The company that bought the MG brand name, and turned the Rover 75 into the Roewe 750 has signalled its ambitions to build a small electric city car.
The SAIC E1 got its motor show debut in Beijing in 2010, but appeared again in Shanghai alongside cars like the MG3 and MG5.
The well developed prototype wears Roewe badges, and gets lithium ion batteries to power the front wheels. It's star claim, however, is a recharging time of just 30 minutes.
While many Chinese firms have made wild claims about the performance of the battery technology in their cars, SAIC's promises are given credibility by the fact they are tempered by more conservative figures on range and performance.
There are solar panels on the bonnet, to help charge the car when it’s not hooked up to an electricity supply, and according to a spokesperson for the firm, there are also regenerative brakes, and a fast charge system that can top the battery up to 80 percent full in just 10 minutes.
Described as 2 +2 seater, the car measures around 3,500mm long, 1,600mm tall and 1,500mm wide, allowing it to negotiate congested city roads with ease.
At 1080kg, it’s no lightweight, but with a predicted range of 90miles, travelling at an average of 40mph, the 320 volt motors offer useable performance with the 0-62mph sprint taking less than 16 seconds.
SAIC has previously suggested the car is likely to go on sale by 2013, however, the speed with which SAIC has moved to introduce a new MG range suggests the model could be just months away from production.
