Wuling Mini EV GameBoy Is 100 Percent Electric And Awesome

The Chinese EV market keeps growing at a very high pace. In April alone, about 213,000 fully-electric vehicles and some 68,000 plug-in hybrids were delivered in the country, where the plug-in segment now accounts for about 29 percent of the entire market. The best-selling EV in China continues to be the Wuling Mini EV, of which 27,181 units were handed to customers in April alone. The year-to-date results show 127,542 sales for the small electric vehicle, giving it a comfortable lead over the second best-selling EV, the Tesla Model Y with 75,250 deliveries.

We talked about the Wuling Mini EV in March this year when the so-called GameBoy Edition was launched in China. It has four different versions, Hurricane Phantom, Jungle Traveler, Star Rover, and Party Sweetheart, each one of them featuring a slightly different exterior finish and a different wheelset. We can now see how this new affordable zero-emissions city car looks on the road thanks to a new video review by our friends from Wheelsboy车轮哥.

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The current Mini EV has changed a lot since the first version of the vehicle debuted, especially in this special edition version. There are new lights at the back and upfront, plus a sporty package with additions to the bumpers and side skirts. The proportions and the overall stance of the machine remain unchanged, though – a tall and narrow body with boxy edges and tiny 12-inch wheels. One funny detail worth noting is that this GameBoy edition doesn’t come as a result of a cooperation with Nintendo and has nothing to do with its Game Boy series.

The interior has been upgraded significantly but is still the same relatively cheap-looking and very tight space. The host of the video points out there’s now Bluetooth functionality added and a redesigned center console with new materials. The seats, despite the new fancier upholstery, are among “the least comfortable” on the market. 

Wuling's Chinese Range:

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The most important upgrades over the earlier versions are under the skin, though. This new Mini EV has 15 percent more power, now with a peak at 41 horsepower (30 kilowatts) and around 75 pound-feet (110 Newton-meters) of torque. Another huge improvement comes from the larger 26,5-kWh battery pack, which is good for as much as 186 miles (300 kilometers) at a single charge measured by the NEDC standard. The ride quality and the handling, however, are at the same mediocre level as the pre-facelift version.