Wow, I had no idea that removing the panda would be such a polarizing move! Thanks for watching, everyone. And after popular demand, I’ll try to find some gloves next time. 😎
Hi Micah, thank you very much for such a detailed introduction. I knew we had found the right person for it! The new design looks very cool though sorry about the Panda. And really thank you for the video.😁
Honestly it seems like a reasonable little vehicle. Low-speed vehicles like this would do pretty well in some parts of the country if it wasn't for the import taxes on vehicles. That said, You could probably do pretty well selling motor/driveshaft/battery kits to DIY people. There are tons of old Go-Karts around here with no motor sold on the cheap. I wager that'd be a cheaper (and frankly better) option than the expensive Segway e-karts that putter around town....
BTW, you can just point your phone at it and use whatever smart search it offers. On Android this involves opening Lens (square search icon) and selecting Translate.
Impressive how much care this company took to package this car up for shipping!! Looks like a great little car. This car looks much better then a open golf cart.
@@EbikeSchool I feel if you put on a golf bag rack on the back, it would be a really nice upgrade to a golf cart. There are the quirks that come with it being china made, like the weird pedal placement and the questionable screws on that back seat. If those got improved in next versions of this car, it would be really nice, especially if it starts to rain on the golf course.
Hi, I'm in NJ just love this! Thanks for the video!! I would love to get a street legal one. Do you know anything about how to get one?? I'm disabled, but can walk a little with a rollator, and so I only get a small limited income. Thought something like this would be much less expensive than a gas car. Hope you have some insight to street legal small electric cars from China. Thanks for your time.
@@nancyliguori5005 I know there’s people in Michigan I think they’re called scootercars but they sell Changli’s that you can drive on certain roads under like 35 I think. There’s more to it than that but a guy on RUclips called shooting cars has a few videos about them. But price wise you might be better off just getting an older used car since these things get expensive with import fees and stuff. But you would save money on gas though.
I think in China, they are used like an e-bike costing ~$700 USD for elderly and housewife to pickup grocery or kids to/from school. My understanding is that they don't need license, but they are not allow on certain roads, mostly used in village and small city.
This type of vehicle is colloquially known as laotoule in China, which literally means "old man's joy". They are allowed in rural areas and small towns and cities, but not allowed in big cities.
In China these cars are called the老頭樂, which translates to mean Happy Elderly It is used by elderly and housewife for fetching kids from school and also shopping for groceries
@@timothyhults2549they build what the American public wants. Not their fault we don't have the ability to build anything but bought from overseas for the past 5 decades. Walmart exists because Americans love cheap stuff. Goto China for high-quality stuff though.
@@tongzhouwarrior i wish these were legal in australia,i would definantly have one....im one person and a dog yet i drive a 7 seater 6 cylinder gas guzzling monster as its the cheapest car/suv i can afford...
I'm old and no longer feel safe driving a full sized car or a gas powered motor scooter. The electric bike seems perfect for me to get around the village I live in. I've enjoyed your videos, keep up the good work.
Rod, I'm a American citizen who lives in a small village in Lao. I live here for a couple of reasons: I try to help the kids to get a better education. I can live better here on my small Social Security check. It's still a very austere life, but I love it here.
as we learned from the minitruck, that 250% in import fees is the reason we dont all buy one of these for cruising the neighborhood looking for lawn sales and barbeques
@@sspence65 ye but if you see dutch minicars this is more safe and they have hundreds of them, this minicars are designed to drive in urban cities and not suburban *cough* American *cough* cities that need everytime highspeed roads to get to somewhere
This car looks like it would be great to have in gated communities, where life moves at a slower more relaxed pace. Offering more protection from the weather then golf carts is a major plus. Having full lighting for driving at night is also a great feature. I'm guessing it has no interior heater or windshield defroster, which golf cart communities are use to doing without. A larger wiper blade could be installed to clear more of the windshield but that's not a critical issue. And a small hand held squeegee could easily handle the window fogging issue you encountered. All in all, a fun little car with seemingly many practical uses. After seeing how the rear seat hinge failed, a follow-up video to let us know how the car is holding together after many more miles of use would be good, And knowing how it's holding a charge and operating after say a year of service would be very helpful.
I live in China, and I often see numerous three and four wheel mini-cars in my neighbourhood. One of the things they are used for is grandparents taking the kids to and from school. In Beijing, where I live, they have very wide cycle lanes, and you can see these driven in the cycle lanes and also on the actual road. I am not sure what the actual law is here, but anyway you can scoot around the city pretty quickly, avoiding a lot of traffic jams and traffic lights.
In fact, these are illegal, but the traffic police don't care about it, because many people do not obey the traffic rules without a license plate, causing many accidents. Recently, China announced that this kind of car is illegal. It will start from January 1, 2024. will not be able to drive this vehicle on the road
The rain seal check is essential for anyone keeping cars out on a driveway. I'm happy seeing small electric cars coming out. I'd prefer a short car for an A to B work commute car instead of a long sedan.
Don't rejoyce too quickly. Small, inexpensive EVs will never reach the US coasts as the cartel of big US manufacturers will do everything they can to kill them because they don't want people to buy sub $10k cars when they can sell them $50k-$80k oversized trucks.
Honestly might be a good little tool for teaching kids to drive as well as being good for going around gated communities. Footnote, I know people probably raked you over the coals for it, but I'd suggest when grinding metal around paint you drape canvas or leather or even cardboard over it so you don't damage it Depending on the price I think it'd be cool for a lil bump around out at the lake too.
You could sell it easily to a resident of Peachtree, GA. It's an all golf cart community with its own 100 mile network of paved path. You could in fact probably set up a small dealership for selling these imported NEVs specifically to Peachtree residents and do quite well, as they're cheaper than golf carts and offer more amenities.
Yes, Peachtree City Georgia has a great model for travel by golf cart throughout the city, many other Georgia cities are following suit by creating cart paths within their communities. If you want to see something crazy, ride by Peachtree City High Schools during operating hours and view all of the golf carts on campus. 😬👍
There is a 150k resident retirement place in Florida called The Villages. It is about 60 square miles of community that caters to golf cars. That might be the perfect nearby spot to sell this car
Many Americans that feared China putting American car companies out of business if these Chinese cars are allowed into the US market like to make things up about the safety of these mini Chinese electric cars, but they are actually a hundred times safer than those overpriced American golf carts that are completely wide open with nothing to protect you in an accident whatsoever and they have a lot more safety features than those golf carts as well! Costing 5 times less than a typical American golf carts if they are allowed into the US they would definitely do some serious damage to the golf cart market! Who wants to pay 5 times more for a vehicle that does 10 times less than a mini electric car that are not only much safer, but much cheaper to boot? Now you know why those American politicians and Elon Musk himself are now openly saying they must use whatever excuse they could find to stop Chinese cars from coming into the US because they are that good! In fact, China doesn’t ban any American cars from being sold in China whatsoever, the American cars are now struggling to compete in China simply because Chinese cars are far superior to American cars and they are being sold at 1/3 of what an American car is being sold for in China! China is so confident that its cars are superior to foreign cars that it welcomes all foreign car companies into its market, unlike the US! The American politicians are so worry about the quality of Chinese cars being so much better these days than the American cars (That they would outcompete the American cars and put American cars out of business) that they are talking about completely outright banning Chinese cars from coming into the US or putting a 200% tariff rate or more on them! Elon Musk is so worried about Chinese electric cars putting his electric cars out of business that he has pleaded with US politicians to ban them in the US by telling them Chinese electric cars “Are that good!” and that they have the capacity to put all electric car companies in the world out of business since China now makes the best electric vehicles in the world, even better than Tesla! What’s more Chinese electric cars are being sold for 1/3 of what a Tesla electric car is being sold for if the US government doesn’t put a 200% - 300% tariff rate on them! For those that may not know, the best Tesla cars are made in China and, in fact, most Europeans refuse to buy a Tesla car that is made in the US because a Tesla car that is made in the US tends to have a lot more flaws than a Tesla car made in China! For this reason Elon only sends Chinese-made Tesla cars into the European market because they demand higher quality than the Americans since the Americans are more willing to overlook the flaws in the car if the car is made in the US! The same goes for iPhones, only the iPhones made in China are sold in Europe because the iPhones made in India have many flaws and defects in them than the iPhones made in China! This is one of the main reasons Apple has decided to send most of its manufacturing that was done in India back to China! Apple loses too much profits if it has to continue to sell its Indian-made cell phones for half of that of a Chinese-made cell phone in the International markets! That’s why all of the cell phones that are made in India Apple has to sell them in India for 50% off because people outside of India refuse to buy the Indian-made cell phones! This fact shattered the Americans’ notion that Chinese products are no good, doesn’t it? The fact of the matter is that China is making some of the best products in the world if you are willing to pay more for them!
