autoevolution
 

ORA Punk Cat Is More Than an EV: It Is a Volkswagen Beetle on Steroids

The original Volkswagen Beetle was a very compact car. It was just 4.08 meters (160.6 inches) long and had a 2.40-m (94.5-in) wheelbase. ORA is not calling the Punk Cat a Beetle – especially because it is not a Volkswagen – but the inspiration is clear. Apart from being electric, the Punk Cat is also much larger than the car that gave it its looks.
ORA Punk Cat will be a massive electric car compared to the original Volkswagen Beetle 6 photos
Photo: Great Wall
ORA Punk Cat will be a massive electric car compared to the original Volkswagen BeetleORA Punk Cat will be a massive electric car compared to the original Volkswagen BeetleORA Punk Cat will be a massive electric car compared to the original Volkswagen BeetleORA Punk Cat will be a massive electric car compared to the original Volkswagen BeetleORA Punk Cat will be a massive electric car compared to the original Volkswagen Beetle
Thanks to the homologation process through the Chinese MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology), we now have pictures of the production version and technical specifications for the car. The information that it would be 4.40 m long was not correct.

The ORA Punk Cat is 4.75 m (187 in) long, 1.99 m (78.4 in) wide, 1.73 m (68.1 in) tall, and has a massive wheelbase of 2.92 m (115 in). If you have not connected the dots with the numbers alone, the Beetle on steroids is as long as a Tesla Model Y, as wide as an Audi e-tron GT, as tall as a Subaru Forester, and has the same wheelbase as a first-generation Porsche Panamera.

This is probably why Great Wall is not concerned with a lawsuit for copyright infringement coming from Volkswagen. Being so large, the electric copycat would make the original Beetle look like a toy next to it. Its smallest tires will be 225/50 R20, and the largest ones will be 265/45 R21! Unfortunately, the size of its battery pack and its range were not disclosed. We only know that it has CATL ternary batteries, not LFP – another piece of evidence that it will not be an affordable machine.

The cherry on the top of the differences between the ORA Punk Cat and its German inspiration is the power it presents. Great Wall gave its new creation an electric motor from United Electronic that delivers 220 kW (295 hp).

As we warned our readers in July 2021, Great Wall already has patents for the Punk Cat in Europe and in China. While its sales in the company’s home market will start in a few months, we have no idea when Great Wall will sell its vehicles in the Old Continent. For European standards, the Punk Cat may end up being too big.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories