GWM Ora 03 - Range, charging and running costs

The electric range of the GWM Ora 03 Pure with the 48kWh battery pack is officially 193 miles, which is somewhat shy of the 218 miles the cheaper Standard Range MG4 can manage. That rival does have a larger battery pack than the 03, so it’s a given that the MG4 should go farther. The larger capacity 63kWh 03 Pro manages a more respectable 260 miles, but even this comes up short against the 64kWh Long Range MG4, or even the marginally more expensive 77kWh Extended Range MG4 with 323 miles of range.

The electric range of the Ora 03 Pure with the 48kWh battery pack is officially 193 miles, which is the same as the entry-level Renault 5 and somewhat shy of the 218 miles the SE Standard Range MG4 can manage. That rival does have a larger battery pack than the 03, so it’s a given that the MG4 should go farther. The larger capacity 63kWh 03 Pro manages a more respectable 260 miles, but even this comes up short against the 64kWh Long Range MG4, or even the marginally more expensive 77kWh Extended Range MG4 with 323 miles of range.

We tested the 48kWh Funky Cat (which uses the same battery as the 48kWh 03 Pure) in winter, and during our week of testing, temperatures frequently dipped below zero – the worst conditions for an EV, and especially one like the 03 where a heat pump, which provides a more energy efficient way of heating the interior of a car in cold weather, is only available on the most expensive GT trim. Without such a device, this resulted in a highly unflattering efficiency rate of 2.8mi/kWh. We calculated that the real-world range in cold weather would be 134 miles.

We’ll have to reserve full judgment on its efficiency until we can test it in warmer weather, but given that the MG4 we tried at the same time managed 3.1 mi/kWh (or an extra 57 miles on a fully charged battery), we anticipate the 03 will still lag behind its rivals. Those looking for greater efficiency should consider the Kia Niro EV. During our MG4 vs Kia Niro EV twin-test conducted in warmer weather, the Niro EV managed 3.9mi/kWh versus the MG4’s 3.5mi/kWh.

The charging speed for the 03 isn’t all that impressive compared with its rivals. A peak charging rate of 64kW is some way behind the 90kW the standard range MG4 can take. This means rapid charging from 10-80 per cent in an 03 (going from around 20 miles of remaining range to just over 150 miles of range) takes 45 mins, whereas going from 10-80 per cent charge in an MG4 takes a little over 30 mins. What’s more, the peak charging speed for the larger battery 63kWh 03 has only been increased to 67kW, so the same top-up will take just under an hour. The Long Range MG4 gets a much faster charging speed of 140kW, cutting its charge time to around 25 minutes.

A much more sensible way of charging the 03 would be to use a 7kW wallbox charger at home and take advantage of cheaper overnight electricity rates. It’ll take just over seven hours to completely charge up a 48kWh 03 model from flat to full, while the 63kWh model will take 9.5 hours.

Tax 

At least until April 2025, the Ora 03 doesn’t attract any VED charges. Beyond this point, it’ll cost £10 for the first year, followed by £190 thereafter. At least all models cost less than £40,000 when new, so you won’t have to pay the additional luxury car tax charge.

Due to zero tailpipe emissions, the company car tax or Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) of an EV like the Ora 03 is charged at two per cent, although this will increase year on year beyond the 2024 tax year to five per cent by 2027/2028. That’s still lower than most petrol, diesel, or hybrid cars.

The Ora 03 is also exempt from the ULEZ and Congestion Charge in London, at least until towards the end of 2025.

Insurance

Insurance for the 03 starts in group 26 for the Pure trim, which is one group less than the MG4 SE. Stepping up to the larger battery Pro increases this to group 30, which is above the MG4 SE Long Range in group 28. Both are likely to be more expensive to insure than the Renault 5, which starts in group 18 for the least expensive Urban Range models, and only goes up to group 22 for the bigger battery Comfort Range versions.

GWM Ora, as a brand, has noted in the past that owners have had restricted insurance options when getting quotes. However, the manufacturer has been working to improve the situation and reduce the time and cost of repairing their cars. As always, we’d advise you to shop around for car insurance and follow the advice in our handy car insurance guide to find the best price.

Depreciation

We don’t have the latest depreciation data that has been adjusted for the recent price cuts, so we anticipate the rather poor 30 - 32 per cent retained value after three years or 36,000 miles of the older version under the previous pricing structure will improve. 

It may still have a way to go to match the near 50 per cent resale value of the Renault 5, an EV which also happens to start at a lower price point than the 03.

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