After the epidemic, we have ushered in the first offline test drive event, and the test drive model is the LI ONE T03.
T03 is LI ONE’s second car. It is interesting that the two existing LI ONE cars have very different target audiences. S01 has created an extremely niche market for pure electric two-door sports cars, while T03 has entered the crowded market of micro pure electric cars.
Although the micro pure electric car market is very large, there is no shortage of players in this market, such as the veteran BYD e1, the popular Euler R1 with a cute image, and the current sales champion Wuling MINI EV.
In this fiercely competitive market of the red sea, the breakthrough of LI ONE T03 lies in high configuration.
After seeing the actual T03 car, @42号车库 posted a Weibo. What surprised me was that many friends in the comment section were looking forward to this small car. After experiencing it myself, I believe that LI ONE T03 has significant advantages in terms of configuration, endurance, power, and chassis performance compared to cars in the same level.
It needs to be clarified that the test drive vehicle for this time is a prototype car in the PP stage, and some details will continue to be optimized in the subsequent production. The problems we encountered during the test drive have been feedback to LI ONE’s staff.
Are you satisfied with the appearance of T03?
As a microcar, appearance is an important factor that affects purchasing decisions, so let’s first look at the appearance.
Most microcars go for the cute and adorable route, and LI ONE T03 is no exception. This is also a verified route, provided that it is coordinated enough.
The oval headlights with C-shaped LED daytime running lights give a very delicate first impression.The front face of LI ONE T03 has two options: fully enclosed and honeycomb-shaped. Users can choose according to their preferences. The fully enclosed front face gives a fuller visual effect and makes the headlights look “cute” with its design.
There is one detail worth noting, the gap between the T03’s hood and the front face connection is slightly larger which may negatively affect the perceived quality. We have brought this to the attention of LI’s staff, and they will optimize it in the upcoming mass-produced cars.
Under the logo, there are fast and slow charging ports.
Looking at the side of the car, it can be seen that the T03 adopts a four-wheel-four-corner design. The car is 3620 mm long with a wheelbase of 2400 mm, and the overall design is sufficiently coordinated.
The T03’s hub comes in two sizes: 14 inches and 15 inches. The 14-inch hub has a Y-shaped design, which looks great in gunmetal color, but the actual effect may be slightly small. The 15-inch multi-spoke color-matching hub looks fuller and is an optional configuration for all models equipped with 14-inch hubs as standard.
At the back, T03’s taillights also adopt a bar-shaped LED tail light design, which feels more delicate compared to traditional halogen bulbs and point-shaped LEDs.
Here’s a summary of the exterior design of the LI ONE T03. Compared to the unique design of the S01, while the T03’s appearance may not be stunning, it is overall well-coordinated and has some delicate details that people will find appealing. It is an appearance that most users can accept, which is also an important step for LI to enter the market.
In terms of color, the T03 comes in five colors: blue, yellow, black, white, and gray. For a small car, the use of black, gray, and blue colors may be too “business-like.” Using some bright colors can make it more eye-catching.
The highest equipment for a micro-car?
Let’s first look at a set of data comparisons.
In terms of size, compared with the same level of models, the T03 is nearly 20 centimeters longer, with a wheelbase of 2400 mm, and after adjusting the front seat to the appropriate position for my colleague (178 cm), I sat in the back seat and found that there was still enough legroom without the situation of my legs being cramped. In addition, there is enough space under the front seats to put your feet. Overall, the sitting posture is not cramped.
The seats of the high-end models are made of leather with stitching, and the padding of the front seats is soft and moderate. However, there is no good wrapping, and the advantage is that the adjustment range is wide enough. For a micro-car, the driver’s seat has six manual adjustments, which is not common.
One issue that needs to be pointed out is that as a city commuting vehicle, although there is no frequent four-seat demand, the demand for two-person travel is still relatively high. However, the wheel arch cover on the right side of the T03 will affect the leg space of the front passenger to some extent, and the posture of the passenger’s right foot is not natural when sitting normally. We have already given this feedback to LI and hope that improvements can be made in the mass-produced version.
The rear seat cushion of the car is thick enough and the filling is relatively soft. The backrest angle has a certain advantage over cars of the same level, but the filling is harder. Short-term rides are no problem, but long-term rides can be tiring. However, the Zero Run T03 is positioned as a small city car for commuting and is not suitable for long-distance travel.
Although the Zero Run T03 is a small car for urban commuting, it still takes good care of the rear passengers. Most cars of the same level have non-liftable negative pressure ventilation windows in the rear, while the Zero Run T03 has electric lifting windows on all four doors.
As for the trunk, since the T03 is not equipped with a spare tire, the depth of the trunk is very deep, with plenty of space for daily grocery shopping. However, due to the certain inclination of the rear seat, the available height is not very high. If there is a need to transport large items, the rear seats can be folded down.
However, it is regrettable that the T03 trunk does not have an external physical opening button. Every time you need to open the trunk, you can only use the opening button on the car screen or the trunk opening button on the key, which is a bit inconvenient in practical use.