The gated community market is partly served here in Florida by golf carts, but they often have no doors or windows or luggage space so this a definite step up especially if it rains. (These Florida communities are NOT public streets, so 'street legal' not consideration.) Also, things like airbags, bumpers, door reinforce could be specified to a no highway level, as opposed to standard car level.
By the way, the correct method for opening this type of box is: 1. Release the 4 catches which are located one under each corner 2. Lift the entire box assembly off the cage 3. Place the cage over freight pallets stacked two-high 4. Drive the car out of the cage. Job done! Well, OK, not really! Awesome packing job by the shippers, they really made sure it would arrive in pristine condition! My only concern would be that the tires might have deformed - see the video at 5:10 where the weight is resting on the tire on two rails. It would have been simpler to support the axle instead. This looks like a really fun car to drive around in - imagine doing doordash or uber-eats in one of these! No mention of the range or charging time though, might be helpful!
I was hoping it was going to be the Wuling EV Mini. but that one is still cute. The fact that you drew a crowd, tells you that the USA needs cars like this. Something like this made street legal would be great for seniors. Someone needs to get the ball rolling and make this happen.
I had one of the first batch of smart Cars in January 2008. I had to budget an extra 15 minutes to any errands I ran to answer questions from bystanders. And we won't mention people taking pics from their cars while I was on the road. Sold it 8 years later as I was accumulating too many vehicles. Still miss it. It was a #1 errand runner.
They're cute but the car itself is dangerous. They don't have crumble zones, flimsy metal, seats are cheaply attached, no seatbelts, there is a reason why they are not street legal. Some drunk idiot could rear end you and that's it. No thanks. It's better served on a golf course, or on a farm. Would be perfect for either. Public roads, no way!
The USA won't get cars like this. General Motors is part of the consortium that builds the Wuling Mini EV, and they currently import the midsize Buick SUV from China. It would be trivial for them to import the Wuling EV. The problem is that GM doesn't want tiny
@@ZweiZwolf There is indeed a huge market in the US for small EV, but it can only come from an american (or mexican ?) newcomer for all the reasons you cited. The big US brands will do everything they can do to kill this newcomer (like they tried to do with Tesla), from lobbying in Congress to launching smear campaigns about their security, etc. Nevertheless, Americans shouldn't be afraid to go down this adventure.
The best part of the video was seeing your nephews smiling. The "cool " uncle is always fun!. I love the idea of an electric town car for just going around the corner type driving.
It's nice looking. Safety belts, horn, longer wiper, directional kits . All available locally or online. Most states allow these types of vehicles to be registered, but only legal on back roads
I absolutely love this little car. I would have kept the 🐼. Alot of great features. I only live a mile from work and this would be a great alternative. Very cute and awesome little car.
@@stewartmackay In China, it's primarily for elderly folks to run neighborhood errands and such - the same functions that many seniors use golf carts in the USA. Compared to a typical American golf cart, this is much more car-like, being fully enclosed, faster, more comfortable, etc. It's a great value for just getting around locally, and would make a ton of sense for Greece or pretty much anywhere speeds are limited.
@@stewartmackay Yes, I agreed with you and just wanted to give a little context. I think these kinds of vehicles can be globally significant if produced and exported en masse, especially to the Global South and Eastern / Southern Europe.
I sure do love watching your videos. I’m a senior old, semi disabled gal living solo on a tiny half acre homestead with chickens near a lake. and I love watching you drive those little cars and dream about how it would be to have one of those little trucks to take to the lake to go fishing. But truth be told, even if I could afford one I couldn’t get it unpacked by myself. I don’t have family or anybody out here so I’m struggling enough to learn how to do absolutely everything for myself. But I sure do you like watching you have fun with those little cars. I’m gonna go on your website and see if I can figure out an e-bike that can go up and down the hills out here with enough power/speed to take me to the gas station for help if my truck breaks down and to ride up and down the Lake Road, so maybe I can meet some people out here and finally make some new friends. But I just wanted to tell you that I sure do grin a lot when I watch your videos. Thank you! ❤
hi there, Iḿ from germany. I have a similar car and I love it in summer. You are allowed these cars on most streets over here, once you have an insurance which isn´t expensive. And the micro-cars sold in germany have seat-belts, are allowed for 2 persons only though there's room enough for three. but anyways, they are so much fun. I use mine for daily shopping or taking the kids to their friends or just for fun. I would not recommend these vehicles for use in rain or snow, cause they really slide easily and roads seem to be getting more slippery than usual then. but on dry roads in summer it's so much fun. greetings from germany. Andy
I kind of like it, but you SHOULD have kept the Panda - it adds character. I could see people buying these, instead of golf carts, in areas where the weather limits open golf cart use.
No, it does not add character. It is a childish, puerile thing that should be reserved only for small children. This world is a complete mess; it desperately needs actual adults, behaving as adults-- not matured people behaving as children.
Best unboxing video ever. Looked like torture....ooo but so much fun. This was a thorough review. The family getting involved was the icing on the cake. Loved it.
Your sister did a great job on improving the looks. This was a fun vid. Glad to see good things come to you Micah, since you often show kindness to others.
The wheels and tires are nicer than any car i have ever seen. It's absolutely adorable. You should bring it to the Henry Ford. In time, you would have gotten used to the panda decals. See inside the thoughts of the people who built it.
Kudos to Ming Hong Motors. Customizing your ride is a great compliment. Amazing as it is, once done, your sister gave that car itself a Bad Ass Panda vibe :)
I found this video thoroughly enjoyable! THANK YOU! This really made my day. I laughed out loud several times. I've never seen your channel before and I honestly had no idea what to expect. If I lived in a neighbourhood that allowed golf carts I would TOTALLY get one of these instead. TOTALLY AWESOME!
Ideal for retirement communities to get around. I can imagine someone using to go from home to the local shops, the community centre, pool, golf course, etc.
Old-time electric cars of the BAKER ... EDISON ... WAVERLY era did have various interesting "gas" pedal options. On some only removed power. On others power was applied after 2inch depression. Returning pedal to e" down would coast, but releasing it could apply MILD electric braking with effect like low gear engine braking. Others would in effect apply a parking brake, that would s.l.o.w the car but hold it parked. To real STOP you would use brake pedel. Mention this because of ease of use and battery saving.
The thing looks pretty good and the blue stripes really made it pop. Seeing that it can handle Florida rains says a lot about how well they are designed now.
I cant believe you de-Pandafied it! That would have been a great conversation starter and an opportunity to promote your channel. EVs are so much cheaper in China... I really think some importer should start bringing them over in larger numbers. Also, I loved the cool uncle part. That was awesome. :-)
21:30 In a Cessna 172, when you are in position to operate the controls, your shoulder is about level with the door _hinge_ ; you have to slide the seat back about 2 feet to get out. They had problems with early ones with this happening in flight and pulling the pilot back unawares - who would then hang onto the only thing he could - the yoke - which would snap the plane up into a steep climb and possibly a stall (since you were probably already in a climb which caused the seat to slide in the first place). Later ones (172s have been in production for over 60 years) have a latch on the floor track to keep the seat from going back unintentionally. Also, once on the ground you needed to make sure your back seat pax were out before you slid your seat back or you would toying with having the center of gravity BEHIND the landing gear.
would be fine for some rural area's too though idk how well it handles hills, if it doesn't, then it might be fine in kansas considering it's as flat as a pancake.
way cheaper too. a new golf cart is above $10k. you could get one of these landed to your door for alot less. i'm digging it. the battery pack builder in me is like "man all i need is like 1000 modem packs and i could build a battery to go across the state in it)
The door latching is pretty much the standard for Chinese cars. A mate of mine bought a Great Wall, no need to go into the difficulties he had, but the doors have to be power slammed to latch and when he got into our Corolla he slammed the door so hard the car actually rocked from side to side. I told him gently that all he has to do is close the door, not tear it off it's hinges.
I like the headlights on this one. They make for a fun face. I'm also a huge fan of how "real" these tiny cars are. They're human scale and everything in them seems like it was made with off the shelf components. It feels modular almost. Anyway, enjoyed the video and hope to see more of this one just like we did with the farm truck!
that's what I wondered, you can get slow vehicle license plates in South Dakota as well, basically stay within city and don't drive it on higher speed streets, otherwise, good little short range grocery getter.
