SAIC Motor’s pure electric car, the Roewe E50, has made it into the Beijing new-energy vehicle catalog, together with four other pure EVs, giving the municipal government’s nod to a total of seven EV brands. This second issue of the manufacturer and product catalog of Beijing’s new-energy vehicles program came out on March 10, with SAIC Motor’s Roewe E50, BYD-Daimler Denza, Brilliance-BMW Zinoro 1E, Beijing Auto C70G and JAC iEV being the five latest brands to be added, joining the BYD e6 and Beijing Auto E150EV, which appeared in the first issue.

Beijing residents who buy these EV brands have access to a special lucky license plate draw for new energy vehicles, as well as state and local government subsidies.

In mid-February, the Beijing New Energy Vehicle Industry Association published its rules for carmakers and car products as part of Beijing’s new energy car program. EVs are expected to have a minimum range between charges of at least 80 kilometers, a top speed of at least 100 km/h, a 30-minute maximum speed of at least 90 km/h, and 0-50 km/h acceleration time of not more than 6 seconds. There are other performance criteria as well, including safety and after-sales service rules.

The Roewe E50 is China’s first A00-Class compact pure-electric in mass production. SAIC Motor developed the car on its own and holds the patent. These cars are the result of a brand-new production line for pure EVs, with a top speed of 130 km/h and range between charges of 120 km/h at normal temperature, which can easily satisfy most urbanites’ needs.

The battery can be charged with standard 220V, SAIC says, without specifying how long it takes for a full charge. Fast charging takes just 30 minutes, for 80 percent, it claims. The Roewe E50 has a system to protect against high voltage power and all its high-voltage devices are dust and water resistant, with IP67 Certification. The car is part of the New Car Assessment Program, which guarantees the safety of the electric car.