In terms of interior storage space, there are convenient storage compartments in the door panels and near the center console, and the storage space has not been overly reduced due to the smaller body size, it is still quite practical.
As for the interior design, although it is not particularly stunning, there is no obvious sense of cheapness when sitting in the car. The material is mainly hard plastic, and the areas of the car door panels that are often in contact with hands are covered in soft leather. Although it is a PP car, the overall assembly process is very good, and the seams of the interior trim pieces are small. The interior does not produce any noise or looseness even when driving on bumpy roads.
Finally, let’s focus on the configuration. There are two highlights in terms of configuration: first, the overall configuration level is high; second, it is the only micro car model with L2 assisted driving function.
There is little dispute about the high level of configuration. When compared with other cars in the same category, the difference is significant.
Here are a few examples: L2 assisted driving, remote control via mobile phone, keyless start, heated rearview mirrors, electronic parking brake, reversing image, automatic parking, dashcam, rear disc brakes, and a large panoramic sunroof. These are all very rare configurations in the same category.“`
For many consumers who live in first-tier cities and purchase a second car as a means of transportation, their first car is usually not of poor quality. Therefore, when looking for a second car that meets their commuting needs, the higher the comfort configuration, the smaller the differences between the two cars and the smaller the gap in user experience.
Regarding the L2 assisted driving, the LI ONE T03 is the only micro car equipped with L2 assisted driving. In terms of hardware, the T03 is equipped with one front monocular camera, one millimeter-wave radar, and 11 ultrasonic radars (6 front and 5 rear).
“`The front monocular camera not only serves for vehicle recognition in assisted driving, but also functions as a driving recorder. This is not because of ZEROPRO’s being stingy, but rather due to the advantage of software self-research which brings high integration, achieving more functions at lower costs.
Unfortunately, ZEROPRO’s self-developed Level 2 assisted driving has not been released yet. Looking at the accuracy and stability of the current visual recognition, there is still room for improvement in this system.
Next, let’s discuss whether assisted driving is a pseudo-demand for microcars without it at the same level.
Firstly, the applicable environment of assisted driving is only on closed roads such as highways and ring roads. Secondly, the positioning of T03 is a commuter car with no high-speed demand. That is to say, only short trips with elevated roads are the ideal scenarios for ZEROPRO’s T03 assisted driving.
Although the usage is relatively limited, it can be seen that there is a specific group of people in this scenario: users who use the car as a commuting vehicle in first-tier cities. From the comments section on our Weibo and community chat records, there is indeed such a group of people who hope to have a microcar with assisted driving. Therefore, this is not a pseudo-demand, but a niche demand.
However, whether or not to add assisted driving needs to balance the relationship between cost and demand. ZEROPRO’s parent company is Dahua Technology, which has certain advantages in hardware compared to other car manufacturers, and the software is self-researched. Therefore, in terms of cost, compared to purchasing a supplier’s package solution, ZEROPRO has certain advantages. ZEROPRO staff revealed that the top-level T03 with L2 assisted driving will be priced below 80,000 yuan.
After I revealed the expected price of the ZEROPRO T03 on Weibo, many users who had already purchased a small car at the same level felt some regret.
Therefore, in terms of configuration, the T03 is outstanding enough.
The driving experience and sensory quality of the chassis are unexpectedly good for this level of small car. However, for ZEROPRO’s T03, there are some points that surprised me. Firstly, the battery capacity is larger with a 36.5 kWh battery squeezed into a 2400 mm wheelbase, compared to the same level of car with only 33 kWh.Although the increase in battery capacity means a significant increase in cost for small cars with low selling prices, the benefit is that the T03 has become the only model in this class with a range of over 400 km with the NEDC standard. Even though most users who purchase such small cars have home charging conditions, the range is a constant concern regardless.
In addition, the T03 uses CATL’s 811 ternary lithium battery.
Secondly, in terms of power, the T03 is equipped with a permanent magnet synchronous motor with a maximum output power of 55 kW and a maximum torque of 155 N·m, far exceeding the same class of vehicles. In actual driving, the benefits of having a larger motor are also very noticeable, especially in the mid-to-late stage of acceleration where power is clearly more abundant.
Thirdly, for a microcar, it is not expected to have much driving pleasure, but I was very surprised that even with higher speed over some larger bumps, the performance of the chassis was very good. On the one hand, there was almost no loose feeling; on the other hand, all vibrations were filtered very comfortably without any additional secondary vibrations causing a sense of being unable to cope.
Of course, although the T03’s range, power, and chassis performance are impressive enough, there is still a sense of cheapness in terms of steering feel.
Written by: 63
Edited by: Daji
In conclusion, there are more and more choices in the micro pure electric vehicle market, and the Zero Run T03 is a newcomer with full sincerity in terms of configuration, range, power, and chassis texture. So, the remaining question is, would you reject a car because of its brand?
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.