Chinese EV Brand Ora To Bring Lightning Cat Sedan To UK In 2024

Great Wall Motor’s Ora EV brand has revealed a second model for the UK market after the Funky Cat compact hatchback.

The new model is a premium sedan that’s already on sale in China, where it’s called the Ora Lightning Cat. The UK version has been unveiled today in pre-production show vehicle form at the Fully Charged Live event in Farnborough, UK.

The electric sedan will compete with the Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 6, and other premium electric EVs when it goes on sale in the UK in the first quarter of 2024. 

Sharing the brand’s distinctive retro-futuristic design DNA, the Ora Lightning Cat – it might get a different name in the UK – is said to offer great levels of quality, technology and specification, as the brand seeks to cement its market position in the EV space.

While UK specifications and pricing will be announced in the coming months, GWM anticipates they will be competitive to brands like Tesla, Hyundai, and Kia.

The Chinese automaker anticipates its electric sedan will offer a driving range of over 300 miles WLTP. In China, the Ora sedan is sold with an 83-kilowatt-hour battery, which is likely to be offered in the UK as well.

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The Ora Lightning Cat will offer both two- and all-wheel-drive variants, with the latter producing 395 horsepower (294 kilowatts) and 501 pound-feet (680 Newton-meters) of torque in its most powerful guise. This particular variant is projected to accelerate from zero to 62 mph in around 4.4 seconds.

The pre-production show vehicle featured in the above photos will be used to conduct localized tests ahead of its UK launch later this year. GWM Ora says this particular car is only a representation of the final UK production version.

As shown on the pre-production car, Ora’s electric sedan is likely to offer premium features like a large glass panoramic roof, synthetic leather seats, and interior multi-color ambient lighting.

“The reveal of our next premium electric vehicle in the UK is a really momentous occasion for the brand. It signals the high level of commitment and investment from GWM ORA to establish itself as a leader in multiple segments across the UK. We always knew our first model, ORA Funky Cat, was just the start. There are lots more exciting things to come.”

Toby Marshall, Managing Director, GWM ORA UK

Customers will be able to place initial reservations for the new model at the Fully Charged Live show, with the first 10 buyers to receive limited edition concept art of the car and a bottle of champagne in a branded display box upon delivery of their new vehicle.

The brand launched its first model into the UK market, the Funky Cat First Edition, in November 2022. Additional variants of the compact EV, including with a bigger battery option, will debut later this year.