JAC Yttrium 3 electric youth cars
JAC Yttrium 3 (or JAC Y3) is a novelty of the Yttrium sub-brand from the Chinese company JAC Motors (Jianghuai Automobile Group). Under this brand it is planned to produce inexpensive youth cars on electric traction, and it will be possible to recognize them by an unusual design of the logo – golden letters JAC, located on a black background. JAC Yttrium 3, the first-born of the sub-brand, a classic cross-hatchback for the city, is recognizable by its design a la “Porsche” with its rounded shapes and ellipsoid headlights.
Unusual appearance for a small electric car
JAC Y3 (known as Yiwei in China), or as they affectionately call this type of car – “bug”, has laconic rounded shapes, smooth corners and expressive look of perfectly round LED headlights. The electric car does look somewhat toy-like, but that’s exactly what the designers at JAC Motors were aiming for when they created it. To make the maximum space between the axles, the designers came up with an unusual know-how, to arrange the wheels of the car strictly on the outer corners.
The idea required an unpretentious, nimble, taking little space in the dense flow of roads of megacities electric car, designed for short trips with a limited number of passengers. In fact, JAC Yttrium 3 can be regarded as a “personal handbag”, a cross-hatchback for one owner, almost purely female, designed for shopping of the best girlfriends.
Two versions of the front-wheel-drive JAC Yttrium 3 (or JAC Y3) were announced at the time of its unveiling:
- 95 hp electric motor with a range of 405 kilometers.
- A 136 hp electric motor with a range of up to 505 km.
Changing the concept and moving only forward
JAC Motors (Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co.) has completely transformed its direction and development strategy. Now the subsidiary brand Sehol, established relatively recently in 2020 is not part of it. And all passenger car models, including crossovers, minivans, on the PRC market will be recognized by the JAC brand and the new stylized white emblem. The red emblem remains only for the independent commercial division, which produces pickup trucks, light trucks and light-duty trucks.
It is believed that an indirect sign of the Sehol brand liquidation was the unveiling of the JAC QX PHEV crossover with a rechargeable hybrid version sold under the name Sehol QX (in Russia JAC JS6).
The name Yttrium (or Yiwei for the Chinese), came about as a tribute to the rare-earth metal yttrium, used in the production of traction batteries. JAC Yttrium 3 is a purely youthful car for owners not older than 35, and in Russia it can become a subject of primary choice for young drivers who have just passed their license.
The JAC Yttrium 3 hatchback is compact and stylish
It was previously spotted as the JAC EV3, and has become a direct competitor to the Ora Haomao and BYD Dolphin. According to the idea, JAC Yttrium 3 should be a purely ladies’ car, according to statistics its demand among women is over 65%. And this, thanks to the exquisite roundness of forms and brightness of the interior.
According to the size range, the five-door is a typical B-class hatchback, its parameters:
- Width – 1760 mm.
- Length – 4025 mm.
- Height – 1560 mm.
- Wheelbase is 2620 mm.
The last indicator is a bit out of the standards of B-class electric cars because of unusual arrangement of wheels. The wheels themselves are small, 16-17 inches. The rear suspension is semidependent, all brakes are disk.
The five-door hatchback is equipped with fully LED optics, among the pleasant bonuses is a good panoramic roof. The first row for the passenger and driver (electric drive, heating, ventilation) the second – a sofa designed for 3 passengers. The floor is absolutely flat.
Although JAC Yttrium 3 is positioned as a completely independent model, in its design you can find notes of Mini Fiat 500. According to the fashion of the present time, the steering wheel is flattened at the bottom, there are retractable handles, and the choice of capricious buyers is offered as many as 4 variants of interior colors. The equipment includes developed illumination in 64 colors. Depending on the configuration, there is a huge media screen of 15.6 inches, but there may be a more modest version of 12.8 inches. There’s a 5G modem, cartoon graphics and voice control with Level 2 autopilot.
But the novelties of the Yttrium sub-brand don’t end there. The new family is ready to be replenished with a larger passenger car Yttrium 5 (mileage up to 800 km), as well as crossovers Yttrium X3 and Yttrium X5 (from 600 to 800 km).
Pros and cons of the JAC Yttrium 3
Undoubtedly, there are no perfect electric cars, especially if you approach the comparison subjectively. Here and in the novelty JAC Yttrium 3 also has its pros and cons:
Pros:
- Economy and affordable price.
- Spacious interior and laconic design.
- Environmental friendliness (no harmful emissions into the atmosphere).
- Modern technology, multifunctionality, safety, comfort.
Minuses:
- Insignificant driving range. In fact, the electric car is designed for small trips within the metropolitan area.
- Small number of charging stations.
- Requires significant time for charging.
- Significant costs when replacing the battery.
But, despite everything, JAC Yttrium 3 remains a desirable acquisition, favorably positioned when buying before powerful SUVs, and even more so when comparing with cars with internal combustion engine. Especially if you need a small, functional electric vehicle for small, pleasant trips, shopping or walking.