Changan offers the Shenlan SL03 with three different drives, but in the end the sedan always drives electrically. The price range extends from the equivalent of 24,000 to 101,000 euros. The all-electric variant is said to have a range of up to 700 kilometers and entice customers away from the Tesla Model 3.
You probably haven't heard much about the Shenlan brand. The Chinese company is a joint venture between Changan, CATL and Huawei. So much for organization. Much more interesting, however, is the first car that the young company has now presented: the SL03. Visually, the compact sedan moves somewhere between Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3 ; measures 4.82 meters, 1.89 meters and 1.48 meters in length, width and height. The Chinese specify the wheelbase as 2.90 meters. Inside, a 14.6-inch central touchscreen determines the image, which can be tilted 15 degrees to the right or left. Behind the flattened steering wheel sit digital instruments and an augmented reality head-up display, the occupants sit under a panoramic glass roof and 14 Sony speakers. 34 sensors, including a lidar unit, scan the surroundings and feed the assistance systems with information.,
Now the SL03 does not want to become dangerous to the Tesla Model 3 because of its looks or equipment features, but because of its price-performance ratio, with a view to the drive options. What all the versions offered have in common is the electric motor on the rear axle, which has an output of 160 or 190 kW, depending on the variant. Shenlan has also given the entry-level model a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated petrol engine with 95 hp, which is only there to charge the 28.4 kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery. According to the supplier, the SL03 EREV can travel up to 200 kilometers purely electrically, and together with the range extender, a maximum of 1,200 kilometers should be possible.
More than 700 km range
If necessary, customers can also completely do without the support of a combustion engine. As a purely electric version, the SL03 costs at least 26,500 euros and, thanks to a 190 kW electric motor and a 58 kWh NMC battery (nickel-manganese-cobalt), has a maximum range of 515 kilometers. There is a variant with a large 80 kWh battery and a small electric motor (160 kW) for just over 31,000 euros. The range should be large - Shenlan states 705 kilometers. Like all other range information in this article, measured in the Chinese CLTC cycle (China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle), which is more like the old NEDC than the somewhat more demanding WLTP.,
By far the most expensive version of the SL03 has one fuel cell, the 160 kW motor and the lithium iron phosphate battery with 28.4 kWh. For this, however, customers have to put at least 101,300 euros on the table. In return, every kilometer driven should only cost three cents. Shenlan specifies the hydrogen consumption as 0.65 kg per 100 kilometers.The top version should be able to travel up to 730 kilometers before the tank has to be refilled. But the acquisition costs alone make it clear that this is more a lighthouse project to illustrate the technical possibilities than a real option for the end user. According to the manufacturer, total sales of the model should level off at 15,000 units per month. Sounds like big ambitions for an unknown brand? Just this much: In the first 30 minutes after the start of the order, Shenlan has already sold 10,000 SL03 according to their own statements.
However, it is not known whether the model will also come to Europe. Most recently, Changan announced in 2020 that he wanted to launch the Crossover Uni-T on the European market. The manufacturer is already active in more than 40 countries and is a strategic partner of Ford in the home market.,
Conclusion
The Chinese carmaker Changan is positioning the Shenlan sub-brand with the SL03 compact sedan. It is intended to attract customers as an electric car with or without a range extender among Tesla Model 3 fans. For a little more than 31,000 euros, there is already more than 700 kilometers of electric range.
