₦airaland Forum

Everything Nigerians Get Wrong About Chinese EVs

I've noticed that anytime someone mentions buying a Chinese electric car, the comments are almost always the same. A lot of people are judging these cars based on outdated information, so I thought I'd address some of the biggest misconceptions.

1. "Chinese cars are poor quality."

That reputation came from years ago. Today, China is the world's largest EV manufacturer and produces some of the most advanced electric vehicles on the market. Many well-known global brands also manufacture EVs in China.

2. "The battery won't last."

Modern EV batteries are designed to last for many years. Most manufacturers provide long battery warranties, and battery degradation is usually gradual rather than sudden.

3. "There are no spare parts."

This depends more on the specific brand and importer than on whether the car is Chinese. Just like with any imported vehicle, buying from a reputable dealer/importer like us makes a big difference.

4. "You can't charge an EV in Nigeria."

Most EV owners simply charge at home overnight. Unless you're driving very long distances every day, you don't need public charging stations as often as many people think.

5. "Electric cars can't survive Nigerian roads."

Road suitability depends on the individual model. Some have better ground clearance and suspension than others, just like petrol-powered vehicles.

6. "Nobody is buying them."

Actually, more Chinese EVs are appearing on Nigerian roads every month. Rising fuel costs and lower maintenance expenses are making them more attractive to many buyers.

I'm not saying every Chinese EV is perfect. Some brands are definitely better than others. But dismissing every Chinese electric car simply because it's made in China doesn't really match what's happening in today's auto industry.

What do you think? If you've owned or driven a Chinese EV or even a Chinese petrol car, what has your experience been like?

azpekuliar:
Does this account for the hours he will spend in traffic at Mosogar town before Sapele junction?

Traffic does not impact EV range unlike petrol cars. It's actually good for EVs due to regenerative braking

noobody:
There is absolutely nothing wrong is marketing this Chinese EV

Almost everyone one is promoting one or the other,but you need not lie regarding the imaginary trip to Ibadan

Kara bridge hold up alone for evening go give you range anxiety

Abi you fly over Kara bridge?

Hold up actually positively affects EV range

ibinaboonline:
You've just confirmed that you're lying. This photo was taken in a dealership in China. I bet you didn't know there's something called reverse image search. You see, there are more constructive ways to advertise a product than this blatant lying. How many times did you charge the car during your fake trip? Where did you charge and what charging adapter did you use? Go outside and take a selfie with this car to prove you even have one.

I literally told you that picture was for reference? I have nothing to prove to you

ibinaboonline:
Just for reference? Please tell me; did you drive this car from Lagos to Ibadan and then back to Lagos?

Yeah

miniziter:
Can a big solar system charge it?

Depends on the size but yes I know people that charge with solar

franchasng:
oh I see why its cheaper.


did you buy it brand new or China used?

Brand new

franchasng:
You said no import duty on EV cars? Okay, I laugh oh



Shipping a full electric car from China is already a challenge cos it requires special container and shipping alone will cost around $4500 to $5500. Add customs duty to it and you will know the op's price is not on the high side. What I dont know is the year of the Changan.



For your info, I have a 2026 model en route Nigeria and it cost around $35,000 buying alone.


So I am sure his is an older year model

Just leave the guy, who no go no know. Mine is a 2025

Silentgroper:
Is this the color you really drove.. cause I saw one parked outside a clothing shop somewhere around ring road at ibadan ...

It has a darker color ...



Was that you??

If it was a grey colour then that was me, if not it was someone else

Curious345:
Best way to charge this car would be via solar

I agree

Curious345:
You spend ₦15,000 daily charging this car .. CNG is still a better option

I only drive it to work most days so it doesn't need to be charged from 0-100

zainkay:
The op didnt make any trip. His thread has opened room for more important questions about Ev, and he has disappeared.

I'm not on nairaland all the time na 😂. I've started answering questions

emmaodet:
The question is how much is a battery and how many years on average to change it.
Because someone told me it is around 5m per battery and probably 3 years. If so then I think petrol car still looks cheaper.
Using 100k fuel per month for 3 years is around 3.6m

It comes with an 8 year battery warranty

Penboy:
Heated seat in Nigeria.

Should I be happy with that?

Also ventilated so it can be cold as well

JerryQ:
This is lovely.

Need to know more about the charging though .

Costs ₦10,000 to fully charge on band A. My company does a free complementary charger installation when you buy through us

miniziter:
The suspension, price of charging, after sales service tletc. Let us know about all these.

The car comes with a 6 year warranty that covers the whole car and an 8 year warranty so I'm good in that regard. It costs about ₦10,000 to charge the 53kwh battery on band A(₦200 per kwh)

shinemediaweb:
Post contact info or how to get in touch

Contact me on WhatsApp +2349071308075

ibinaboonline:
You've just pissed me off with this stupid ad, abi promotion, that you couldn't even be smart enough to actually talk about what matters in the context of your post. What do I care about the lack of engine noise in an EV or the comfortable seats and panoramic sunroof.

Are you saying you don't realize what people want to know about "Your Experience Driving Inter-state with an EV" include range, energy efficiency/performance, mph (you at least mentioned acceleration), etc?

I'll bet this touted Inter-state trip never happened. Plus, posting photos of a neat, spotless car in a garage/dealership when it's supposedly just been driven from Lagos to ibadan and back in this rainy season tells me all I need to know.

"How much is this car?" Isn't that why you made this post?

When did I say that picture was after the trip? It was just for reference. The range of the car is included (405km)

GloriousGbola:
op is actively hustling this car

https://www.nairaland.com/f122y/topics

interestingly a google search shows the car costs 11,000 dollars which comes to 15m

also no import duty on EVs

so where is this 28m coming from?

Purchase, transport, shipping and profit. Will the car disappear from China to Nigeria? Also despite what the government says online, we still pay duties at the port

ariesbull:
Drove go Anambra or Enugu then we can take you serious ...

The car isn't made for such long journeys

zoedew:
2 Hours is slow.

Rainy season lol

Gotocourt:
Impressive, how about the suspension

Suspension is very decent. Closest car I can compare it to is a rav-4

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omophunky:
see where you carry matter go ;Dme Wey never see 800k before. I've always loved EV vehicles.

Lol you fit see 100m tomorrow na

TheMensch:
Drive from Lagos to Ph and back, then tell us the experience. Is it 4wd?

It's a FWD car

budaatum:
Why 'think' what it would cost when I can easily go and find out?

I must say, it's rather surprisingly cheap!

It was meant to be more like a guessing game because a lot of people think these cars are more expensive than they actually are. We have some for sale as well

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Fully Electric

· 53 kWh battery | 405 km CLTC range
· Front-wheel drive | 0-100 km/h in ~7.3 seconds
· 15.6-inch central touchscreen
· Panoramic sunroof
· 360° camera system
· L2 intelligent driving assistance
· Heated and ventilated front seats
· Wireless charging pad
· Keyless entry and push-button start
· International export specification


What all these specs that I've listed houch do you think it will cost?

shox:
I no sure say electric cars can work in ogun state. Their roads no be here. Very anyhow government

I was in oke-aro area few weeks ago. The roads are still very bad. However, electric vehicles work a lot better in flooded roads than you think. The lack of a front air intake makes it harder for water to damage internal components

OkanlawonB:
What is the capacity of your battery and how do you go about charging?

53kWh battery. I charge at home