GWM ORA, the innovative and fashionable “Pure Electric Vehicle” from GWM, introduces a new era for GWM in South Africa by bringing a fresh new approach to electric mobility with the official launch of the new GWM ORA 03.
Having already wowed the local car buying public with sneak previews at the NAMPO Harvest Day in May and the 2023 Festival of Motoring event at the Kyalami racetrack in August, the new GWM ORA 03 – presently the most affordable EV in the country – has also been selected as a 2023 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards (#CarsAwards) finalist in the newly created affordable EV (Electric Vehicles below R1.3 million) category.
“With ORA 03, we are introducing a new era for GWM locally, as we want to be part of the shift towards EV and a greener, sustainable future. We want to offer our customers a range of mobility solutions, from ICE, HEV to EV, and ORA is the product that will be driving our EV ambitions.” says Bianca van Staden, Head of Marketing, Brand & PR for HAVAL Motors South Africa.
“As part of the introduction of the all-electric GWM ORA 03 we will also offer ORA customers charging solutions through our connectiveCARE programme,” says Van Staden. To make their EV ownership experience more convenient, our 20 dedicated ORA dealers countrywide will be offering GWM 7kW home charging wallbox solutions.
The GWM ORA 03 boasts impressive passenger safety credentials as well, being named the safest car in its class by Euro NCAP in 2022 standard and achieving a five-star rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) with scores of 92% for Adult Occupant Protection, 84% for Child Occupant Protection, 74% for Vulnerable Road User Protection (pedestrians and cyclists), and 93% for its Safety Assist technology.
Step into the future
GWM ORA offers much more than just cars: it stands for fashion, lifestyle, design, pop culture as well as urban culture, sharing and the joie de vivre of young, creative, and progressive people. “User centricity” is GWM ORA’s maxim – and the brand was developed from the beginning together with those who will drive the cars.
This is evident as soon as you step into the new GWM ORA 03. A blend of old-world charisma and advanced technology, the exterior styling seamlessly marries timeless charm with contemporary flair. Its distinctive round headlights evoke nostalgic feelings while its teardrop shape and streamlined side profile adds modern aerodynamics to the eclectic mix. The unique tailgate design at the rear distinctly set the GWM ORA 03 apart from the EV crowd.
However, there is more than meets the eye on the curvaceous exterior design, and it includes advanced and practical features such as:
- An active air intake front grille for optimised performance,
- Intelligent LED headlamps, paired with a Follow-Me-Home system and Daytime Running Lights,
- A LED taillight and rear fog lamp to ensure visibility, and
- Electrically adjustable ORVMs equipped with turn signals, a testament to the GWM ORA 03’s commitment to technology and convenience.
Each curve and design element (courtesy of a design team lead by former Porsche designer Emanuel Derta) comes together to form a sensual and elegant whole, making the GWM ORA 03 a joy to behold. It can be personalised with a palette of exterior colours, including Hamilton White, Sun Black, Mars Red, HR Blue, EM Beige, L5 Green, LB Green and KU Grey (ORA 03 400 Super Luxury only).
The GWM ORA 03 range
The GWM ORA 03 range consists of four models – the 300 Super Luxury, the 400 Super Luxury the 400 Ultra Luxury and the 400 GT Ultra Luxury – all powered by a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor delivering 126 kW and 250 Nm of peak torque to the front wheels. Weighing only 1 555kg, this allows the GWM ORA 03 to dash from 0-100 km/h in 8.5 seconds and reach a top speed of just under 160 km/h.
Coupled with a 48kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery, the electric motor in the entry-level standard-range 300 Super Luxury delivers a consumption of 16.7kWh/100 km for a range of up to 310 km (WLTP cycle). The extended range 400 Super Luxury employs a 63kWh nickel-manganese cobalt battery with a consumption of 16.5kWh/100 km to deliver a range of up to 420 km (WLTP cycle).
This is similar to the figures indicated for the fully equipped 400 Ultra Luxury, with the flagship 400 GT Ultra Luxury delivering a range of up to 400 km (WLTP cycle) due to a slightly higher battery consumption (16.8kWh/100 km), giving the new GWM ORA 03 easily the best Range-Per-Rand of any Electric Vehicle in South Africa.
Recharging of the smaller battery in the 300 Super Luxury from 10% to 89% with a 64kW DC charge will take around 50 minutes and for the extended range 400 GT Ultra Luxury it will take about an hour. With an 11kW AC charger it will take around 5.5 hours to completely recharge the smaller battery in the 300 Super Luxury.
Taking into consideration a rate of around R3.50 per kWh for AC home charging, it will cost an owner approximately R170 to R250 to fully charge his or her GWM ORA 03. Using DC fast charging at a rate of R5,00 to R5.80 per kWh, the cost for a full charge will be around R250 to R300.
