Photo: alibaba
The electric revolution might be coming, but it’s not likely to reach Bugatti within the next 10 years, at least as far as full electrification goes. Since we’re not going to get a full-electric Bugatti (or an SUV) in that timeframe, what is one to do for options?
Of course, one could always choose any other marque. If we’re being honest, there are plenty of full-electric options to pick and choose from, satisfying all budgets and all tastes. But for that decided Bugatti feel, which includes the unmistakable Bugatti styling and the prestige that comes with owning one such automobile, this electric vehicle wants to be an option. “Wants” is the keyword here.
This is called the Shandong Qilu Fengde P8, and it’s meant to be a Bugatti replica. Even “replica” is a way of an overstatement because it’s basically a low-speed electric vehicle (LSEV), a golf-kart-like vehicle in the poorest Bugatti disguise ever. It also happens to be trending again, as it does every year or so since its 2018 release when it reemerges on social media.
Much like the world-famous Changli, which was touted as the world’s cheapest EV after it was imported into the U.S. from China, the glorious P8 also emerged on Alibaba. Unlike the Changli, it is more expensive, with pricing starting at $4,500, but that’s the Bugatti touch for you.
Unlike the real Bugatti, the P8 doesn’t require a driver’s license to operate and, why yes, runs on batteries. An electric motor developing 3.35 hp (*three point thirty-five, this is not a typo) is mated to a 72V lead-acid battery that takes 10 full hours to charge and yields a range of 93 miles (150 km). Top speed is a blistering 31 mph (50 kph). Its performance is obviously a hilarious joke compared to that of a real Bugatti, but it beats biking to and from work, right?
Inside, there’s a touchscreen infotainment display and a digital instrument panel, and a “sporty” steering wheel, and that’s about it. You get red (and poorly cut) carpets and, perhaps more impressively, seating for four people. Do that in a real Bugatti if you can. It’s true; the rear row is actually a very small bench more suitable for kids than full-grown adults, but still: four is four. You also get a decent-sized trunk, given the proportions of the thing.
The P8, this Internet legend that just won’t quit and that you probably knew nothing about until today, is clearly a very bad Bugatti replica. It’s a bad “car,” in the most basic sense. But it’s an option nonetheless, and it’s probably more comfortable than braving the elements on your bike.
This is called the Shandong Qilu Fengde P8, and it’s meant to be a Bugatti replica. Even “replica” is a way of an overstatement because it’s basically a low-speed electric vehicle (LSEV), a golf-kart-like vehicle in the poorest Bugatti disguise ever. It also happens to be trending again, as it does every year or so since its 2018 release when it reemerges on social media.
Much like the world-famous Changli, which was touted as the world’s cheapest EV after it was imported into the U.S. from China, the glorious P8 also emerged on Alibaba. Unlike the Changli, it is more expensive, with pricing starting at $4,500, but that’s the Bugatti touch for you.
Unlike the real Bugatti, the P8 doesn’t require a driver’s license to operate and, why yes, runs on batteries. An electric motor developing 3.35 hp (*three point thirty-five, this is not a typo) is mated to a 72V lead-acid battery that takes 10 full hours to charge and yields a range of 93 miles (150 km). Top speed is a blistering 31 mph (50 kph). Its performance is obviously a hilarious joke compared to that of a real Bugatti, but it beats biking to and from work, right?
Inside, there’s a touchscreen infotainment display and a digital instrument panel, and a “sporty” steering wheel, and that’s about it. You get red (and poorly cut) carpets and, perhaps more impressively, seating for four people. Do that in a real Bugatti if you can. It’s true; the rear row is actually a very small bench more suitable for kids than full-grown adults, but still: four is four. You also get a decent-sized trunk, given the proportions of the thing.
The P8, this Internet legend that just won’t quit and that you probably knew nothing about until today, is clearly a very bad Bugatti replica. It’s a bad “car,” in the most basic sense. But it’s an option nonetheless, and it’s probably more comfortable than braving the elements on your bike.
Google News