Thanks to recent developments like lower prices care of a recent Executive Order, as well as exemption from the number coding scheme, there seems to be more and more reasons to make the shift towards fully electric vehicles.
Chances are, many have already been pondering the shift, only to be daunted by the high price these EVs command. One offering that doesn’t command such a price is the Weltmeister W5, at a very tempting P2.248M.
Like any SUV
The Weltmeister W5 ticks all the right boxes for anyone looking to go electric. It sports a modern SUV body, a battery capable of traveling between 250 to 400-km per charge, and a set of tech features at par with all the current offerings from mainstream brands.
The W5 wouldn’t look out of place in any garage. It boasts of sleek design with almond-shaped LED headlights, hexagonal daytime running lights, a distinctive character line running along the side, and full-width LED taillights. It even has the flush door handles that are practically a trademark
of EVs these days. Unique to the W5 is the illuminated front logo. The LEDs built into the logo change color, allowing it to double as a charge indicator.
Walk up to the W5 and will automatically unlock. Inside, the W5 lives up to the high-tech expectations as well. The driver gets a fully digital instrument cluster which displays the battery range, speed, odometer, any open doors, as well as the media selected. In the center of the dashboard is a massive 15.6-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen. Below that massive screen are soft-touch shortcut buttons for the door-locks, voice command, and climate controls. The center console features a rotary dial for selecting the drive mode as well as the on/off switch. The driver and front passenger get one-piece sports seats. Passengers behind get a flat rear floor and generous leg room.
Extraordinary power
As you can expect, the W5 is an EV and rather than an engine, it has a 52-kw/h battery. This powers a 217-horsepower, 315-Nm electric motor. The internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalent would be a 2.4-liter V6, making this a pretty zippy SUV.
The driver can select one of two drive modes and one of two regenerative braking levels (Eco and Sport). too. Drive mode is selected by pushing it down, while the regen level is selected by scrolling.
The main benefit of EVs is their ability to deliver maximum torque practically instantly. As such, when it says it has 315-Nm of torque, you get all that the moment you floor the pedal. That allows the W5 to accelerate effortlessly in a straight line, feeling practically like a sports car. If you have a heavy foot, we recommend bumping up the brake regeneration as well to recoup some of that power, as well as help you slow down. Its weight
can be felt when cornering, as the batteries can make it feel like a larger vehicle and the suspension is tuned for comfort.
Charging
What many buyers will worry about is charging this vehicle. The W5 can be charged using a conventional 220-volt outlet (14-16 hours for a full charge) or can be purchased with an exclusive WM home charger (8.5 hours) which WM Motor Philippines can install in your home. It uses the It can also accommodate a DC fast charger (like the one is Shell SLEX or SM Baguio [40 minutes]).
Still, we doubt finding a charging station will be a problem as the W5 boasts of a 400-km range when fully charged. It isn’t a fixed 400-km range either as how you drive (especially how much you coast) can increase the range. Believe it or not, time spent in traffic not moving uses up less battery than stop and go or constant motion.
With the average drive being anywhere from 12 – 20 kilometers, you’ll find yourself only using 10% of the charge at a time. This means a full
charge can last more than a week before needing to be recharged. You can also top it up and plug it at home every night, bringing it back up to 100% easily after just a few hours.
Safety
The W5 also has some handy safety features like blind spot warnings, front and rear sensors, and a 360-degree parking camera. There’s also
the standard set of ABS and traction control as well as airbags.
Making the switch
The Weltmeister W5 may not be a well-known EV, but it’s certainly one of the more practical and affordable choices for those looking to make
the switch at just P2.248 million as opposed to most of the other EVs priced above P3M. Granted, it’s not completely maintenance-free, but without an engine or oil changes to worry about, your regular preventive maintenance visits will be significantly cheaper.
Having one for a few days has taught us that it’s hardly thirsty with power and there’s very little reason to worry about where the nearest charging stations are. Chances are, you’ll have more than enough juice to get home and charge. The W5 was a great vehicle to experience the perks of going electric.