I’m unsure if you happen to might actually name it a legit SUV, however these fun-looking little Chinese language electrical automobiles may simply be an fascinating different to the automotive bloat clogging the streets of cities all over the world.

Oh, and so they make a superb entry for this week’s Awesomely Bizarre Alibaba Electrical Car of the Week.

I stumbled throughout these $2,600 gems whereas perusing Alibaba, and one of many first issues to catch my eye was the “street-legal” moniker within the title.

Based mostly on a number of years spent elbow-deep within the Chinese language electrical micro-car trade, I can let you know these most likely aren’t street-legal in a lot of the world, and should not even be street-legal in China. However there are nonetheless many localities (each within the US and worldwide) that make their very own exceptions for pint-sized EVs like these. So if you’re fortunate sufficient to stay in an space that has friendlier golf cart and NEV legal guidelines, or just play your playing cards proper on a busy day on the DMV, you may simply be capable of slip one in every of these out onto the streets.

In fact, don’t anticipate that marketed $2,600 worth to carry up for very lengthy. When you add the battery, freight, taxes, customs brokers, port charges, and different importing bills, you’ll most likely be taking a look at a number of instances that determine. However hey, tiny electrical SUVs aren’t precisely rising on timber round right here, both.

At beneath 11 toes lengthy, this sucker can be simpler to park than an previous VW Beetle and a heck of much more distinctive, too!

It’s received a reasonably spartan four-seater inside but additionally a couple of good options, comparable to fold-down rear seats for extra cargo house.

The 40 km/h (25 mph) high pace means it is going to be restricted to golf cart-style native errand operating, however you most likely received’t need to be driving this on a lot quicker streets than that anyway. Let’s simply say it’s not prone to have the identical degree of crash safety as, nicely, absolutely anything.

However security isn’t your solely downside. There’s additionally the difficulty of even getting one right here from China. I came upon the laborious method that importing tiny Chinese language electrical automobiles will not be simple, and I’m unsure the manufacturing facility has a great plan for even transferring these round domestically. They appear to assume 5 can match behind a tractor-trailer, although if I had the selection then I’d most likely like to decide on the primary automobile out of the trailer after that packing job.

I’m not saying that everybody within the US might immediately commerce of their outsized, chubby Rivian for one in every of these. However I’m saying that if we had choices like these, then maybe fewer individuals would assume they want a 7,000 lb automobile to go purchase a jug of milk.

As golf carts, NEVs, and different micro-cars slowly grow to be extra in style within the US, right here’s to hoping we will lastly see extra fascinating choices like these in our cities!