... and couldn't hurt to install a larger wiper blade . . . then there's also wiper spring clip /wing clip-ons to add addition pressure on the window glass or plastic ( IDK)
I would upgrade that stock ESC at 14:24 because its one of those cheapie "modified sinewave" controllers. That jagged sine wave output causes that grinding noise we hear when the motor is running which really annoys me once I got used to pure sine wave controllers. :)
I’m glad you’re still reviewing electric vehicles from China and it’s great to know you’re family friends can help you with the minicar! I’d buy one if it was legal here😢
@@ZweiZwolf There is a company (probably more than one) which does import these sorts of vehicles. They overcharge around $1000 for the service, which I think is fair, especially if you don't have to wait months for the shipping. Can't remember their name but they have videos on RUclips.
Awesome, I wish I had seen this when it first came out. A solar panel on the roof wired through to the battery could make this perfect for so many community situations. THX for posting
These Chinese e-cars and bikes, and even the busses they have over there have a tendency to catch fire randomly. These e-bikes rnt allowed on Chinese public transit due to their explosiveness (as far as I understand). They r not safe, that is one of the reasons they rnt allowed on our streets in the states. So if someone wants to risk it on their own land, then so be it, but I wouldn't take that chance.
These mini EVs, dubbed 老头乐 (literally: old men happy), are vety popular with old people in China. Because you don't need a licence to drive one of these, they give old people the mobility they never had before. However, they also cause a lot of problems like illegal parking and accidents, many local governments are starting to crack down on these mini EVs.
I know there's a fair amount of communities in Florida that are golf cart oriented, I'd have to imagine something like the Minghong would have little issue finding a home not all too far away from you.
If all you do is run around about a city every day, this is a perfect little car. I would definitely fit a electric defroster fan under the drivers side of the front window but otherwise that's a nice little runabout. It kept you dry in the rain too. Pretty cool little car. It has a great style for a car like it too.
For a city car, I'd want something more like the Hongguang Mini EV, even though it's marginally more expensive. That microcar segment is exploding with lots of competitors and there are going to be fantastic choices coming out over the next few years.
not sure if you had noticed but due to your previous videos you are kind of a very successful oversea customer sample in chinese domestic mini ev car industry. all the other mini ev companies are jealous about how successful changli had made in oversea market. naturally one of them tried to copy the recepie and sent you a free one for ad. also just few days ago chinese gov announced to put more restrictions on domestic mini ev cars. they are not street leagal (well obviously) yet more and more people, especially old people who had never learned to drive an actual car, drove them on the road and cause A LOT OF accidents. thus these mini ev companies are very desperate to open the oversea market more than ever.
There is a market for them in the US. A lot of people have properties that could use then without needing them to be street legal. The cost of the American UTV-s is so expensive now, these would be great
I could see this used by sales staff in a housing development to show prospective buyers the homes; the large windows and panoramic views would be nice. Improving the hinges would be important. Adding a moulded frunk would also be helpful. Adding brakes to the front wheels is essential.
Wow, this is the most novel comment I have seen. I have seen it before when I went to China, but the real estate industry in the United States seems unsure whether this service is available.
I can definitely see them being used as a second car for a short drive to a grocery store, to pick up kids from the school, to go to a nearby park, to go fishing at a nearby river or lake, a car for traveling within in a resort or a housing complex, or as a golf cart that is fully air conditioned and protect you from the rain! The list goes on! But due to the fear of the American politicians and car companies these types of vehicles would be banned in the US! If they allowed them into the US there would be a 300% tariff rate on them! I once watched a video that showed how the Chinese could build some of the best modular homes in the world for $8,000 or less, but the US government banned them from coming into the US! Could you imagine what a $8,000 3-bedroom home could do to solve the homeless problem in the US? But as always our politicians are owned by corporate lobbyists that pay them large sum of money to keep all foreign competitors out so that the American companies could charge the American people $90,000 for a house that China charges $8,000!
Thanks Micah for taking the time to show us this car and of course all your other projects….you are a great resource for those of us interested in electric bikes and solar power….Shalom
You should make a followup video on things like charging times, range under various conditions etc. One observation is the open bottoms and wheel wells that would splash water inside and possibly into the motor inverter. And you are right, that the design is sub-sub-compact, and is intended for use in a small community, such as going to the store for groceries etc. BTW, I'm in Canada, and what was shown, it would be rather bad to drive in winter!!!!!
That would be a useful thing to have for tooling around a neighborhood (a lot of my neighbors have golf carts they ride around the circle rather than pulling out the truck) or, don’t laugh, a family farm. Not for towing the horse or cattle trailer, but maybe running between the house and the barn or the chicken houses.
With all the good times with the vehicles, your dad, your sister... Your curious and excited neighbours it is clear that you are living a blessed life, congratulations.
It might come in handy for getting groceries and local travel for handycapped people like me , im 65 and cant walk more then 20 ft. at a time so getting around is sometimes hard , this would help doing small tasks in my area . Depending on the price it might be doable !
Someone needs to assemble a database of where such a car can legally be driven. In certain states, they can be used in cities. But, some states banned them completely.
You mentioned you are in FL. We have a manufacturer here in Upstate SC that assembles low-speed electric vehicles from Chinese and American parts. I talked to the Service Manager about 12 years ago, and he told me their number 1 market at that time was The Villages. Dont know how far you are away from there, but you could probably unload it there.
An ideal use of these would be an RV campground, one where you would park your trailer/RV and use it as a permanent summer home. Every one has gulf carts, this would be a perfect upgrade. They would sell a ton of them. You should explore selling them. You can make a boat load of money. You could market them as a yacht accessory Many boaters use little mini-bikes that are stored on the boat. It would be a fantastic upgrade for a 40 foot yacht. If you use any of my marketing ideas I would expect a free one after you sell 10 or 15 of them😅
Given how car-centric US cities tend to be, there has to be a market for vehicles like these --- low range, low speed, intended for getting around the immediate neighbourhood but no further. You'd want to upgrade the safety with seatbelts and a roll cage at the very least, though, and I bet the stock windscreen isn't tempered. The tricky part is the legalities...
Problem is, everyone buys oversized SUV's and trucks because everyone else drives an oversized SUV or truck. Anything smaller and they don't feel safe because all the cars around them are bigger and heavier than them. It's a vicious circle, but one that I hope ends eventually. There's surely going to come a point where people say "These cars are too big". Imo, the people behind the whole micro/nano movement of the late 90's-2000's had the right idea. Don't know why everything started going in the opposite direction in the 2010's.
Haven't looked up the price for this cool little mini car but I think it would be more practical than even the most expensive golf carts for neighborhood use. I enjoy watching your channel and have learned a lot about electric bikes.
Probably around $1k to $1.5k, to which you'd have to add $3.5k for various import and shipping fees. So you are looking at a $4k to $5k vehicle, I would say.
I’m sure it could be legal in public streets in some parts in Arizona such as Lake Havasu. You could definitely register it there to drive on public roads 😊👍🏻
Maybe those vehicles can be registered as NEV in somy jurisdictions in the USA. Some places in Georgia have extensive golf cart small road networks which might be fit for this kind of vehicle as well .
@@nevco8774 Yup yup🤠, we have folks with Golf carts, dune buggies, Quad bikes driving all around our streets since Havasu is a small city so anything could be registered down here in this part of town in Arizona. The bigger cities have more restrictions because of population.
I thought that car thing looked familiar. The husband of my freshman English teacher from HS is on his 2nd one. They keep it parked in the driveway. The 1st one they failed to strap down and during a storm, it got blown down the street and destroyed. These things are super lightweight and I was told that it can be challenging to drive at times. Although these vehicles don't meet the NHTSA FMVSS, meaning that they lack one or more required features (like front breaks or airbags) to be considered street legal. However, most states will consider these as NEVs (Neighborhood electric vehicles), and as long as the NEV is driven on a neighborhood street with a speed limit 35MPH or less, and driven for private use only, and has it can carry less than 6 passengers, it should be legal to drive it without registering it (you can't register one anyways).
@@SummonerArthur I'd have to ask but from what I was told, at least in KY, since it doesn't go above 35 and since it doesn't meet NHTSA standards, it cannot be registered.
Some of those golf cart communities if you look around there are little golf cart license plates size of motorcycle plates and some require insurance when you get the plates
@@jeffhawley2441 Those communities, like The Villages, FL, are different. As far as I know, these Chinese mini EVs are still illegal to drive (not illegal to own) in the US, so that means that they'd be illegal to drive in a golf car community too.
@@matthewjbauer1990 my experiences are in southern Arizona where MDV says $25 plates each year plus proof insurance plus drivers license if you go on the under 35 roads plus equipped with blinkers.
My question would be if it can carry a full load from a grocery store visit. Can it hold 10 full bags, 12 can soda boxes, cakes, etc? I don't think it can.
@@lancethrustworthy You don't understand the torque of electric motors. I wouldn't try to tow a house trailer with it, but what you described.....no problem! The mini....and I do mean mini electric truck we used inside a stadium to transport scaffolding was amazing. Even going up fairly steep ramps.
