Market expert reckons impending budget baby will bounce top Tesla.

Ora’s range of cars include the Punk Cat, whose design might seem strangely familiar.

AN auto industry involver turned analyst who helped establish one of last year’s local electric car fast movers is now picking another cut-price Chinese brand to be 2022’s dominant EV performer – regardless it isn’t yet on sale here.

Anthony MacLean, MG’s country manager until late 2020 and instrumental in bringing the reborn British make’s local market desirability, has backed the Ora Cat as the country’s best-selling battery-pure model this year.

His prediction is made in the blog associated with Boost Auto, an automotive consultancy focussing on marketing and planning services for distributors and dealers.

Ora is a sub-brand of Great Wall Motors that, in turn, is part of the Haval empire, specialising in small to medium-sized budget electric passenger cars.

Haval’s distributor has said nothing official about Ora, however its national ambitions for the new badge are an open secret at dealership level. MacLean believes it will launch some time between April and June.

As MotoringNZ.com reported last year (https://www.motoringnz.com/news/2021/8/11/ora-feline-good-about-nz), Ora’s products have potential to significantly undercut the cheapest new electric passenger model currently sold here, the MG ZS EV, from GWM’s home market arch rival, Shanghai Automotive, that’s $40,365 with the Clean Car rebate.

A hatchback called the Good Cat (Ora has a thing about feline names) seems a top candidate as the debut model.

MacLean views it as a winner, commenting that “Ora Cat is a well-designed good looking EV with a 250-300km range, which makes it a perfect second car for many families, and an ideal first car for young and old alike.

“With a sub $40K target price, Ora Cat will be the most affordable EV car on the market.

“Haval and GWM have been quietly growing share and building their reputation; Ora will stretch the brand portfolio and will be the most significant brand to enter the market this year.

“The network is already established, so market entry will be rapid. Ora Cat’s sales rate will surprise many, but as long as they have at least nine months on sale, Ora Cat will be New Zealand’s best selling EV.”

MacLean’s comment might surprise Teslarati celebrating that the American marque’s Model 3 sedan is presently the country’s most popular EV, through it accounting for 3271 of the 6899 new wholly electric cars registered here last year.

However, he also predicts Tesla continuing as a major performer, though with less growth than exhibited in 2021.

The Model 3 being joined by a crossover spin-off, the Model Y, would alter the consumer demand as, while Model 3 showed that sedans weren’t dead, the Model Y offered a broader opportunity.

China’s BYD, which had been tipped to start selling cars here last year, would likely arrive in late 2022.

“BYD’s local distributor Nexport has struggled with the right product specifications, availability and timing which illustrates the challenges of start ups,” MacLean writes.

He also thinks two other Chinese brands, which he does not name, will be considering New Zealand.

“We haven’t yet seen many of the new Chinese car brands in New Zealand yet. They are getting ready.

“… None of the Chinese brands are keen to be domestic only brands, and so their scale and ambition will naturally see them grow overseas.”

Maclean has nearly 30 years automotive experience. In his home territory of the United Kingdom, he had an extensive career with Volkswagen and Skodab then, in NZ, he held senior roles with Nissan, Blue Wing Honda, Tourism Holdings Limited and Mercedes-Benz.