Buick Electra E5 (B233) China: April 2023 - , USA: delayed indefinitely
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 later
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 km that became available only in
September 2023.
The front
permanent magnet synchronous motor of the Avenir (on-demand) 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 with its own 'digital wave array' grille and cosmic blue body color (next to winter birch white and dusk purple) has a maximum cruising
range of 603 km.
In July 2024
GM Authority
reported that, following a major increase in import tariffs to 100% for Chinese-made EVs announced earlier that year and implemented in September, importing the Electra E5 to the U.S. from China is likely prohibitively expensive. Additionally, it appears that GM has not finalized plans to produce the Electra E5 domestically.
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 Avenir 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, becoming Electra E5 by
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 and over 15,000 in 2024. 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,
while 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 February 2025, the Buick E5 launched five official limited two-color models, which use two-color films. The 5 official color films are named Orange Breeze, Skylight and Cloud Shadow, Crimson City, Green and Gold, and Desert Brown. Among them, the Orange Breeze has a blue body and an orange roof; the Skylight and Cloud Shadow has a silver body and a black roof; the Crimson City has a purple body and a black roof; the Green and Gold highlights the freshness of natural green; and the Desert Brown has a brown body and a black roof.
Later in 2025 a facelifted model will arrive, to be sold next to the current model, and both only available with the 65 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery (provided by SAIC Power Battery), which is cheaper, safer and has a longer life than the ternary lithium battery. The previous "fake nose" - imitating the design of the air intake grille of a fuel car - of this model will be replaced by a clean closed front face, with a shape that looks a bit like a shark nose, and making the car look more "pure electric". There is only one (larger) air intake opening at the bottom. Two sets of options are provided in terms of personalization: either glittering chrome decoration or the all-black style that young people like. A 19-inch wheel will become available. The four-wheel drive Avenir version seems to have disappeared.
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 |
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|
on- |
||||||||||
|
demand |
||||||||||
|
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 - March 2025
On the same
platform as the Electra E5, this crossover is 10 cm lower. 180 kW as well as 143/68 kW (on-demand)
four-wheel-drive models were 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 China only E4 has a panoramic dome
canopy, no sliding roof. Super
Cruise is available on the GS 4wd.
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 was 20,000 yuan cheaper than the E4.
In 2023, 3,200 E4 models were sold and 929 units in 2024. At the upgrade in February 2024, the price of the entry level E4 was down from 189,900 to 159,900 yuan, 10,000 yuan below the price of the E5. In January 2025, the price of the Premium edition went down from 182,900 to 89,900 yuan; these cars were all produced in June 2023. By March 2025, the E4 was removed from the website, after 161 units left the factory in 2024.
|
platform: |
BEV 3 |
Electra E4 |
23-25 |
||||||
|
front suspension: |
Coilover
strut |
|
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 |
|||||||||
|
on- |
|||||||||
|
demand |
|||||||||
|
fwd |
4wd |
||||||||
|
China |
23-25 |
23-25 |
23-25 |
||||||
|
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
6 June, 2025