There's a whole heck of a lot we don't know about the Qiantu K50, but what we do know sounds awfully intriguing. Thing is, a lot of interesting vehicles are announced, displayed, and discussed-to-death on these here interwebs, and the majority of them never actually see the light of day. The Qianto K50, at least, is making an official production-spec debut at the 2019 New York Auto Show, and we're looking forward to seeing it in person.
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| © Qiantu K50 by Mullen Technologies |
We've actually sort of seen this vehicle before – virtually, at least – most recently in December of last year when parent company CH-Auto announced its intentions to sell its two-door electric sports car in the United States. At the time, the Chinese automaker said it had partnered with an American firm called Mullen that would assemble the vehicle and sell it in the States. It's that Americanized vehicle that's debuting in New York.
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| © Qiantu K50 by Mullen Technologies |
If you're wondering how Mullen Technologies came into the picture, well, you're not alone. The company owns a few vehicle dealerships in California, as well as a platform called Carhub that appears to match prospective car buyers with their ideal automotive match, from the research phase straight through to purchase. Mullen also claims to be "working with several global OEM partners to provide exciting EV options that will fit perfectly into the American consumer's lives." One of those partners, obviously, is CH-Auto.
And one of those "exciting EV options" is the Qiantu K50, which features carbon fiber bodywork comprised of 29 individual pieces sits atop an all-aluminum chassis. There's some Bugatti-esque two-tone style mixed with a dash of McLaren and a hint of Acura, but the overall result looks ... unique. The low-slung coupe is powered by a pair of electric motors that combine to send 402 horsepower to all four wheels. Power comes from a 78-kWh battery pack that has a range of 230 miles on the NEDC cycle, though that would likely change a bit for the States. If the specs don't change from its Chinese counterpart, it'll do 0-60 in 4.2 seconds and 124 miles per hour flat out.
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| © Qiantu K50 by Mullen Technologies |
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| © Qiantu K50 by Mullen Technologies |
We'll have to wait for an official on-sale date, but the automaker had previously announced a 2020 timeframe for the U.S. market. It's not totally clear exactly where Mullen will assemble the Qiantu K50 – a couple of press releases refer to a facility in Southern California – or if there's a dedicated factory at all. There's also no word on how many K50s could potentially be produced or, most crucially, how much the car will cost, so here's hoping some more concrete information is offered after the electric car's official debut.
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| © Qiantu K50 by Mullen Technologies |
