I have absolutely no idea what I’m looking at, and yet I already know I’m in love with this hilarious little electric car from Alibaba.
Last week’s entry in the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week may have frightened me, but this week’s little electric car thing tickles that “why don’t I have this in my life?” part of my brain that my wife hasn’t been able to train out of me yet.
I’m not quite sure what to call this electric car from Xi’an Lingstar Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd.
Technically, the product name is listed as the “EEC Hot Sell 2Seats Car Electric Adult Prowl Patrol Sightseeing Police Golf Car Made In China for Sale.”
But that seems like a bit of a mouthful.
The model number is M15, so let’s stick with that.
The Lingstar M15 may not be the sexiest car on the road, but it has a certain charm to it that I think can work for me.
You guys can go ahead and show off with your electric sports cars. I’ll pick up the ladies in my electric short car.
If the bright yellow paint job doesn’t get people’s attention, then the creativity sure will.
This thing looks like the designers went all Frankenstein on us, chopping together the front end of a Miata with the back half of a Willys Jeep, then tying it all together with the handrail from a swimming pool ladder.
And if you think the design is awesome (which of course you do, you’re breathing), then just check out the interior. Things get even weirder when you head inside.
There’s no steering wheel; instead, the M15 offers us motorcycle-style handlebars.
You might laugh, but from here, it’s only a stone’s throw away from a Tesla butterfly steering wheel. It’s even stalkless, just like Tesla’s wheel! That makes me an early adopter, folks.
The hard plastic bucket seats look like they were produced in an actual bucket factory. They seem to be as comfortable as an empty bathtub, but of course, I wasn’t expecting luxury vegan leather.
And while it might not offer high-end upholstery, at least you can clean the inside of the car with a garden hose — so there’s that.
The M15 offers left-side drive, just like God intended cars to be, but for some reason, the seat belts are backwards.
I guess I shouldn’t complain, though, and I should just be thankful it even has seat belts. Considering it looks like a wall fell off a bumper car ride and one escaped, any real road safety equipment was already going to be a long shot.
That being said, this definitely isn’t just a toy car. It’s not one of those measly little 50 km/h (31 mph) electric cars we often see on Alibaba.
No siree, Bob! This one goes up to a whole 55 km/h (34 mph).
Granted, the rear-wheel-drive 4 kW electric motor was never going to take the checkered flag, but that’s fine by me. When you’ve got a car that looks this good, you’ll definitely want to slow down and let the people see it as you roll by.
What the M15 lacks in motor power, it makes up for in battery capacity. My little yellow hot rod here hides away a big ol’ 72V 80Ah lithium-ion battery with 5.76 kWh of capacity. That’s not bad at all!
Lingstar claims a max range of 150 km (93 miles), though at a crawling speed of 20 km/h (12 mph). Even at full speed, it might give a used Nissan Leaf a run for its money.
And you could even double your range for barely a thousand bucks with one of these AliExpress batteries.
Check out that trunk, too. It’s got more space than a Lincoln Continental!
I know this thing is only a two seater, but you could carry a couple passengers back there in a pinch.
The only downside with the M15 — OK, fine, one of the few downsides with the M15 — is the price. This little EV costs a steep $5,400. Ouch. At that price, I might need to stick with my $1,700 electric mini-Jeep.
Or perhaps that three-wheeled electric RV will hold me over until I find my perfect Alibaba-mobile.
If you happen upon your own awesomely weird Alibaba electric vehicle, feel free to send me a link (my contact info is in my author bio below). It just may get featured in a future installment of the Awesomely Weird Alibaba EV of the Week!
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