GWM ORA Kickstarts 2024 by Celebrating One Thousand Sales of ORA Funky Cat in the UK
- GWM ORA has now sold more than 1,000 ORA Funky Cats in the UK
- Retail partner, City West Country, handed over an ORA Funky Cat First Edition+ variant from its site in Exeter
- This milestone marks just over one year of operations in the UK for GWM ORA
- Additional GWM ORA models planned to launch in 2024 adopting new naming convention
GWM ORA UK has officially handed over its 1,000th ORA Funky Cat to a customer in Exeter who chose a ‘First Edition+’ variant through one of the brands retail sites, City West Country. The customer, having previously owned an electric car, was drawn to ORA Funky Cat’s retro-futuristic styling, capable electric range and high levels of specification. Characteristics that helped it recently achieve a ‘Which? Best Buy’ in the medium sized car category.
Speaking about their ORA Funky Cat First Edition+ purchase, Lawrence commented:
“As a designer it was the design and flare of the car that initially attracted me to ORA Funky Cat. I was delighted this autumn when I learnt about the First Edition+ model as it had all of the features that I was looking for at an affordable price point. Especially considering the 63kWh battery and the added features like panoramic sunroof, heated seats and heated steering wheel.”
All variants of ORA Funky Cat feature wireless phone charging, facial recognition, electric front seats, app integration and ‘Hello ORA’ intelligent voice assistance. ORA Funky Cat First Edition+ adds additional comfort features like heated, cooled and massage front seats, heated steering-wheel, panoramic sunroof, automatic tailgate and automatic parking assistance.
“We are thrilled to kick off 2024 by celebrating a significant sales milestone, with 1,000 ORA Funky Cats now on UK roads. Having launched just over one year ago with a single model variant in our line-up, we’re delighted with our progress so far. In 2024, we will continue with our ambitious growth plans, scaling core retail infrastructure and introducing new products to the UK market.”
Toby Marshall, Managing DIrector, GWM ORA UK
Having started sales in late November 2022, GWM ORA has predominantly focused on creating a strong network of trusted retailers in its first year of operations. So far, the brand has established 30 points of representation across the UK with many well-known and trusted retail partners now on-board. GWM ORA plans to open one new retail site a month on average in 2024, which will help support steady volume growth and increase brand awareness.
In the meantime, ORA Funky Cat First Edition continues to offer exceptional value for money, with business and personal leasing customers able to drive away from just £199* and £239** per month respectively. This makes ORA Funky Cat one of the best value ‘family sized’ BEV’s currently available in the UK leasing market.
Additionally, parent company Great Wall Motor (GMW), has recently announced a strategy update for its automotive subsidiaries across Europe, evolving from a ‘house of brands’ to a ‘branded house’ architecture. In the UK market, GWM will adopt a phased approach to the implementation of its new brand strategy, with a focus on introducing a new naming convention for GWM ORA products initially. GWM ORA’s launch model, ORA Funky Cat, will adopt the model name ‘ORA 03’ from mid-January 2024, with additional models to follow this same convention.
*BCH Rental at £199 + VAT, initial Payment of £1,500 + VAT. Annual Mileage 8,000 per annum, over 24 months, non-maintained and excess mileage charge at 9.4 pence per mile
**Rental at £239 with Initial Payment of £1,800. Annual Mileage 8,000 per annum, over 24 months, non-maintained and excess mileage charge at 11.3 pence per mile
