JAC E30X City: Electric entry made easy

Clever from the JAC designers: Somehow you like the little speedster from China straight away. The googly-eyed headlights are reminiscent of a cool Mini or an older generation Nissan Micra and make us immediately like the 4.03 meter long and 1.77 meter wide JAC E30X City. The LED ballet of headlights and daytime running lights as a welcome feature is amusing, but perhaps no longer necessarily with an aha effect. Even though many electric vehicles are popular for their good aerodynamics, the retractable door handles on the JAC are rather impractical and fiddly.

Once inside, you take a seat in a small car that is surprisingly spacious for its exterior dimensions. Even in the rear, there is plenty of legroom and headroom. And with 310 liters, the trunk is also quite appealing. The cockpit is very clearly laid out, with a lot of hard plastic, but solidly finished. There are only buttons on the steering wheel, and the controls - including for the light and climate settings - are operated via the central 15.6-inch touchscreen. This takes some getting used to and is not ideal if you have to scroll through menus while driving. On the positive side, unlike many new cars, the Chinese electric car didn't annoy us with countless obtrusive assistance warnings.

The electric drive with 100 kW/136 hp and 175 Nm gets the front-wheel drive vehicle up to speed quickly. It goes from 0 to 100 km/h in around 8 seconds and has a top speed of 150 km/h. This is fun and is sufficient for everyday use. In terms of ride comfort, the JAC feels a little bumpy and should also iron out minor bumps better. On the other hand, with a turning circle of 9.9 meters, it is very manoeuvrable and excellent to park. The 1440-kilogram city runabout also scores highly in terms of fuel consumption. With its 41 kWh battery, it manages 293 km in Eco mode, where it accelerates rather slowly, according to the WLTP. In city traffic, it should even be up to 410 km. The electric car should officially need around 15.9 kWh/100 km, but we easily managed this with just 14.4 kWh in the test.

At the charging station, the E30X City is also more reserved than others, as DC fast charging is only possible at 60 kW. This means that 30 minutes must be allowed for 20 to 80 percent, and correspondingly more for 100 percent. But with a price of just CHF 16,989, a 6-year or 150,000 km factory warranty and an 8-year or 150,000 km warranty for the battery and EV motor, compromises have to be made somewhere. But even so, the JAC remains an attractive entry-level electric vehicle.

Expert opinion JAC E30X City

The Chinese Stromer offers plenty of space and range for its price. Although it has to make concessions in terms of driving comfort and user-friendliness, where it is a tad too digitally infatuated, it is certainly worth considering.

Advantages
+ Plenty of space for its compact exterior dimensions
+ Attractive design, cool welcome light
+ An attractive price for an electric car with a range of over 300 km

Disadvantages
- Ride comfort could be better
- Operation (including lights and air conditioning) via touchscreen only