Electrifying GWM Ora

Pupkewtiz GWM has brought the electric Ora brand of automobiles from the GWM stable to Namibia for the first time, with the first demonstration model, the Ora 03 300, now on display at their showroom in Independence Avenue in the capital.

With its distinct exclamation mark logo, the Ora is designed to catch the eye and elicit nods of approval with its futuristic yet classic lines and perplexingly vintage feel. The Ora 03 300 is a fully electric automobile, which gives Pupkewitz GWM dealer principal Bianca Weakley goose bumps just talking about it. This car says “I am here, look at me!” in the most confident, seductive and yet understated way possible.

The charger port is located just above the front left 18-inch alloy rim wheel, and features both AC and DC ports, she explained. Two wall changers are mounted at the showroom, and in the garage in the back, allowing for accelerated charging of about six hours from completely empty to getting the battery fully charged. New owners receive a complimentary emergency charging cable with fittings to facilitate charging from an ordinary wall socket at home, taking between 12 and 16 hours to complete.

At full charge, the Ora 03 300 is capable of covering 310 kilometres.



Adorable Ora

Full LED headlamps are bright and smart, switching on and off automatically. Front and rear parking sensors are also standard, as well as the cameras which allow for a 360° view of the vehicle from the driver’s seat.

The seats and the dashboard are finished in beautiful two-tone imitation leather, gorgeously combining the interior colour and feel of eloquence. Simply put your foot on the brake pedal and the vehicle comes to life, with the multimedia screen to the left displaying your Bluetooth settings, the radio and the camera displays, while the screen to the right and behind the steering wheel shows the speedometer, vehicle information and charging status.

The engine is extremely quiet. When you arrive at your destination, you push a button to switch it off, and the display screens shut down when you open the doors. Use the key featuring lock, unlock and boot buttons to secure the car My.Na Cars people’s passenger princess Diana Master describes as “cute, adorable”.

Other interior creature comforts include the wireless cellphone charger, the USB and charger pair of ports, the round gear knob with which to shift between park, neutral and drive, and the auto-hold and parking brake lever. Extra storage space is available in the centre arm rest, while the service book and owners’ manual fits snugly in the cubby-hold.

More controls are mounted on the steering wheel and both sun visors are fitted with mirrors, so both driver and front passenger can make sure they look as good as the vehicle before getting out.



Plenty of room

Although the Ora seems compact from the outside, the leggy Master demonstrates that there is plenty of legroom and headroom to spare. Seats can be adjusted by fiddling with the automatic toggle switches and other convenient technological features include cruise control, automatic window wipers, lane keep assist, pre-crash emergency braking and a variety of airbags.

The 126kW power plant under the bonnet features orange colouring indicative of the most electrifying heavy duty wiring, and can be accessed by pulling a lever under the steering wheel.

At the rear, the Ora features lovely rounded curves, while the rear camera is mounted under the lip of the boot. Space is the boot is ample, and enlarged when folding down the back seats. The car comes equipped with a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a tyre repair kit, as there is no space for a spare wheel.

Be the first on your block to own an electric car by buying your Ora 03 300, starting from N$699 000. Financing options are available to help make this an electric vehicle that is accessible to most people’s pockets, according to Weakley.