Pefectly fits the official US description of a Neighbourhood Electric Vehicle, or NEV. In China the same acronym means New Energy Vehicle... which is also what the Panda is.
Entered, subscribed and THANK YOU Minghong! My late son has friends in China that have either tried or saw your vehicles at the show a month or so ago! The e-vehicles at that show blew my mind! One of our friends, from the UK, living in China, did a 2-part video on the show. If you think a cute Panda on the door was too much…😂. I believe they had a tiger MINI EV (and we’re not talking a decal on the side! 😂) last years model, a bunny & duck? 😂. They’re so cute-but they aren’t just being used in China. My Son’s ex-girlfriend saw one one of the Tiger cars in Singapore last year…we thought it was an advertisement, until her brother saw them for sale at an EV dealership! Our British friend in China is Lee Barret. His channel is his last name. He also went to the huge export fairs in the past month..furniture, electronics…mind blowing. And as he said, “ it’s why they call China the Factory of the world”
I'm subscribed to the Barret Channel and seen his numerous vids in China, some filmed together with his son. Lee looks much healthier this year after a health scare last year. Glad I came across this comment section and to know you're his friend
Love the technology China comes out with. There are many golf cart communities where this type of vehicle would be a natural and so different and good looking.
Here in Nicaragua, we have a mall ("Plaza Inter") that was designed and developed by a chinese company and apparently malls in China have a similar architecture. The parking lot of this mall was designed for this kind of cars...which are rare in Nicaragua and yes, parking a normal size sedan is such a hassle sometimes.
Super cool! We need a different category for these vehicles so that they can be used legally on the road. Perfect for city driving and, no, I don´t live in the city, I live way out in the country but this would be perfect for visiting the local shops or a trip to the pub ;-)
The USA has NEVs, legal to 25mph, they failed as a product even after they raised the speed limit to 35 i think. Don't know what these cost, but you can buy an old Nissan Leaf for $5k these days that has worn out battery and only 20-40 mile range which is probably all these can go new. Also, the gen2 prius can be converted to run 20-40 miles all electric at up to 35mph for under $10k too. And now you have a real car that is safe.
Having the rearview mirror off to the side actually makes sense if you're sitting in the center. Think about your normal car: The rearview mirror is also offset from where you are sitting. But the accelerator and brake pedal off to the side is a bit strange. Hopefully it's only a tiny bit.
There's not enough micro cars available here in Ireland. Most people seem to want oversized hatchbacks they like to call SUVs but 95% of them aren't sporty , utilitarian or even a tiny bit off road capable. I would rather a micro car any day of the year.
Only body on frame, 4x4, traditional gear (non CVT), high low range, diff lock is called SUV. 4x2 fwd CVT are crossover (bigger hatchback), van or MPV. Some hatchback are higher and bigger room than crossover.
Hi Micah, You've really revived my passion for e-v. I am Dickson, an Architect here in Nairobi Kenya-East Africa. I have always dreamed of Pioneering here on, but issue like Chargers and Lithium Batteries were Giving me Headache. You I know I can always have a site for reference, again I pray that may I be the winner of that e-bike
Looks like a good grocery getter. I wish we had access to a US manufacturer for vehicles like this. It reminds me of one of the first e-vehicles I ever saw. It looked like a cheese wedge on wheels. It was parked on the streets of the bar district in Key West. This "car" would fit right in over there. 😅
Don't count on the big US carmakers to sell small inexpensive cars. It would instantly kill their shitty business of selling expensive, oversized money making monstrosities.
Great video. So happy you received this model. I am tempted to get one. The strips were a great touch. I hope they send you another model as well. It would be very informative I live in a gated community of 3600 hundred families and and it would be great to get around here.
Micah, About that windshield wiper; if you can find one that matches the install hardware, a wiper that is longer by, I’m guessing, 4 inches on each end might just fill the gaps top and bottom. Keep the aspidistra flying!
Wow, I had no idea that removing the panda would be such a polarizing move! Thanks for watching, everyone. And after popular demand, I’ll try to find some gloves next time. 😎
You had enufff people there, why not just lift it out/off the car..& kept the cage intact.
How much new?
it still has a cute panda face tho
兄弟👬！你应该买一部五菱宏光迷你电动车，不到一万美元。建议你买两款，一款没有敞篷，一款有。绝对会惊讶到你，让粉丝们狂欢，你上下班开它绝对是最佳的选择😊
我建议你就开箱中国的各种车，很多，而且实用，包括汽车，电动汽车。不信你可以试试，你的点击量绝对大
Hi Micah, thank you very much for such a detailed introduction. I knew we had found the right person for it! The new design looks very cool though sorry about the Panda. And really thank you for the video.😁
The panda was great.
I think the panda is cute! If you have anymore already imported to the states I want one!
Honestly it seems like a reasonable little vehicle. Low-speed vehicles like this would do pretty well in some parts of the country if it wasn't for the import taxes on vehicles. That said, You could probably do pretty well selling motor/driveshaft/battery kits to DIY people. There are tons of old Go-Karts around here with no motor sold on the cheap. I wager that'd be a cheaper (and frankly better) option than the expensive Segway e-karts that putter around town....
It is a great little car and panda was cute.
The panda is lovely - I'd leave it on!
The Chinese words on the steering wheel means 'new energy'. The first word in a larger font is 'new'. The two small words means 'energy'.
Thank you! I'd say that fits!
Google Translate agrees.
BTW, you can just point your phone at it and use whatever smart search it offers. On Android this involves opening Lens (square search icon) and selecting Translate.
@@antibrevity exactly, I have been reading a lot of stuff in Japanese for my trains and Lens just makes it all so much easier.
老头乐，😊
Impressive how much care this company took to package this car up for shipping!! Looks like a great little car. This car looks much better then a open golf cart.
Definitely! I think that's the right way to compare it. It's more like an upgrade over a golf cart than a downgrade from a "real" car.
@@EbikeSchool I feel if you put on a golf bag rack on the back, it would be a really nice upgrade to a golf cart. There are the quirks that come with it being china made, like the weird pedal placement and the questionable screws on that back seat. If those got improved in next versions of this car, it would be really nice, especially if it starts to rain on the golf course.
Hi, I'm in NJ just love this! Thanks for the video!! I would love to get a street legal one. Do you know anything about how to get one?? I'm disabled, but can walk a little with a rollator, and so I only get a small limited income. Thought something like this would be much less expensive than a gas car. Hope you have some insight to street legal small electric cars from China. Thanks for your time.
@@nancyliguori5005 I know there’s people in Michigan I think they’re called scootercars but they sell Changli’s that you can drive on certain roads under like 35 I think. There’s more to it than that but a guy on RUclips called shooting cars has a few videos about them. But price wise you might be better off just getting an older used car since these things get expensive with import fees and stuff. But you would save money on gas though.
Why do they care... Angle grinder carnage
I think in China, they are used like an e-bike costing ~$700 USD for elderly and housewife to pickup grocery or kids to/from school. My understanding is that they don't need license, but they are not allow on certain roads, mostly used in village and small city.
That's efficient!
This type of vehicle is colloquially known as laotoule in China, which literally means "old man's joy". They are allowed in rural areas and small towns and cities, but not allowed in big cities.
@@GoodCitizen-gm1tl 现在这种车在小县城也几经禁止上路了，成为了完全的非法车型
@GoodCitizen-gm1tl I want one!
@@chrischou9068 并没有完全禁止老头乐，现在需要合规有牌照才能上路
In China these cars are called the老頭樂, which translates to mean Happy Elderly
It is used by elderly and housewife for fetching kids from school and also shopping for groceries
😂
In America We The People call it junk, to much landfill potential.
@@timothyhults2549they build what the American public wants. Not their fault we don't have the ability to build anything but bought from overseas for the past 5 decades. Walmart exists because Americans love cheap stuff. Goto China for high-quality stuff though.
I live in China, and I drop my kids to school with one of these every day. : )
@@tongzhouwarrior i wish these were legal in australia,i would definantly have one....im one person and a dog yet i drive a 7 seater 6 cylinder gas guzzling monster as its the cheapest car/suv i can afford...
I'm old and no longer feel safe driving a full sized car or a gas powered motor scooter. The electric bike seems perfect for me to get around the village I live in. I've enjoyed your videos, keep up the good work.
i hope full automous driving become a reality in the near future as my parents are getting older
Wow, you totally sound like a real person and not a Chinese bot, because everyone talks about how perfect things are for driving around their village.
Rod, I'm a American citizen who lives in a small village in Lao. I live here for a couple of reasons: I try to help the kids to get a better education. I can live better here on my small Social Security check. It's still a very austere life, but I love it here.