Given the current price of petrol (R23.44 per litre) and diesel (R24.16 per litre) versus electricity (R2.50 per kWh), and using a consumption figure of 5 litres/100 km for petrol and diesel driven Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars respectively, compared to 16 kWh per 100 km for the ORA EVs, the cost-per-kilometre for an EV such as the GWM ORA 03 will be R0.40 per kilometre travelled, versus R1.17 per kilometre for a petrol driven car, and R1.00 per kilometre for a diesel car (at current rates).
Considering this, as well as the competitive retail prices for the range (see below), the GWM ORA 03 presents a highly affordable and cost-effective package (around 70% less than ICE) when compared to similarly sized Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles in terms of cost of ownership, while also not releasing any harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.
Immersive interior
The interior of the ORA 03 immerses you in an environment that expertly combines high-quality, vegan-friendly materials with sheer luxury and palpable attention to detail, resonating a refined taste that sets this EV apart from the rest. Two 10.25-inch touchscreens are seamlessly integrated into the front panel, with every function just a touch away.
A standout feature is the rotary-style gear selector, ensuring a modern and intuitive approach to gear selection. The infotainment system with Apple CarPlay compatibility (and Android Auto compatibility coming soon), ensures permanent connectivity, even on the move, and with automatic remote software updates the vehicle keeps evolving to make sure you have the latest features at your fingertips.
Standard equipment on the ORA 03 Super Luxury models includes:
- 18-inch alloy wheels,
- LED headlights,
- A 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster,
- A 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system,
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto,
- A wireless phone charger,
- Leatherette seats,
- A six-way power driver’s seat,
- A four-way power passenger seat,
- Electric anti-glare interior rear-view mirror surround-view camera,
- Adaptive cruise control, and
- Rear parking sensors.
Added equipment in the ORA 03 400 Ultra Luxury models includes:
- An electric powered tailgate,
- A panoramic sunroof,
- A six-way powered driver’s seat with memory,
- Heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, and
- Power-folding mirrors with memory.
Moving to the ORA 03 400 GT Ultra Luxury adds:
- Unique 18-inch alloy wheels,
- Unique bumpers and grille,
- A powered hands-free tailgate,
- A panoramic sunroof,
- Red brake callipers,
- Driver’s seat memory, and
- Automated parking.
Riding on GWM’s dedicated electric vehicle only ME platform, the GWM ORA 03 measures 4 235mm long, 1 825mm wide, and 1 603mm tall, with a 2 650mm wheelbase. The roomy five-seater offers 228 litres of luggage space (with the rear seats fixed in position) expanding to 858 litres with the rear seats folded down.
Safety Systems
The bespoke suspension for the front-wheel drive ORA 03 consists of MacPherson struts in front and a vertical arm torsion beam, giving the GWM ORA 03 good ride and handling qualities. Four driving modes — Standard, ECO, Sport, Auto and ECO+ — can be selected via the drive mode selector, and the electric power steering (EPS) system has three selections: Light, Comfort and Sport.
Standard safety equipment in all the models includes:
- Dual SRS Airbags, Front Side Airbags, Side Curtain Airbags and Front Centre Airbag,
- ISOFIX,
- Front and Rear Seat Belt Unfastened Warning,
- A Secondary Collision Mitigation (SCM),
- Tyre Pressure Monitor Sensor,
- Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS),
- Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD),
- Traction Control System (TCS),
- Roll Movement Intervention (RMI),
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC),
- A tyre repair kit, and
- Keyless Entry on the driver’s side.
The ORA 03 400 GT Ultra Luxury also has Launch Control, and standard Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems in all the models include:
- Traffic-Sign Recognition,
- Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA),
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Intelligent Cruise Control (ICA),
- Traffic Jam Assist (TJA),
- Intelligent Turning Control (ITC),
- Auto Emergency Braking – Pedestrian & Cyclist Detection (AEB, AEB-P/B),
- Auto Emergency Braking Intersection Assist,
- Lane-Change Assist (LCA),
- Lane-Departure Warning (LDW),
- Lane-Keeping Assist (LKA) and Lane-Central Keeping (LCK),
- Emergency Lane-Keeping (ELK),
- Rear Cross-Traffic Assistant (RCTA) & Rear Cross-Traffic Brake (RCTB),
- Front-Collision Warning (FCW) & Rear-Collision Warning (RCW),
- A 360° Panoramic Camera,
- Door Open Warning (DOW), and
- Auto Door Lock & Auto Unlock when Collision Occurs.
The ORA 03 400 Ultra Luxury also has Front Radar Auto Turn On at Low Speed,
Automatic Parking Assist and Reverse Memory Assist, and standard for ORA 03 400 GT Ultra Luxury only is Front Cross-Traffic Assistant (FCTA) and Front Cross-Traffic Brake (FCTB).
