BMW News

Remember when China had a reputation of making really cheap, bad copies of stuff? It appears that some Chinese entrepreneurs are having a hard time letting that go.

Gaze upon the Jinma JMW2200 low-speed electric vehicle (LSEV), as it was introduced recently at the Shandong EV Expo. Look closely; it’s a real car, not a Hot Wheels model. Sorry, we meant no offense to Mattel.

Close up or far away, it’s clear that the Jinma is not a BMW i3, despite what it’s designers intended. The car is made by the Qingzhou Da Jinma Motorcycle Corporation, which started by making bicycles, then motorized tricycles, then electric tricycles, and now low-speed electric vehicles.

The JMW2200 has a small 3 Kw electric motor powering a lead-acid battery that pushes the vehicle to a top speed of 31 miles per hour. Range is about 80 miles, but from a 220-volt outlet, it takes seven hours for a full charge. MSRP is $4,023 so it is about $40,000 cheaper than a real i3, but you can be pretty certain it will not be for sale in the U.S.

Sure, imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery, and we really have no problem with companies in China trying to make a buck. In fact, we applaud that they are trying to build a green car company. Perhaps in their world, making their cars look like BMWs will improve their sales. Still pretty cheesy, though.—Scott Blazey


[Photos courtesy of CarNewsChina.com]