Okay, so, I’ve been seeing these little electric cars called “Changli” all over the internet, and they’re crazy cheap, like, under a thousand bucks. I had to see what the deal was. I did a bit of digging and found out that a company called Electric Import Motors (EIM) was bringing them into the country. Turns out, there was a waiting list about six months long! I thought, “What the heck, I’ll throw my name on the list.”
Fast forward a few months, and I got the call. My Changli was ready! I had to pick it up from a warehouse a few hours away. When I got there, it was just sitting there among a bunch of other crates. They helped me load it into my truck, and I was off.
Now, the base price was around $930, but it didn’t come with batteries. I had to buy five 12V lead-acid batteries separately, which added another couple of hundred to the price. So, all in, it was about $1,200. Still incredibly cheap for an electric car, right?
Getting it home was an adventure. This thing is tiny, and it felt weird driving it on the regular road. It’s definitely not meant for highways! I mostly used it for short trips around town, running errands, and stuff like that.
Here’s the thing about the Changli: it’s basic. Don’t expect any fancy features. It’s got a steering wheel, pedals, seats, and that’s about it. No air conditioning, no radio, not even power windows! But you know what? It gets the job done.
- Pros:
- Super cheap
- Easy to park
- Zero emissions
- No more gas stations
- Cons:
- Slow
- Not very safe
- Limited range
- No frills
Final verdict
Would I recommend the Changli? Honestly, it depends. If you need a simple, cheap way to get around town, and you don’t mind sacrificing comfort and speed, then it might be worth it. But if you’re looking for a real car to drive long distances or on the highway, this is definitely not it. It’s more like a glorified golf cart, but hey, it’s a conversation starter for sure! I sold it eventually because I needed something more practical, but it was a fun little experiment while it lasted.
