JMEV Elight Electric

Had an opportunity to test out the JMEV Elight feels like it was designed by people who actually enjoy their driving, rather than just the coding works.

This car sits in the Cat A COE, with 145HP, with a 8+ seconds 0-100, comfortable "Continental" driving dynamics and a real-life range of over 500km on a heavy foot (calculated based on the average consumption during the test drive), it provides a value proposition that cars in hard to beat.

The JMEV Elight feels like its built for the "tech minimalist" or the "pragmatic parent". Its for the kind of drivers who wants to save on fuel and tax, but do not appreciate having a "ipad on wheels". They value comfort, massive boot over high tech gadgets and buttons where it matters. If you fall into these categories, this might be the best suited route to enter the EV sedan world.

Tested it and here's my 2 cents worth.

1. Multi-link rear suspension ensure that its road holding is pretty good with above average comfort.

2. NVH is a bit in the high side due to less sound proofing in critical areas. It can be quite noisy for an EV on the high way with noticeable wind and Tyre noise.

3. Found the buttons and other touch points a bit crude compared to the Aion ES.

4. NMC batteries compared to LFP battery means it has a higher energy density (more power) but thermal management is more challenging. LFP batteries found in other cars have less energy density but are known to be safer and not as combustible.

5. It's supposed to have Renault 50% shareholding but they have relinquished ownership.

Got my car at $168k — good service, good price, good time.

Right after that, COE shot up to $128k! Crazy.

Lesson learned: buy now, or buy it more expensive later.

Simple no fuss EV to drive, no complicated drive buttons or screens.

If you have driven a petrol car, you'll be able to drive it in seconds as everything you need has physical buttons.

JMEV with its sleek lines and modern design elements is quite a handsome car looks, decent from the outside, but the interior feels low-end. The buttons look dated, the seats and cabin are not that big, especially rear sear cant cover me fully my back-leg when folded, so not pracrical to me or to my adult family.

The car, doors have a plasticky feel. The interior's fit & finish and overall build quality are not the best either, it's not appealing to me.