you can get your hands on one next year, because the electric hatchback is coming our way. Local company KuroEV has signed an agreement with EV Primus Company to become the Malaysian distributor for the small Volt.
According to KuroEV founder Ken Too, the company plans to introduce about 500 units of the Volt in phases, with the first cars expected to arrive here sometime in the second quarter of 2023. A demo unit will also be introduced this year for testing as in the JPJ VTA type approval.
However, you cannot buy the car right away, at least not at the beginning. Also, the first 500 cars will only be available as part of an annual subscription to receive feedback from subscribers as well as driving and usage data via an installed telematics device. He added that subscription pricing will be announced at a later date.
To support the initial phase of the brand’s entry into Malaysia, KuroEV will set up Volt 3S centers in all major cities over the next three years. He said the company will decide how best to eventually market the Volt once it gets enough market feedback, adding that there are plans to take the brand to other right-hand drive ASEAN markets within the next three years Singapore and Indonesia will invade .
As a reminder, the Volt City EV is available in two- and four-door configurations, each with two trim levels, namely Classic and Premium. Prices start at 325,000 baht (RM39,650) for the 2-door Classic and 355,000 baht (RM43,300) for the 2-door Premium, while the 4-door Classic starts at 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 2,920mm in length, 1,499mm in width and 1,610mm in height with a wheelbase of 1,980mm. As to be expected for his size, the little guy weighs only 690 kg. Meanwhile, the larger four-door model is similar in width and height, except it’s longer (3,380mm) and has a longer wheelbase at 2,440mm. 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 that offers 40 hp and 90 Nm on the two-door. The engine is powered by an 11.8 kWh lithium-ion battery, which gives the two-door model a range of up to 165 km (according to NEDC). The top speed is 100 km/h and with a 3.1 kW AC charger it takes four hours to fully charge the car.
The four-door model boosts engine power to 46 hp and 102 Nm, and it also has a larger-capacity 16.5 kWh battery, increasing the range to up to 210 km (NEDC again). Top speed is identical to the two-door, and again it takes 5.5 hours to fully charge the battery with a 3.1kW AC charger.
