Buick Electra E5 (B233) China: April 2023, USA: to be expected summer 2024
Buick's
first pure electric five-seat mid-to-large SUV based on GM's BEV3 Ultium
electric vehicle platform has a length, width and height of 4892/1905/1681 mm
respectively, and the wheelbase is 2954 mm, similar to that of the upcoming
Chevrolet Equinox EV for America. This
front-wheel-drive SUV is equipped with an electric motor
with a maximum power of 180 kW and a maximum cruising range of 545 km, or, at a
higher selling price, 150 kW with a maximum cruising range of 620 that came in
September 2023.
The front
permanent magnet synchronous motor of the Avenir (part-time) four-wheel drive
model can reach 143 kW, where 68 kW is the peak power of the rear asynchronous
induction motor (for better traction and quicker acceleration) by Huayu Magna Electric Drive System Co., Ltd., a joint
venture founded in 2017 by Magna and SAIC Motor to supply SAIC Volkswagen. The Electra E5 Avenir has a maximum cruising
range of 603 km.
The 180 kW, 150 kW and 143 kW motors are essentially the same units with varying battery
platform voltage (352.3V/194 Ah for the 180 kW and
293.6V/271.6 Ah for the latter two).
Wheel sizes are 18- and 20-inch.
The Electra E5 is optionally available with GM’s Super Cruise driving
assistance system.
This Buick
has not officially received a Chinese name and was simply called E5 until
summer 2023. In October 2023, a 20%
cheaper entry-level Pioneer Edition model (169,900 yuan) without electric seat
adjustment, electric mirrors and sliding roof came onto the market.
Over 20,000
were sold in 2023. In February 2024, two
Pro models were added, with the power supply changed from the 68 kW ternary
lithium battery to the 65 kW lithium iron phosphate battery, known from the E4,
and the CLTC range was reduced from 545 km to 515 km. Although the price of the new models is the
same as the earlier models, the iron phosphate battery lasts longer.
In the USA, the Electra served as the flagship Buick
line through its entire production from 1959 to 1990 (front-wheel-drive from
1985), succeeded by the Park Avenue until 2005, after which Buick China sold a
rebadged rear-wheel-drive Holden Statesman as Park Avenue from 2007 until 2012.
platform: |
BEV 3 |
Electra E5 |
23- |
|||||||
front suspension: |
Coilover
strut |
USA |
China |
|||||||
rear suspension: |
5-link independent, coils |
|
||||||||
wheelbase
(cm): |
295.4 |
|||||||||
length
(cm): |
489.2 |
|||||||||
width
(cm): |
190.5 |
|
|
|
||||||
height
(cm): |
168.1 |
|||||||||
all-electric |
||||||||||
part- |
||||||||||
time |
||||||||||
fwd |
fwd |
fwd |
4wd |
|||||||
China |
23- |
24- |
23- |
23- |
23- |
|||||
curb weight from: |
2225 |
2125 |
2210 |
2320 |
kg |
|||||
drive motor: |
180 |
180 |
150 |
143/68 |
kW |
|||||
245 |
245 |
204 |
194/92 |
hp |
||||||
330 |
330 |
330 |
305/160 |
Nm |
||||||
battery capacity: |
65 |
68.4 |
79.7 |
79.7 |
kWh |
|||||
CLTC electric drive range: |
515 |
545 |
620 |
603 |
km |
|||||
0-100 km/h: |
7.7 |
7.6 |
8.6 |
6.7 |
sec |
|||||
Power consumption per 100 kilometers: |
13.7 |
13.5 |
13.5 |
14.1 |
kWh |
Buick Electra E4 (B223) China: June 2023
On the same
platform as the Electra E5, this crossover is 10 cm lower. 180 kW as well as 143/68 kW (part-time)
four-wheel-drive models will be sold.
Wheel sizes are 19- and 20-inch.
The 180 kW
entry-level version is equipped with 65 kWh lithium iron phosphate batteries
(384V/169.5 Ah) provided by BYD's Fudi Company,
resulting in a maximum cruising range of 530 km, while the 143/68 kW model
feature the ternary lithium-ion batteries (also used in the Electra E5) from
United Auto Battery Co., Ltd., a joint venture between SAIC Motor and
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL).
The entry
price of the Electra E4 was 19,000 yuan lower than that of the Electra E5,
until the arrival of the E5 Pioneer Edition model in October 2023, which in
turn is 20,000 yuan cheaper than the E4.
In the third quarter of 2023 2,334 Electra E4 were sold vs 12,551
Electra E5
Super
Cruise is available on the GS 4wd. The
Electra E4 will not be sold outside China, where over 3,000 were sold in
2023. In February 2024, a price cut
brought the entry price from 189,900 to 159,900 yuan, 10,000 yuan cheaper than
the E5. The E4 has a panoramic dome
canopy, no sliding roof.
platform: |
BEV 3 |
Electra E4 |
23- |
||||||
front suspension: |
Coilover
strut |
USA |
China |
||||||
rear suspension: |
5-link independent, coils |
|
|||||||
wheelbase
(cm): |
295.4 |
||||||||
length
(cm): |
481.8 |
||||||||
width
(cm): |
191.2 |
|
|
||||||
height
(cm): |
158.0 |
||||||||
all-electric |
|||||||||
part- |
|||||||||
time |
|||||||||
fwd |
4wd |
||||||||
China |
23- |
23- |
23- |
||||||
curb weight from: |
2150 |
2240 |
kg |
||||||
drive motor: |
180 |
143/68 |
kW |
||||||
245 |
194/92 |
hp |
|||||||
330 |
305/160 |
Nm |
|||||||
battery capacity: |
65 |
79.7 |
kWh |
||||||
CLTC electric drive range: |
530 |
620 |
km |
||||||
0-100 km/h: |
7.6 |
6.2 |
sec |
||||||
Power consumption per 100 kilometers: |
13.4 |
13.5 |
kWh |
For more specifications
on North American and worldwide Buick SUVs and engines, see:
On a Global Mission:
The Automobiles of General Motors International
For recent
specifications on Buick cars built in China, see:
On a Global Mission: The Automobiles of General Motors
International
21 December, 2024