Photo: FreZe
The FreZe Nikrob history was as controversial as it was short. Leonard Yankelovich, the founder of DARTZ, established the company to sell a rebadged version of the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV in Europe. It was supposed to go on sale in August 2021, but the plans changed: the Nikrob is dead. FreZe will still sell an affordable EV in Europe, but Yankelovich said it would have a unique body. The first glimpse of this new car is the FreZe Froggy EV Beachstar.
If you are not familiar with the Froggy, it is based on the Hongguang Mini EV Cabriolet that Wuling started selling in China recently. Although it looks pretty similar to the original car, Yankelovich said that the only thing it shares with the Chinese vehicle is the platform and the LFP 13.8-kWh battery pack. The body does present very square lines, which are coherent with those flaunted by DARTZ vehicles.
Although the company only presented these images of the Froggy EV Beachstar, this is not a concept or a show car. The name is a tribute to DARTZ’s first vehicle, the Volkswagen Froggy. Yankelovich created this car in 1993 and presented it to Jim Rogers when the investor made its Millennium Adventure in 1999. Rogers co-founded the Soros Fund Management. You can see him and the original Froggy in our gallery.
Yankelovich wants to sell it to hotels, rental companies, car-sharing enterprises, and possibly also to regular customers. Prices will start at €19,999. “People need small, sexy, cheap, elegant, expensive-looking EV roadsters,” said the FreZe founder.
With the Froggy EV Beachstar, the company will also introduce the equivalent to the Hongguang Mini EV. Like DARTZ vehicles, it will have a long and fancy name: FreZe Cuvier’s Dwarf Kaiman. The idea is to present it as the electric little brother of the DARTZ Alligator.
The name is based on a South American reptile (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) called Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman. In Brazil, it is known as jacaré-anão or jacaré-paguá. Yankelovich believes buyers will eventually just call the vehicle FreZe Kaiman, which is sure to make Porsche complain. The FreZe founder already has a plan if that happens.
“Porsche is Cayman, FreZe is Kaiman, so I hope there will be no problem with Porsche. But, if there is, I will be happy.”
Yankelovich probably refers to the free publicity a Porsche lawsuit would generate for his tiny electric convertible. Right now, he is more focused on the Froggy EV Beachstar. After the Nikrob, it makes sense to worry about the Kaiman’s career only after its convertible brother reaches European customers.
Although the company only presented these images of the Froggy EV Beachstar, this is not a concept or a show car. The name is a tribute to DARTZ’s first vehicle, the Volkswagen Froggy. Yankelovich created this car in 1993 and presented it to Jim Rogers when the investor made its Millennium Adventure in 1999. Rogers co-founded the Soros Fund Management. You can see him and the original Froggy in our gallery.
Yankelovich wants to sell it to hotels, rental companies, car-sharing enterprises, and possibly also to regular customers. Prices will start at €19,999. “People need small, sexy, cheap, elegant, expensive-looking EV roadsters,” said the FreZe founder.
With the Froggy EV Beachstar, the company will also introduce the equivalent to the Hongguang Mini EV. Like DARTZ vehicles, it will have a long and fancy name: FreZe Cuvier’s Dwarf Kaiman. The idea is to present it as the electric little brother of the DARTZ Alligator.
The name is based on a South American reptile (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) called Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman. In Brazil, it is known as jacaré-anão or jacaré-paguá. Yankelovich believes buyers will eventually just call the vehicle FreZe Kaiman, which is sure to make Porsche complain. The FreZe founder already has a plan if that happens.
“Porsche is Cayman, FreZe is Kaiman, so I hope there will be no problem with Porsche. But, if there is, I will be happy.”
Yankelovich probably refers to the free publicity a Porsche lawsuit would generate for his tiny electric convertible. Right now, he is more focused on the Froggy EV Beachstar. After the Nikrob, it makes sense to worry about the Kaiman’s career only after its convertible brother reaches European customers.
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