SAIC-GM unveiled GEN-Z Explorer concept in China

The Sino-American joint venture between SAIC and GM unveiled a new concept car at the 28th anniversary of the JV. The GEN-Z Explorer is a three-door all-electric hatchback aiming at young Chinese buyers.

The new EV concept was developed by Shanghai-based PATAC Design. PATAC stands for Pan Asia Technical Automotive Centre, and it is another joint venture between GM and SAIC, which is responsible for the design and engineering of most of GM’s China EVs.

The GEN-Z Explorer is similar in size to Nio’s Firefly EV. However, it has much larger 22-inch wheels, which designers love to put on concept cars and which will certainly won’t make it to the production version as standard.

The front and rear features a massive light bar with 2,000 micro LEDs. Users can change the colour or display messages on it to other drivers, GM says. Nothing we didn’t see before on funky Chinese EVs.

According to SAIC-GM, the GEN-Z Explorer concept is equipped with a “new generation drivetrain” and has four motors, and each wheel is powered independently by one of them. The maximum output is 480 kW, and the 0-100 km/h acceleration is 3.8 seconds. The battery pack adopts CTC (cell-to-chassis) and has an energy density of 350 Wh/kg, providing a range up to 1,200 km CLTC, according to SAIC-GM. The EV concept supports 800V charging.

The EV has hidden door handles, digital rear-view mirrors, and very short overhangs. It has PATAC Design branding in front, suggesting GM didn’t yet decided under which brand it will launch.

CarNewsChina expect it will be under Buick’s new China-only Electra brand, which launched on April 21.

Electra is a subbrand under Buick, with a similar positioning to Galaxy as Geely has.

At the Shanghai Auto Show in April, Buick revealed three new EV concepts under the Electra brand: Encasa MPV, Electra sedan, and Electra SUV, without providing any further official details.

Thanks GM’s homologation filings, we already know some details about the Encasa MPV.

The large minivan will be nearly 5.3 meters long and will be built on Buick’s Xiao Yao EV platform. The exact dimensions are 5260/2000/1820 mm (length/width/height) and a generous wheelbase of 3160 mm. It will have 6 or 7 seats and a cabin powered by a Qualcomm 8775 chip.

Electra Encasa will be available as a BEV or a PHEV. The PHEV version will have a 132 kW e-motor and a 1.5T engine; the LFP battery capacity hasn’t been disclosed.

Buick plans to introduce six new EVs over the next 12 months in China under the Electra brand – all based on Xiao Yao architecture.