@@terrellkaucher2186 LOL! Yes, all Americans who live in small villages use the use austere. Very believable.
@@rodmunch69Well you sound like an American government bot.
as we learned from the minitruck, that 250% in import fees is the reason we dont all buy one of these for cruising the neighborhood looking for lawn sales and barbeques
That and the inability to pass safety standards.
Or garage sells
@@sspence65 ye but if you see dutch minicars this is more safe and they have hundreds of them, this minicars are designed to drive in urban cities and not suburban *cough* American *cough* cities that need everytime highspeed roads to get to somewhere
@@sspence65 SUVs or Those oversized monstrosities pickup trucks arent save either yet they passed
I wish they would lift that mess! 15k dollar golf carts here are ridiculous and these would put them out of business
This car looks like it would be great to have in gated communities, where life moves at a slower more relaxed pace. Offering more protection from the weather then golf carts is a major plus. Having full lighting for driving at night is also a great feature. I'm guessing it has no interior heater or windshield defroster, which golf cart communities are use to doing without. A larger wiper blade could be installed to clear more of the windshield but that's not a critical issue. And a small hand held squeegee could easily handle the window fogging issue you encountered. All in all, a fun little car with seemingly many practical uses. After seeing how the rear seat hinge failed, a follow-up video to let us know how the car is holding together after many more miles of use would be good, And knowing how it's holding a charge and operating after say a year of service would be very helpful.
I live in China, and I often see numerous three and four wheel mini-cars in my neighbourhood. One of the things they are used for is grandparents taking the kids to and from school. In Beijing, where I live, they have very wide cycle lanes, and you can see these driven in the cycle lanes and also on the actual road. I am not sure what the actual law is here, but anyway you can scoot around the city pretty quickly, avoiding a lot of traffic jams and traffic lights.
technically its illegal to drive these cars on public roads in china.....................
@@bohu4586 The express guys are allowed to drive these mini cars on public roads in cities legally.
In fact, these are illegal, but the traffic police don't care about it, because many people do not obey the traffic rules without a license plate, causing many accidents. Recently, China announced that this kind of car is illegal. It will start from January 1, 2024. will not be able to drive this vehicle on the road
COOL!
that is what olders doing……it is illegal 😅
best/most fair presentation minghong could have hope for
Unlike other channel inbox and destroy at the same video.
The rain seal check is essential for anyone keeping cars out on a driveway. I'm happy seeing small electric cars coming out. I'd prefer a short car for an A to B work commute car instead of a long sedan.
Don't rejoyce too quickly. Small, inexpensive EVs will never reach the US coasts as the cartel of big US manufacturers will do everything they can to kill them because they don't want people to buy sub $10k cars when they can sell them $50k-$80k oversized trucks.
Honestly might be a good little tool for teaching kids to drive as well as being good for going around gated communities.
Footnote, I know people probably raked you over the coals for it, but I'd suggest when grinding metal around paint you drape canvas or leather or even cardboard over it so you don't damage it
Depending on the price I think it'd be cool for a lil bump around out at the lake too.
You could sell it easily to a resident of Peachtree, GA. It's an all golf cart community with its own 100 mile network of paved path. You could in fact probably set up a small dealership for selling these imported NEVs specifically to Peachtree residents and do quite well, as they're cheaper than golf carts and offer more amenities.
Yes, Peachtree City, is a great place to offer NEV's like this.
Yes, Peachtree City Georgia has a great model for travel by golf cart throughout the city, many other Georgia cities are following suit by creating cart paths within their communities. If you want to see something crazy, ride by Peachtree City High Schools during operating hours and view all of the golf carts on campus. 😬👍
I had the opportunity to spend time with friends in Peachtree City, loved it there and everyone drives golf carts.
Use for three months and the engine needs replacement at the price of the whole car.
If you are a student and live on a college campus, you could drive to class.
There is a 150k resident retirement place in Florida called The Villages. It is about 60 square miles of community that caters to golf cars. That might be the perfect nearby spot to sell this car
Yeah, I was thinking Florida wouldn't exactly be the most difficult place to sell one of these..
They wouldn't be caught dead in that lol
Many Americans that feared China putting American car companies out of business if these Chinese cars are allowed into the US market like to make things up about the safety of these mini Chinese electric cars, but they are actually a hundred times safer than those overpriced American golf carts that are completely wide open with nothing to protect you in an accident whatsoever and they have a lot more safety features than those golf carts as well! Costing 5 times less than a typical American golf carts if they are allowed into the US they would definitely do some serious damage to the golf cart market! Who wants to pay 5 times more for a vehicle that does 10 times less than a mini electric car that are not only much safer, but much cheaper to boot? Now you know why those American politicians and Elon Musk himself are now openly saying they must use whatever excuse they could find to stop Chinese cars from coming into the US because they are that good! In fact, China doesn’t ban any American cars from being sold in China whatsoever, the American cars are now struggling to compete in China simply because Chinese cars are far superior to American cars and they are being sold at 1/3 of what an American car is being sold for in China! China is so confident that its cars are superior to foreign cars that it welcomes all foreign car companies into its market, unlike the US! The American politicians are so worry about the quality of Chinese cars being so much better these days than the American cars (That they would outcompete the American cars and put American cars out of business) that they are talking about completely outright banning Chinese cars from coming into the US or putting a 200% tariff rate or more on them! Elon Musk is so worried about Chinese electric cars putting his electric cars out of business that he has pleaded with US politicians to ban them in the US by telling them Chinese electric cars “Are that good!” and that they have the capacity to put all electric car companies in the world out of business since China now makes the best electric vehicles in the world, even better than Tesla! What’s more Chinese electric cars are being sold for 1/3 of what a Tesla electric car is being sold for if the US government doesn’t put a 200% - 300% tariff rate on them! For those that may not know, the best Tesla cars are made in China and, in fact, most Europeans refuse to buy a Tesla car that is made in the US because a Tesla car that is made in the US tends to have a lot more flaws than a Tesla car made in China! For this reason Elon only sends Chinese-made Tesla cars into the European market because they demand higher quality than the Americans since the Americans are more willing to overlook the flaws in the car if the car is made in the US! The same goes for iPhones, only the iPhones made in China are sold in Europe because the iPhones made in India have many flaws and defects in them than the iPhones made in China! This is one of the main reasons Apple has decided to send most of its manufacturing that was done in India back to China! Apple loses too much profits if it has to continue to sell its Indian-made cell phones for half of that of a Chinese-made cell phone in the International markets! That’s why all of the cell phones that are made in India Apple has to sell them in India for 50% off because people outside of India refuse to buy the Indian-made cell phones! This fact shattered the Americans’ notion that Chinese products are no good, doesn’t it? The fact of the matter is that China is making some of the best products in the world if you are willing to pay more for them!
The gated community market is partly served here in Florida by golf carts, but they often have no doors or windows or luggage space so this a definite step up especially if it rains.
(These Florida communities are NOT public streets, so 'street legal' not consideration.)
Also, things like airbags, bumpers, door reinforce could be specified to a no highway level, as opposed to standard car level.
By the way, the correct method for opening this type of box is:
1. Release the 4 catches which are located one under each corner
2. Lift the entire box assembly off the cage
3. Place the cage over freight pallets stacked two-high
4. Drive the car out of the cage.
Job done!
Well, OK, not really! Awesome packing job by the shippers, they really made sure it would arrive in pristine condition! My only concern would be that the tires might have deformed - see the video at 5:10 where the weight is resting on the tire on two rails. It would have been simpler to support the axle instead.
This looks like a really fun car to drive around in - imagine doing doordash or uber-eats in one of these! No mention of the range or charging time though, might be helpful!
Hey I could use that electric cargo ebike. Nice for a 78.5 yrs old. I also enjoyed your trip to China and all you had to show. Thanks.
i'm glad they reached out to you. this was a very entertaining episode.
I was hoping it was going to be the Wuling EV Mini. but that one is still cute. The fact that you drew a crowd, tells you that the USA needs cars like this. Something like this made street legal would be great for seniors. Someone needs to get the ball rolling and make this happen.
I had one of the first batch of smart Cars in January 2008. I had to budget an extra 15 minutes to any errands I ran to answer questions from bystanders. And we won't mention people taking pics from their cars while I was on the road. Sold it 8 years later as I was accumulating too many vehicles. Still miss it. It was a #1 errand runner.
They're cute but the car itself is dangerous. They don't have crumble zones, flimsy metal, seats are cheaply attached, no seatbelts, there is a reason why they are not street legal. Some drunk idiot could rear end you and that's it. No thanks. It's better served on a golf course, or on a farm. Would be perfect for either. Public roads, no way!
The USA won't get cars like this.
