Is the sub-£30k electric SUV era here? Seres 3 arriving in the UK this spring

  • A new electric brand, Seres, is set to hit the UK this spring, with the arrival of the Seres 3 – an electric SUV set to rival models such as the Hyundai KONA Electric and MG ZS EV.
  • Not to be confused with the BMW 3 Series, the Seres 3 will have a starting price of £29,995, undercutting all of its key rivals.
  • This makes it the first electric SUV in the country to have a sub-£30k list price.

The arrival of the sub-£30k electric SUV

Up until this point, unless you were willing to shop around on the second hand EV market for a deal, the UK has been lacking an electric SUV with a price below the £30,000 mark. That’s all about to change however. You may not have heard of IA Electric Vehicles before, who until this point, have exported electric commercial vehicles, such as the DFSK EC35 van, from China into the United Kingdom. However, the importer is now bringing the Seres 3 electric SUV to the UK market. Seres is a Chinese EV manufacturer, founded in just 2016, primarily selling passenger EVs within China, but now starting to sell across the globe.

Despite its low price tag it should still have the specs to match its pricier competition – with a WLTP-rated range of 205 miles from a 54kWh, rapid charging capabilities, and equipment such as keyless entry, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, leatherette, front and rear LED lights, and a reversing camera all coming as standard even on the entry-level £29,995 model. Moving up to the £31,995 ‘Spirit’ trim level adds a panoramic sunroof, wireless charging for your phone, and heated front seats.

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IA Electric Vehicles also plans to bring another Chinese EV brand, Skywell, to the country later in the year, with the arrival of the luxury-focussed Skywell BE11 electric SUV. You can expect a price between the £30,000 and £40,000 mark for this, judging by its price in markets where it’s already on sale. As these are new brands with no brick-and-mortar presence in the country as of yet, IA Electric Vehicles is also encouraging dealerships to look at the opportunity to franchise sales of brands such as Seres and Skywell.

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