Chery Little Ant

[Most Satisfied]
Since I'm in a place that's not very cold, the battery life degradation isn't significant. It can definitely be called excellent. Among new energy vehicles available at this price range, the Chery eQ1 can be said to have extremely high cost - performance.
[Car - Buying Experience]
My family bought a seven - seater in August 2020 (because there are many people in the family). At that time, my wife and I worked almost in the same place, so it was very convenient to commute. However, the fuel consumption in the urban area was really high. Due to work reasons, my wife's workplace changed. The round - trip commute was 40 kilometers. Almost only she drove the gasoline car, but as a result, it became inconvenient for me to use the car, and her monthly fuel cost soared. Moreover, with the reduction of national new energy subsidies, it wouldn't be cost - effective not to buy a new energy vehicle soon (it was already not very cost - effective). Soon, our child would start kindergarten, and there would be a need to pick up and drop off. So my wife decided to make an impulsive purchase (this was really the most impulsive purchase she's ever made. She used to be so indecisive when buying things that it always drove me crazy). First, we looked at the Wuling Hongguang. Although it was cheap, the battery life was too short, and it only had slow charging. The conditions for slow charging at our home were very poor (almost impossible), so we passed on it. Then we looked at the Roewe Kollewei. The price and battery life were okay, but it didn't have fast charging, and the space in the second row was cramped, so we passed on it too. Later, we looked at a Chang'an model (I can't remember the English name). There were no cars in stock and we had to wait. Also, my family thought it wasn't good - looking, and the cost - performance wasn't high. Finally, we also compared the Leapmotor, but there wasn't even a dealer in our small city, and there would be after - sales problems if we bought it, so we passed on it. In the end, after comparison, the Chery eQ1 had a suitable price, fast charging, enough space, high safety level among its peers, and relatively rich configurations, so we decided on it.
[Battery Life]
I bought the 301 - kilometer - range version. When fully charged in the eco - mode, it can reach a range of 315 kilometers. In the sport mode, it has a range of 290 kilometers. On the day I picked up the car and drove home from Chengdu, the total distance was 204 kilometers. I used the sport mode all the way, driving at a speed between 80 - 100 km/h. After the journey, there was still a 50 - kilometer range left. Overall, I'm very satisfied.
[Highlighted Configurations]
Probably the fast charging, all - aluminum body, and lifetime warranty for the three - electric systems. Don't expect too much from other configurations for a car that costs only a few ten - thousand yuan.
[Charging Time]
After I got home, I charged it once at a State Grid charging station. It took 20 minutes to charge from 30% to 71%. I don't know if it's fast or not since I've never driven an electric car before.
[Driving Experience]
On the highway, it's very stable at 100 km/h, but it obviously starts to feel floaty when the speed goes above 105 km/h. In the urban area in eco - mode, I can clearly feel that when I lift my foot off the accelerator, the vehicle's kinetic energy doesn't decay linearly. There's a pulling feeling. I don't know if it's related to the electric car's kinetic energy recovery. Also, the suspension is hard, and it feels like the car jumps when going over speed bumps.
[Maintenance Cost]
I just picked up the car, and there have been no costs other than electricity bills. I've heard that the maintenance is very cheap. My gasoline car's basic maintenance costs nearly a thousand yuan, while for this small electric car, it only costs two or three hundred yuan. What more could I ask for?
Finally, my wife drives the Chery eQ1, and she's very satisfied. It's economical, cute, and easy to park (the gasoline car is five meters long, which is a bit big for her, although she can drive it skillfully and even a bit wildly). She bought a lot of decorative items for it, which are really a bit of an eyesore. I also hope that the Chery eQ1 can keep her safe on her commute.

¡¾Charging Time¡¿
The car is equipped with a 3.3kW charger. I've measured the charging time several times using the original charging pile. The first time, when the remaining range shown on the meter was 126km and I charged it until the remaining range reached 180km, it took 1.5 hours. On average, about 11% of the battery was charged per hour. The second time, it took nearly 8 hours to charge from 23% to 100% of the remaining battery, with an average of 9.8% charged per hour (presumably, the charging power decreases when the battery is approaching full). Based on this, it's estimated that it takes about 10 hours to charge the battery from 0% to 100% using slow AC charging.

¡¾Range¡¿
The user manual states that the vehicle speed will be limited when the remaining range shown on the meter is below 60km. I haven't tested this. Usually, I start charging when the remaining range shown on the meter is a little over 100km (20% - 30%+ of the battery). Additionally, some car owners have reported that the battery drains faster when the remaining range shown on the meter is below 100km. I specifically tested it, and the range from 100km to 78km shown on the meter seems quite accurate. Overall, in an environment with a temperature of over 20 degrees Celsius and without using the air - conditioner, the range is quite reliable without any significant reduction. I haven't experienced the range performance in winter yet, so it awaits evaluation.