General Motors is part of the consortium that builds the Wuling Mini EV, and they currently import the midsize Buick SUV from China. It would be trivial for them to import the Wuling EV. The problem is that GM doesn't want tiny
@@ZweiZwolf There is indeed a huge market in the US for small EV, but it can only come from an american (or mexican ?) newcomer for all the reasons you cited. The big US brands will do everything they can do to kill this newcomer (like they tried to do with Tesla), from lobbying in Congress to launching smear campaigns about their security, etc. Nevertheless, Americans shouldn't be afraid to go down this adventure.
This would be perfect for campgrounds!
The best part of the video was seeing your nephews smiling. The "cool " uncle is always fun!. I love the idea of an electric town car for just going around the corner type driving.
It's nice looking.
Safety belts, horn, longer wiper, directional kits . All available locally or online.
Most states allow these types of vehicles to be registered, but only legal on back roads
I absolutely love this little car. I would have kept the 🐼. Alot of great features. I only live a mile from work and this would be a great alternative. Very cute and awesome little car.
Some states will allow you to register them as "motorcycles" primarily for off-road use, but no one is checking up on where you use it.
Makes a good ice cream truck😊
This is an actual mobility scooter for the elderly in China. Sometimes you see grandparents taking their grandchildren to Kindy
Its not a mobility scooter. I live in Greece and they are starting to bring in a lot of these lower speed electric vehicles here.
@@stewartmackay In China, it's primarily for elderly folks to run neighborhood errands and such - the same functions that many seniors use golf carts in the USA. Compared to a typical American golf cart, this is much more car-like, being fully enclosed, faster, more comfortable, etc. It's a great value for just getting around locally, and would make a ton of sense for Greece or pretty much anywhere speeds are limited.
@@ZweiZwolf Yes, I agree, I was just pointing out its not a mobility scooter. Thats a different thing.
@@stewartmackay Yes, I agreed with you and just wanted to give a little context. I think these kinds of vehicles can be globally significant if produced and exported en masse, especially to the Global South and Eastern / Southern Europe.
It's not a scooter.
I sure do love watching your videos. I’m a senior old, semi disabled gal living solo on a tiny half acre homestead with chickens near a lake. and I love watching you drive those little cars and dream about how it would be to have one of those little trucks to take to the lake to go fishing. But truth be told, even if I could afford one I couldn’t get it unpacked by myself. I don’t have family or anybody out here so I’m struggling enough to learn how to do absolutely everything for myself. But I sure do you like watching you have fun with those little cars. I’m gonna go on your website and see if I can figure out an e-bike that can go up and down the hills out here with enough power/speed to take me to the gas station for help if my truck breaks down and to ride up and down the Lake Road, so maybe I can meet some people out here and finally make some new friends. But I just wanted to tell you that I sure do grin a lot when I watch your videos. Thank you! ❤
还有同样类型的卡车，可以拉货，一点点。比较适合庄园
Guys in a trade school learning to be mechanics would see it as a "field trip" to come help you unpack. Or a church youth group.
@2degucitas Or aspiring bike theives looking for more practice with angle grinders
EV off-road wheelchair ！ in china price 2000 US dollar
hi there, Iḿ from germany. I have a similar car and I love it in summer. You are allowed these cars on most streets over here, once you have an insurance which isn´t expensive. And the micro-cars sold in germany have seat-belts, are allowed for 2 persons only though there's room enough for three. but anyways, they are so much fun. I use mine for daily shopping or taking the kids to their friends or just for fun. I would not recommend these vehicles for use in rain or snow, cause they really slide easily and roads seem to be getting more slippery than usual then. but on dry roads in summer it's so much fun. greetings from germany. Andy
Change The tyre threads and it will be ok.
I kind of like it, but you SHOULD have kept the Panda - it adds character. I could see people buying these, instead of golf carts, in areas where the weather limits open golf cart use.
No, it does not add character. It is a childish, puerile thing that should be reserved only for small children. This world is a complete mess; it desperately needs actual adults, behaving as adults-- not matured people behaving as children.
So true as it is the front end of the car looks like a panda face
I liked the Panda
Best unboxing video ever. Looked like torture....ooo but so much fun. This was a thorough review. The family getting involved was the icing on the cake. Loved it.
Your sister did a great job on improving the looks. This was a fun vid. Glad to see good things come to you Micah, since you often show kindness to others.
The wheels and tires are nicer than any car i have ever seen. It's absolutely adorable. You should bring it to the Henry Ford. In time, you would have gotten used to the panda decals. See inside the thoughts of the people who built it.
Kudos to Ming Hong Motors. Customizing your ride is a great compliment. Amazing as it is, once done, your sister gave that car itself a Bad Ass Panda vibe :)
I❤ the panda..! 😂
I found this video thoroughly enjoyable! THANK YOU! This really made my day. I laughed out loud several times. I've never seen your channel before and I honestly had no idea what to expect. If I lived in a neighbourhood that allowed golf carts I would TOTALLY get one of these instead. TOTALLY AWESOME!
Ideal for retirement communities to get around. I can imagine someone using to go from home to the local shops, the community centre, pool, golf course, etc.
可以考虑从中国进口，和制造商商量可以定制。
They should use bicycles/ tricycles/ ebikes
Old-time electric cars of the BAKER ... EDISON ... WAVERLY era did have various interesting "gas" pedal options.
On some only removed power.
On others power was applied after 2inch depression. Returning pedal to e" down would coast, but releasing it could apply MILD electric braking with effect like low gear engine braking.
Others would in effect apply a parking brake, that would s.l.o.w the car but hold it parked.
To real STOP you would use brake pedel.
Mention this because of ease of use and battery saving.
The character 上 means “up” and the character 下 means “down”. So, on a radio it would mean volume “up” and volume “down”, respectively.
The thing looks pretty good and the blue stripes really made it pop. Seeing that it can handle Florida rains says a lot about how well they are designed now.
I cant believe you de-Pandafied it! That would have been a great conversation starter and an opportunity to promote your channel.
EVs are so much cheaper in China... I really think some importer should start bringing them over in larger numbers.
Also, I loved the cool uncle part. That was awesome. :-)
I know. That type of car is meant to be cute. That's why panda is on there. It could be a cute tiger, cat, or a puppy.
As a campus guard/janitor/gardner car might be good, or in the areas, where normal car are not allowed.
Seems to me it would be hard to take a security officer very seriously if he pulled up in it.🚓
@@Marvinfj32 Nonsense. Just paint a hat onto the Panda.
21:30 In a Cessna 172, when you are in position to operate the controls, your shoulder is about level with the door _hinge_ ; you have to slide the seat back about 2 feet to get out. They had problems with early ones with this happening in flight and pulling the pilot back unawares - who would then hang onto the only thing he could - the yoke - which would snap the plane up into a steep climb and possibly a stall (since you were probably already in a climb which caused the seat to slide in the first place). Later ones (172s have been in production for over 60 years) have a latch on the floor track to keep the seat from going back unintentionally.
Also, once on the ground you needed to make sure your back seat pax were out before you slid your seat back or you would toying with having the center of gravity BEHIND the landing gear.
This would be great as an alternative to golf carts in gated communities.
would be fine for some rural area's too though idk how well it handles hills, if it doesn't, then it might be fine in kansas considering it's as flat as a pancake.
way cheaper too. a new golf cart is above $10k. you could get one of these landed to your door for alot less. i'm digging it. the battery pack builder in me is like "man all i need is like 1000 modem packs and i could build a battery to go across the state in it)
@@MrSGL21 Ironically, the pack builder is technically correct. with a big enough battery - You would definetly be able to cross the smalled states.
Who golfs in the rain?
I've owned one for a couple years now. Looks a lot like yours. Different options and setup. I have fun with it at the campground
You never said anything about the Price of the car.
800$
Minghong S3 comes with solar Charing 1200$
The door latching is pretty much the standard for Chinese cars. A mate of mine bought a Great Wall, no need to go into the difficulties he had, but the doors have to be power slammed to latch and when he got into our Corolla he slammed the door so hard the car actually rocked from side to side. I told him gently that all he has to do is close the door, not tear it off it's hinges.
You definitely hit it out of the park , as far as being the "cool uncle " 👍 Thanks for your content.
When you're the "cool" uncle you're a "funcle"!😂
I like the headlights on this one. They make for a fun face. I'm also a huge fan of how "real" these tiny cars are. They're human scale and everything in them seems like it was made with off the shelf components. It feels modular almost.
Anyway, enjoyed the video and hope to see more of this one just like we did with the farm truck!
Awww... . I would re-panda it.... Lol... Great car. Great video. Thanks
Make sure you check any gear boxes for lubricating oils. Sometimes things are shipped dry. Like the washer fluid.
