Cheap Chinese electric cars: Geely E2, test, range and price

We drove the car best-selling in Chinawhich is therefore also the most popular Chinese electric in the world. Under the Great Wall he has three names, namely Geome, Xingyuan or Ex2, but for his arrival in Italy in autumn he will choose a fourth, namely E2. Measure 413 cm long and it is a traditional two-volume city car, capable of taking the place that for decades belonged to the Fiat Punto and Ford Fiesta. In our country it will have a price on the wire 20 thousand eurosbut it is not at all a cheaply made model, from an unknown brand. The group makes it Geelythe Chinese car company that is decidedly the most international of all. At its headquarters in Hangzhou Gazzetta Motori went to discover a story much bigger than the car that tells it. In 14 months since its debut, in January 2025, 600 thousand copies of the Geely EX2 were sold, appreciated for its solid construction and good road holding, certainly not for the shocking digital special effects, which in fact are completely missing. It represents the Chinese car that has become adult in its own way, which is not created to show off on social media and which does not have a low price list, but rather works on quality and simplicity.

1Design

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Geely is not just any manufacturer at all. The EX2, or rather E2 as we will later know it, is a car built in a modern way, using a mechanical and electronic platform, called Gea (Global intelligent Electric Architecture) of such a modular level that it forms the basis for much larger cars. So this is not a small car, but rather a successful exercise in reducing costs and dimensions, starting from a higher level. The car measures 413 cm longi.e. 14 more than the Fiat Grande Panda, compared to which it however maintains practically identical width and height, at 180 and 157 cm respectively. The difference with the Italian is clearly felt in the distance between the front and rear wheels, which for the Geely measures 265 cm, or 11 more. Ultimately, the E2 is a very faithful photograph of what it was B-segment city car absolutely classic, also played with the intelligence of enveloping shapes, headlights integrated into the soft profile of the front and the bonnet, large but not particularly sloping.

The E2, at least in its edition for the Chinese market, sports pastel colors and a black paint job for the roof that extends towards the tail, also designed in delicate lines. It is not a breakthrough model, it remains far removed from the abundance of edges chosen by other manufacturers to characterize even more compact cars. There quality of the assemblies it is high, except for some details that we will see modified on our market, such as the very low-performance plastic plate at the rear pillar. The 16” rims represent a good aesthetic compromise, the handles flush with the bodywork are a refinement, the seals on the doors can be improved in terms of sealing.

2Interior

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The idea of ​​a small car “bare inside” and with minimal equipment spoke of the beginning of mass motorization in China, but it is now a distant past, which Geely has never experienced. It has never built European cars in the country at the end of its career, under license, but rather has invested over the years in its own network of style centers which also includes the Geely Innovation Design Center in Milan. The new E2 destined for Italy could have slightly different interiors from those planned for the EX2 we encountered in Hangzhou, but the premises are already quite convincing. I immediately like the consistency of the coatings and plastics used for the finishes, without creaking. The lines are smooth, with a large central tunnel between the front seats with a “bridge” shape, i.e. with a large storage compartment in the lower part. The main instrumentation is presented in a display behind the steering wheel, unfortunately only adjustable in height, while the 14” central screen it is animated by an Android system that is rather quick in operation, but which will have to be completely rethought, considering a chaotic organization of windows and menus for our habits.

From here on, the sensations are those of a much more spacious car than the external dimensions suggest, with a perfectly flat floor to house the batteries and plenty of room for the rear passengers. Geely EX2 performs the task of a family car well, without aesthetic excesses and instead with pleasant practical surprises, namely the 375 litres of capacity assisted by a large tailgate. Under the front bonnet there is an additional 70 liter compartment for the charging cable, a valuable solution in this category of cars.

3Test in Preview

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The fact that EX2/E2 is born on the Gea modular platform will reserve some surprises, starting with the possible derivation of a full hybrid variant dedicated to Europe, a detail that Geely has not denied at all. To date, the car is however only electricin two versions created for China and which in our eyes still need to be explained. The engine is always in the rear position, as is the traction, while the batteries use LFP, lithium-iron-phosphate chemistry, like most city cars, including those of European production. These are less expensive batteries than those of the NMC, nickel-manganese-cobalt type, but with a lower energy density, i.e. a lower capacity and therefore a lower mileage for the same weight and dimensions. Geely EX2/E2 in the basic version uses 30.1 kWh batteries for a range of approximately 312 km, however measured according to the all too permissive Chinese CLTC cycle, decidedly less realistic than our WLTP. Also considering the power of the electric motor limited to 58 kW/79 HP, we can exclude its arrival in Italy. Geely will focus on the second variant, the 85 kW/115 HP one which adopts 40.1 kWh accumulators, credited in China with an autonomy of 401 km, i.e. 300 km measurable in European terms.

This is the Geely EX2 that we had the opportunity to drive in Hangzhou, a short test that nevertheless provided the answers we needed. The insulation of the passenger compartment from noises and vibrations deriving from driving is high, the solidity of the car is equally high, the set-up still shows the inevitable softness that the Chinese market likes, not very suitable for our driving style, but both the speed of the steering and the general balance of the car are a good premise for a stiffening of the suspension that better suits our tastes. Geely EX2 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 130 km/h. We like the rear-wheel drive characteristic, with a weight distribution that makes the car neutral but also a slight hint of oversteer, with the rear slightly widening when forced. It will be more laborious to achieve a European taste on the brakes, which are certainly effective, but which transmit little in response and do not keep up the pace of a high general agility, even through extremely tight bends.