The Upcoming Yema B11 Is a Chinese Replica of the BMW i3
Chinese auto makers are known for their ability to copy just about everything. And since China is regarded as the place where anything can be copied, why not bring out a car that takes – quite a lot – after the BMW i3? The choice is rather surprising but it does point the fact that the peculiar shape of the i3 has become somewhat synonymous with the expression of an eco-friendly car.
When BMW took the veils off the i3 for the first time, people rushed to call it ugly, boxy and a lot of other expletives. Admittedly, the i3 was a bit different from the shapes the Bavarian manufacturer got us used to. However, as officials pointed time and time again, it was all done for a reason: the i3 was developed from the ground up as a purely electric city car.
Therefore, it had to accommodate at least four people comfortably inside and be compact enough so that you won’t struggle to find a parking spot. That’s how we ended up with a rather tall car and green house altogether. Leaving that aside, the fact that a Chinese company copied its design might seem like adding insult to injury at first but in reality it’s a confirmation that the i3 has become a sort of icon, one that immediately tells people this is a premium EV offering.
The Yema B11 is dog-ugly though, no doubt about it. While it does take a lot after the original, it also brings forward some rather shady design cues that maybe shouldn’t have been there in the first place. And while the exterior can be easily replicated, the Chinese automaker definitely doesn’t have the technology to copy everything else. Therefore, don’t expect CFRP to be used here or the same battery/electric motor combo to be found under the sheet metal. Instead, the Yema B11 uses a 31 kW electric motor (41.5 hp) alongside a 68 HP 1-liter internal combustion unit. The combined power output is unknown at the moment and the car is expected to reach dealerships somewhere in the second half of 2017. Maybe something will be done about the design by then.
Via: Car News China / BMWBlog