¡¾Space Performance¡¿
One of the important reasons for buying the Little Ant is that it's a small car and easy to park, so I don't have high requirements for its space. To be more specific, when the car is fully occupied, there isn't much space for other things. It should be noted that in normal usage scenarios, there's usually no need to carry a lot of stuff. Also, the rear seats support a 55 - split fold - down, which is quite practical as it can expand the loading space. So, generally speaking, I mainly use the Little Ant for short - distance commuting and don't have a great demand for space. Even if I occasionally need to carry some things, the 55 - split fold - down rear seats can meet most loading needs.

¡¾Riding Experience¡¿
The Little Ant is a small two - door, four - seat car. With its small space, ordinary seat wrapping, and relatively hard seats, the riding experience is just average. On one hand, the space is cramped, and on the other hand, it's definitely uncomfortable to sit for a long time. I was mentally prepared when I bought the Little Ant and didn't particularly care about this aspect. In the context of daily short - distance commuting, even in extreme cases when the car is fully occupied, the performance of the Little Ant is still acceptable.

¡¾Driving Feel¡¿
Although the Little Ant has an independent suspension, its handling is just so - so. The steering wheel is a bit heavy and the steering is not linear. Especially when the speed goes up (above 60km/h), a slight adjustment of the steering wheel can easily lead to over - steering. Usually, one will quickly correct it, which can then easily result in over - correction of the steering and cause the vehicle body to sway. This might also be related to the light vehicle body and the ESP calibration. Additionally, although the Little Ant has a sport mode, its maximum motor power is 30kW (although a 55kW motor can be selected). This upper limit determines that the Little Ant is not designed to be a sporty car. Its main application scenarios are daily tasks like grocery shopping, picking up kids, and commuting. However, as an electric vehicle, the Little Ant does have its natural advantages. For example, the vehicle is relatively quiet (there is tire noise, but in normal driving scenarios where the speed is not high, the tire noise is not very noticeable, and the same goes for wind noise). Another example is that it has a fast start - up acceleration (note that it's only fast at the start, and due to its small horsepower, the continuous acceleration is insufficient, giving a feeling of lack ofºó¾¢). Considering the positioning and price of the Little Ant, it's still a decent small car.

Advantages:
1. When driving in ECO mode all the time without getting on the highway and setting the kinetic energy recovery to level 4, and as I drive in a very gentle way, both the power response during acceleration and the kinetic energy recovery during coasting are extremely linear, which won't cause passengers to feel carsick due to sudden acceleration or braking.
2. Although this car has resonance and bumps, the advantage of the four - wheel independent suspension is still evident when idling over speed bumps and rough roads. It is more comfortable than the Black Cat (I test - drove a friend's Black Cat, and its suspension is set to be quite stiff).
3. This small car is easy to drive and park, convenient for passing other vehicles and easy to make a U - turn. It is very suitable as a second car for the family.
4. The rear brakes of the Half - Sugar version have been upgraded to disc brakes, and it is equipped with 175 tires. Coupled with the fact that I set the tire pressure to 2.2 bar, the brakes give me a lot of confidence (I drive gently and always keep a safe distance).
5. The steering wheel has been upgraded with up - and - down adjustment. Combined with the folding small armrest, a very good driving position can be adjusted. It would be even better if the seat's wrapping and softness could be improved.
6. The multi - function keys on the steering wheel integrate air - conditioning control, which is really great and very convenient for blind operation.

Others:
1. The range is quite reliable. My battery is of the 72U type, allegedly with CATL cells and made of lithium iron phosphate.
2. The rear space looks small, but it's actually okay when you sit in it. I'm 176 cm tall and weigh 140 jin. My head just touches the ceiling, and there is still about 3 cm of space for my knees when the front seat is not pushed too far back. It's enough for kids or girls about 160 cm tall on a daily basis.
3. The measured ground clearance of the battery when the car is unloaded is 17 cm, which is relatively high. It's better for the battery of an electric vehicle to have a higher ground clearance.
4. In my personal opinion, the front - row interior of this car is the best in its class. I also test - drove the base version of the Black Cat 301 and the 2020 Benben Xinyue. The interior of the Little Ant is the most like that of a proper car, followed by the Benben.
5. The sound quality is just passable. It has 4 speakers with a bit of bass, which is at a listenable level. It's much better than the 2 - speaker system of the Benben. I don't even have the desire to turn on the Benben's speakers.

Summary: I don't drive many miles each year. Buying this small electric car is not for saving money. The money saved on gas is basically spent on the insurance and maintenance of the electric car. I live in the countryside and have a yard where I can park the car and install a charging pile (this is very important). Most of the rural roads are single - lane, and it's very painful to pass other vehicles when driving a gasoline car. The Little Ant is very convenient for daily commuting. I can use it to pick up and drop off my child when he/she starts kindergarten in September this year, which is also very suitable. It can be said that I bought this car to improve the convenience and happiness of life, not for saving money. Why not buy a Wuling? If the budget is not extremely tight, people will still pursue more safety and range.