SAIC Motor Wuling Hongguang Mini EV History

Produced by SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), the three-way joint venture between SAIC Motor, General Motors, and Guangxi Auto, the Hongguang Mini EV began retail deliveries in China in July 2020. Priced from approximately US$4,162 at launch, it became China's cheapest electric car and immediately outsold the Tesla Model 3 in the Chinese market. With 119,255 units sold in just the last six months of 2020, it ranked as the world's second best-selling plug-in car for the year.

In January 2021 the Mini EV topped China's new-energy-vehicle sales charts with 25,778 units against the Model 3's 13,843. A Macaron special edition followed in April 2021. The car's success — driven by its sub-$5,000 price and urban practicality — made it a global reference point for affordable mass-market electrification and cemented SAIC-GM-Wuling as the world's highest-volume EV producer in 2021.