Ora Good Cat EV better to subscribe or buy now?

Even before it is launched it is already ready for subscription.

 By now most of you would have heard of a car called the ‘Ora Good Cat’. Do not ask us why its name is so strange, as this is a Chinese car manufacturer and their vehicle or product names mostly never make sense in the English speaking world. Well, ‘cat lovers’ will be happy to take ownership of this model.

Meanwhile, let's look closer at this Ora Good Cat. This is a full electric car with a 63.1 kw/h battery pack that is estimated to deliver 500 km of driving distance at its best. It is a 5 seat, 4 door hatchback with a design that mimics the retired Volkswagen Beetle. 

This electric car comes with leather seats, navigation, climate control, adaptive headlights, blind spot assist, lane keep assist, park assist, brake assist, Bluetooth connectivity (but no Apple or android features) and all for an estimated selling price from RM 130,000 (which is the tax free import allowance right now).

This makes the Ora Good Cat the lowest priced electric car on sale in Malaysia right now. So, recently, car subscription provider FLUX advertised the Ora Good Cat in their offering at a price of just RM 1,750 (original price was double at RM 3,500).  

At this price the mileage allowance is a generous 1,250 kilometers a month and includes insurance, road tax and 24/7 breakdown service, plus the ability to swap cars (if you are not happy with the EV experience). Before you take up this offer, there is also an upfront fee of RM 3,708.00. This means your first year investment will be RM 42,208 (1,750 X 12 and + 3,708).  

What is not mentioned in the FLUX deal is your EV charging issues. If you live in a condominium, where will you charge your Ora Good Cat battery pack overnight? If you live in a landed property you will need to buy a EV Wall Charging box (costs between RM 4,000 to RM 7,000 including installation).

If you plan to use public charging facilities only, it can be risky as you need to ensure you have access when needed. 

Then there is a first year cost of RM42k. Is it worth the effort? Especially with a new car brand. Have you got confidence in its EV after sales? Will FLUX be ready to offer you a swap EV when there is an issue or you will be given a petrol powered car as a swap?

Should you instead look at renting an EV first? Well, Hertz Rental recently hinted that they will be offering the Hyundai Kona EV for rental from June 2022 (which is this month) no price has been shared, but with a rental, the fees are lower to start and you can take a short term rental (say 3 months) to see if you can live with a EV in Malaysia with your housing situation and look at the viability of charging and use against a petrol powered car before making the FLUX investment.

Sure, being first, an early adopter, is trendy and an Instagram favorite, but an EV is not a toy to play with. You need to understand charging, facilities and also availability unless you have a spare petrol or diesel powered car in your house.  

Also read: UK gets its share of cute car with the ‘Funky Cat’