You may not have heard of WM Motor or Weltmeister yet, and that’s okay. Neither have I. It actually happens to be one of the highest-funded EV startups in China.
Last fall, the five-year-old startup raised 10 billion yuan (~$1.5 billion) worth of outside investments. The money raised is to help cover R&D, marketing, and the expansion of its sales channel.
The electric car brand within the bigger WM Motor brand in China is called Weltmeister. WM Motor Technology Group Company Limited is abbreviated as the namesake. CEO Freeman Shen created the organisation itself in 2015.
Shen previously served on the board of the Chinese automaker Geely when it bought Volvo in 2010. Later, he was the chairman of Volvo China. He therefore brings a great deal of experience to Weltmeister, and it is evident.
Exterior:
The exterior design is subtle. Doesn’t really scream “EV” and doesn’t give a fuzz about looking like a UFO, even it does sound like one. But it works. It’s pleasing to look at and people really do give you that confused stare because they don’t know what car you’re driving. So a big CHECK on that!
Ofcourse you get contemporary features like a rear lightbar, full LED headlamps and tail-lamps, 18-inch wheels, and a glaring absence of vents. There are some amusing features, such as the front logo that is animated and serves as both a charge indicator (WM calls it the "Living Logo") and the flush door-handles are a bit of a gimmick to some but I quite like it.
Interior:
Inside the cabin, the massive 15.6-inch portrait touchscreen will immediately catch your attention. Yes like a Tesla screen but far from the tech. The standard gear lever has been replaced in the centre console with a rotary dial that also functions as an on/off switch, which frankly I don’t like. They could’ve put in buttons for the gear selector.
Overall however, the interior feels very premium. The surface is soft-touch and wrapped in leather. It feels well built and very crisp. The biggest let down is the infotainment system. Some functionalities take an excruciatingly long time to load, and the graphics on the home screen are pixelated. No AppleCar Play or Android Auto here but bluetooth works very well.
Engine and Performance:
The 52kWh battery pack has a range of at least 400km, but should there be a demand for a longer-range model, the business may introduce a W5 with 520km of range.
It is an extremely calming experience. The cabin is well-insulated. There isn't even a hint of phoney engine noise; all that can be heard is a background whining sound that sounds like a laser pistol being turned on from an electric motor. When it comes to power, 215hp and 315Nm is just amazing to use when you’re over taking or just having a blast through an empty road.
No matter how effortless it is in a straight line, is nonetheless bound by the rules of physics. You are constantly reminded of how much bulk you are sitting on when you trudge through stop-and-go traffic.
Be aware that the W5 adheres to the GB/T standard. Given that there are currently few public charging stations in the area that allow this plug, this could become a problem.
There are two bundled chargers that you should plug into the back AC port. Any household outlet can accept the Level 1 charger, and charging from zero should take about 16 hours. Level 2 chargers is the wall-mounted that WM can install in your house/office and would take about 8 hours for a full charge.
Space and Practicality:
Aside from the technology, this five-seat crossover features a very roomy, useful interior with excellent vision. Even with the driver's seat fully down, your seating position will be a little higher than typical due to the floor-mounted batteries.
The boot space has 488L of space and can expand to 1,500L with the rear seats folded down. There is a width of leg and elbow room in both the front and back. Unfortunately, unlike other EVs, this one lacks a front trunk under the hood.
Verdict:
Expectations for the Weltmeister W5 are understandably low given that it is their first attempt at a production vehicle, EV or not. However, it not only manages to surpass those expectations, it does it brilliantly. For those wishing to dabble in electric motoring, the W5 presents itself as a reliable and useful package.
At ₱2.548M, roughly the same price as your 7-seater SUV’s (Fortuner, Montero, Everest) it still is a lot of money, but given that this is an EV, many customers will continue to look the other way.
Those who purchase them early will have to pay a premium for being early adopters even though the infrastructure is still in its infancy. This necessitates thoughtfully scheduling your travel around chargers and recharge windows.
However, It still guarantees a cheap running cost of just P 1.88 per kilometre (PMS + charge) for the next five years, though. That is more affordable than any other EV in the nation as well as lower than any gas or diesel-powered vehicle. And the driving experience is simply mind-boggling. I just can’t stop driving this car!
Comments