Since it's Florida, you can get that registered as a low-speed vehicle and drive it on low speed roads.
Also, Rain-X anti-fog is your friend.
that's what I wondered, you can get slow vehicle license plates in South Dakota as well, basically stay within city and don't drive it on higher speed streets, otherwise, good little short range grocery getter.
@@frankfuller975 I'd still rather have a little Kei truck like a Honda Acty as a lot of those have AC and most are 4WD standard.
Add seat belts and to my surprise, same with New Jersey
... and couldn't hurt to install a larger wiper blade . . . then there's also wiper spring clip /wing clip-ons to add addition pressure on the window glass or plastic ( IDK)
I would upgrade that stock ESC at 14:24 because its one of those cheapie "modified sinewave" controllers. That jagged sine wave output causes that grinding noise we hear when the motor is running which really annoys me once I got used to pure sine wave controllers. :)
also longer lifespan
I am learning from guys like you....thank you
Those 2 boys will remember that moment forever. The uncle who let them drive a car(probably for the first time).❤
I’m glad you’re still reviewing electric vehicles from China and it’s great to know you’re family friends can help you with the minicar! I’d buy one if it was legal here😢
It's legal in the states and you can even get a low speed vehicle tag
@@roodick85 source?
It's legal, you'd register it like a golf cart. It's just a huge PITA to go through the import paperwork.
@@ZweiZwolf There is a company (probably more than one) which does import these sorts of vehicles. They overcharge around $1000 for the service, which I think is fair, especially if you don't have to wait months for the shipping. Can't remember their name but they have videos on RUclips.
@@InXLsisDeo 1000美元？这个车低配价格也就1000美元，不算电池。
It's amazing to be in the position to receive attention from manufacturers!
Thanks Minghong!
That little car was very cool though I don't know how practical it is. Your nephews were fun, you should put them in more videos.
Awesome, I wish I had seen this when it first came out.
A solar panel on the roof wired through to the battery could make this perfect for so many community situations.
THX for posting
As a cyclist & sustainability advocate, I see these micro cars as a possible way for people to get around a neighbourhood with lower speeds.
yeah but they're absolutely useless and defeat one of the main purposes of a car (luggage/storage) lol.
@@ysw8291 you do when you go to a superstore, electronic store, furniture/home store, etc and pick up a ton of stuff. This barely fits anything lol.
These Chinese e-cars and bikes, and even the busses they have over there have a tendency to catch fire randomly. These e-bikes rnt allowed on Chinese public transit due to their explosiveness (as far as I understand). They r not safe, that is one of the reasons they rnt allowed on our streets in the states. So if someone wants to risk it on their own land, then so be it, but I wouldn't take that chance.
people do need to drive safer, slower & quieter
e-scooters already do that. I think micro-cars are better as a go-getter like a neighborhood grocery store and whatnot.
These mini EVs, dubbed 老头乐 (literally: old men happy), are vety popular with old people in China. Because you don't need a licence to drive one of these, they give old people the mobility they never had before. However, they also cause a lot of problems like illegal parking and accidents, many local governments are starting to crack down on these mini EVs.
I know there's a fair amount of communities in Florida that are golf cart oriented, I'd have to imagine something like the Minghong would have little issue finding a home not all too far away from you.
What a beautiful mini car, I love it 😻
Thank you
These micro mobile vehicles are amazing never seem to disappoint
If all you do is run around about a city every day, this is a perfect little car. I would definitely fit a electric defroster fan under the drivers side of the front window but otherwise that's a nice little runabout. It kept you dry in the rain too. Pretty cool little car. It has a great style for a car like it too.
For a city car, I'd want something more like the Hongguang Mini EV, even though it's marginally more expensive. That microcar segment is exploding with lots of competitors and there are going to be fantastic choices coming out over the next few years.
not sure if you had noticed but due to your previous videos you are kind of a very successful oversea customer sample in chinese domestic mini ev car industry. all the other mini ev companies are jealous about how successful changli had made in oversea market. naturally one of them tried to copy the recepie and sent you a free one for ad.
also just few days ago chinese gov announced to put more restrictions on domestic mini ev cars. they are not street leagal (well obviously) yet more and more people, especially old people who had never learned to drive an actual car, drove them on the road and cause A LOT OF accidents. thus these mini ev companies are very desperate to open the oversea market more than ever.
There is a market for them in the US. A lot of people have properties that could use then without needing them to be street legal.
The cost of the American UTV-s is so expensive now, these would be great
I think your final graphics/look are perfect for it. I love the wheels they included.
I could see this used by sales staff in a housing development to show prospective buyers the homes; the large windows and panoramic views would be nice.
Improving the hinges would be important. Adding a moulded frunk would also be helpful. Adding brakes to the front wheels is essential.
Wow, this is the most novel comment I have seen. I have seen it before when I went to China, but the real estate industry in the United States seems unsure whether this service is available.
I can definitely see them being used as a second car for a short drive to a grocery store, to pick up kids from the school, to go to a nearby park, to go fishing at a nearby river or lake, a car for traveling within in a resort or a housing complex, or as a golf cart that is fully air conditioned and protect you from the rain! The list goes on! But due to the fear of the American politicians and car companies these types of vehicles would be banned in the US! If they allowed them into the US there would be a 300% tariff rate on them! I once watched a video that showed how the Chinese could build some of the best modular homes in the world for $8,000 or less, but the US government banned them from coming into the US! Could you imagine what a $8,000 3-bedroom home could do to solve the homeless problem in the US? But as always our politicians are owned by corporate lobbyists that pay them large sum of money to keep all foreign competitors out so that the American companies could charge the American people $90,000 for a house that China charges $8,000!
As to the wiper sweep, it looks that you could fit like a 6-8" longer blade (adding 3-4" either end) to get at least a little bigger swept area...
👍🏼
Kinda like a glorified golf cart, definitely room overall for improvements, and love that you already "customized" it. Kudos!
Looks like a fun vehicle for a gated/golf course community like The Villages in FL.
Thanks Micah for taking the time to show us this car and of course all your other projects….you are a great resource for those of us interested in electric bikes and solar power….Shalom
You should make a followup video on things like charging times, range under various conditions etc. One observation is the open bottoms and wheel wells that would splash water inside and possibly into the motor inverter. And you are right, that the design is sub-sub-compact, and is intended for use in a small community, such as going to the store for groceries etc. BTW, I'm in Canada, and what was shown, it would be rather bad to drive in winter!!!!!
That would be a useful thing to have for tooling around a neighborhood (a lot of my neighbors have golf carts they ride around the circle rather than pulling out the truck) or, don’t laugh, a family farm. Not for towing the horse or cattle trailer, but maybe running between the house and the barn or the chicken houses.
With all the good times with the vehicles, your dad, your sister... Your curious and excited neighbours it is clear that you are living a blessed life, congratulations.
It might come in handy for getting groceries and local travel for handycapped people like me , im 65 and cant walk more then 20 ft. at a time so getting around is sometimes hard , this would help doing small tasks in my area . Depending on the price it might be doable !
Wish you good health❤love from china
EV off-road wheelchair ！ in china price 2000 US dollar
Me too! I could definitely use one of these!!
Someone needs to assemble a database of where such a car can legally be driven. In certain states, they can be used in cities. But, some states banned them completely.
Most beach towns or towns with a large retirement community allow them.
It's not even legal in China for a license plate. It's purely for community or property use. It shouldn't be permitted to be driven on public roads.
You gotta put a pin stripe on that side body line. That'd look really good and would give it a kind of lightning bolt look to it
If you’re going to plug it in overnight make sure it’s on the driveway not in the garage
You mentioned you are in FL. We have a manufacturer here in Upstate SC that assembles low-speed electric vehicles from Chinese and American parts. I talked to the Service Manager about 12 years ago, and he told me their number 1 market at that time was The Villages. Dont know how far you are away from there, but you could probably unload it there.
Love your videos man! Watching people try out mini cars and ebikes seem to be my thing haha
3:40 Hey, not every car comes with a full-size spare any more!
In fact hardly ANY come with a full spare nowadays.
An ideal use of these would be an RV campground, one where you would park your trailer/RV and use it as a permanent summer home. Every one has gulf carts, this would be a perfect upgrade. They would sell a ton of them. You should explore selling them. You can make a boat load of money. You could market them as a yacht accessory Many boaters use little mini-bikes that are stored on the boat. It would be a fantastic upgrade for a 40 foot yacht. If you use any of my marketing ideas I would expect a free one after you sell 10 or 15 of them😅
Given how car-centric US cities tend to be, there has to be a market for vehicles like these --- low range, low speed, intended for getting around the immediate neighbourhood but no further. You'd want to upgrade the safety with seatbelts and a roll cage at the very least, though, and I bet the stock windscreen isn't tempered. The tricky part is the legalities...
