Tesla, which is already struggling in China, may now find the market harder to crack. At an event on Sunday evening, Chinese startup Youxia Motors unveiled its first car, the all-electric Youxia X, reports Car News China.
Youxia X inspiration
Tesla should get some credit for the Youxia X’s design inspiration as the car looks similar to Model S. Along with Tesla, design cues have been picked up from Lexus, Audi and Maserati, says a report from Mashable.
Youxia’s car is heavily inspired by Knight Rider, an 80s TV show, where Michael Knight used intelligent Pontiac Firebird Trans Am called KITT. Though the vehicle was popular for many things, one feature that gathered the most attention was its lit-up red grille, says Mashable.
In the same way, the Youxia X is equipped with an LCD grille which can light up like KITT’s or can display other visuals such as a company logo. The Chinese car runs on Android 5.1 or KITT OS. The designer of the car is reported to be a big fan of Knight Rider. Similar to Renault’s Clio, the KITT OS allows the driver to choose engine sounds from available options such as Ferrari 488 GTB and the Jaguar F-Type.
Should Tesla be worried?
When it comes to the performance, the Youxia X may not match the top version of Model S, but the Chinese firm claims the car has an acceleration of zero to 62 mph in 5.6 seconds. The vehicle is equipped with a 348-horsepower electric motor, and will be offered in 40 kWh, 60 kWh or 85 kWh battery option. The X’s range around 167 miles with the biggest battery, and the car can be fully-charged in just a half hour at a Supercharger station.
Youxia is expected to commence production of the vehicle in late 2016, and begin deliveries at the start of 2017. This means it could come ahead of the Tesla Model 3. Including a government subsidy, the Chinese car will cost around $32,000 to $48,000, which puts it in competition with the Model 3.
Since Youxia is just a startup, it will be pretty hard for it to compete with an established firm like Tesla, which is already a global brand. The bold claims from the car maker must be taken with a pinch of salt as the car has yet to begin production.