There's a market, but nobody wants to sell cheap when they can sell new cars that are far more expensive and profitable.
Problem is, everyone buys oversized SUV's and trucks because everyone else drives an oversized SUV or truck. Anything smaller and they don't feel safe because all the cars around them are bigger and heavier than them. It's a vicious circle, but one that I hope ends eventually. There's surely going to come a point where people say "These cars are too big". Imo, the people behind the whole micro/nano movement of the late 90's-2000's had the right idea. Don't know why everything started going in the opposite direction in the 2010's.
Haven't looked up the price for this cool little mini car but I think it would be more practical than even the most expensive golf carts for neighborhood use. I enjoy watching your channel and have learned a lot about electric bikes.
Probably around $1k to $1.5k, to which you'd have to add $3.5k for various import and shipping fees. So you are looking at a $4k to $5k vehicle, I would say.
I really appreciate your videos on electric vehicles especially ebikes.
Actually it could be made as a very nice Golf car, where you can sit in when it rains- & as a neighbour hood car its also pretty decent....
I’m sure it could be legal in public streets in some parts in Arizona such as Lake Havasu. You could definitely register it there to drive on public roads 😊👍🏻
Maybe those vehicles can be registered as NEV in somy jurisdictions in the USA. Some places in Georgia have extensive golf cart small road networks which might be fit for this kind of vehicle as well .
@@nevco8774 Yup yup🤠, we have folks with Golf carts, dune buggies, Quad bikes driving all around our streets since Havasu is a small city so anything could be registered down here in this part of town in Arizona. The bigger cities have more restrictions because of population.
I thought that car thing looked familiar. The husband of my freshman English teacher from HS is on his 2nd one. They keep it parked in the driveway. The 1st one they failed to strap down and during a storm, it got blown down the street and destroyed. These things are super lightweight and I was told that it can be challenging to drive at times. Although these vehicles don't meet the NHTSA FMVSS, meaning that they lack one or more required features (like front breaks or airbags) to be considered street legal. However, most states will consider these as NEVs (Neighborhood electric vehicles), and as long as the NEV is driven on a neighborhood street with a speed limit 35MPH or less, and driven for private use only, and has it can carry less than 6 passengers, it should be legal to drive it without registering it (you can't register one anyways).
"you can't register one anyways"
Not even as a kit car?
@@SummonerArthur I'd have to ask but from what I was told, at least in KY, since it doesn't go above 35 and since it doesn't meet NHTSA standards, it cannot be registered.
Some of those golf cart communities if you look around there are little golf cart license plates size of motorcycle plates and some require insurance when you get the plates
@@jeffhawley2441 Those communities, like The Villages, FL, are different. As far as I know, these Chinese mini EVs are still illegal to drive (not illegal to own) in the US, so that means that they'd be illegal to drive in a golf car community too.
@@matthewjbauer1990 my experiences are in southern Arizona where MDV says $25 plates each year plus proof insurance plus drivers license if you go on the under 35 roads plus equipped with blinkers.
We should all be driving vehicles like this for our local drives.
Been driving my G-Wiz since 2012 for local journeys, saves a packet on fuel costs
My question would be if it can carry a full load from a grocery store visit. Can it hold 10 full bags, 12 can soda boxes, cakes, etc? I don't think it can.
@@lancethrustworthy I can in my G-Wiz which is about the same physical size no bother at all.
@@lancethrustworthy
You don't understand the torque of electric motors.
I wouldn't try to tow a house trailer with it, but what you described.....no problem!
The mini....and I do mean mini electric truck we used inside a stadium to transport scaffolding was amazing.
Even going up fairly steep ramps.
I appreciated the honesty and step by step information you seem to enjoy your work and I enjoyed watching it
Pefectly fits the official US description of a Neighbourhood Electric Vehicle, or NEV.
In China the same acronym means New Energy Vehicle... which is also what the Panda is.
Entered, subscribed and THANK YOU Minghong! My late son has friends in China that have either tried or saw your vehicles at the show a month or so ago! The e-vehicles at that show blew my mind! One of our friends, from the UK, living in China, did a 2-part video on the show.
If you think a cute Panda on the door was too much…😂. I believe they had a tiger MINI EV (and we’re not talking a decal on the side! 😂) last years model, a bunny & duck? 😂. They’re so cute-but they aren’t just being used in China. My Son’s ex-girlfriend saw one one of the Tiger cars in Singapore last year…we thought it was an advertisement, until her brother saw them for sale at an EV dealership! Our British friend in China is Lee Barret. His channel is his last name. He also went to the huge export fairs in the past month..furniture, electronics…mind blowing. And as he said, “ it’s why they call China the Factory of the world”
What a small world! Everyone and everything seems to be connected, which is a great thing.
I'm subscribed to the Barret Channel and seen his numerous vids in China, some filmed together with his son. Lee looks much healthier this year after a health scare last year. Glad I came across this comment section and to know you're his friend
Love the technology China comes out with. There are many golf cart communities where this type of vehicle would be a natural and so different and good looking.
Here in Nicaragua, we have a mall ("Plaza Inter") that was designed and developed by a chinese company and apparently malls in China have a similar architecture. The parking lot of this mall was designed for this kind of cars...which are rare in Nicaragua and yes, parking a normal size sedan is such a hassle sometimes.
Very cool, I could see you easily fashioning a front trunk tub for extra storage.
This is the most breathtaking video I ever watched on RUclips 😂 A Cute little EV finally came out. Enjoy the ride!
Breathtaking 😂 interesting 😅
Super cool! We need a different category for these vehicles so that they can be used legally on the road. Perfect for city driving and, no, I don´t live in the city, I live way out in the country but this would be perfect for visiting the local shops or a trip to the pub ;-)
@@patfrederick7327 Who said anything about drinking alcohol? 🤣
@@patfrederick7327 Oh dear... Do you need some help? Pub=Bar=non alcoholic drink if you are driving! Maybe you need to speak to someone.... AA maybe?
The USA has NEVs, legal to 25mph, they failed as a product even after they raised the speed limit to 35 i think.
Don't know what these cost, but you can buy an old Nissan Leaf for $5k these days that has worn out battery and only 20-40 mile range which is probably all these can go new. Also, the gen2 prius can be converted to run 20-40 miles all electric at up to 35mph for under $10k too. And now you have a real car that is safe.
@@murraymadness4674 🤣
Found ur channel and im so excited. My first sight of a mini care 2cl i was hooked
Having the rearview mirror off to the side actually makes sense if you're sitting in the center. Think about your normal car: The rearview mirror is also offset from where you are sitting. But the accelerator and brake pedal off to the side is a bit strange. Hopefully it's only a tiny bit.
Nice little runabout if you have a larger property or on a factory ground.
There's not enough micro cars available here in Ireland. Most people seem to want oversized hatchbacks they like to call SUVs but 95% of them aren't sporty , utilitarian or even a tiny bit off road capable.
I would rather a micro car any day of the year.
Why not a suzuki jimny. It's not a micro car but it's the smallest offroad car available.
Look at the Renault Twizy about the same size but only 2 person car
Only body on frame, 4x4, traditional gear (non CVT), high low range, diff lock is called SUV. 4x2 fwd CVT are crossover (bigger hatchback), van or MPV. Some hatchback are higher and bigger room than crossover.
@@GF-mf7ml I know what a crossover is but it seems most car reviewers these days call them suvs
@@modarkthemauler because the vast majority of people who buy those so called SUV's never have any intention of going off-road.
Hi Micah, You've really revived my passion for e-v. I am Dickson, an Architect here in Nairobi Kenya-East Africa. I have always dreamed of Pioneering here on, but issue like Chargers and Lithium Batteries were Giving me Headache. You I know I can always have a site for reference, again I pray that may I be the winner of that e-bike
Looks like a good grocery getter. I wish we had access to a US manufacturer for vehicles like this. It reminds me of one of the first e-vehicles I ever saw. It looked like a cheese wedge on wheels. It was parked on the streets of the bar district in Key West. This "car" would fit right in over there. 😅
Don't count on the big US carmakers to sell small inexpensive cars. It would instantly kill their shitty business of selling expensive, oversized money making monstrosities.
I totally agree. Think how much less pollution we would have.
Great video. So happy you received this model. I am tempted to get one. The strips were a great touch. I hope they send you another model as well. It would be very informative
I live in a gated community of 3600 hundred families and and it would be great to get around here.
Micah,
About that windshield wiper; if you can find one that matches the install hardware, a wiper that is longer by, I’m guessing, 4 inches on each end might just fill the gaps top and bottom.
Keep the aspidistra flying!
Great little car.