Skywell ET5. Innovative electric luxury vehicles
If you think that Skywell is another new Chinese electric vehicle brand, then you are wrong. A large company, more precisely, a large Skywell holding is behind it. It produces electronics, industrial robots for assembly line production, and even buses. Electric vehicles are just another new direction for the company.
The Skywell ET5 is the first electric vehicle of the Chinese brand. It was unveiled in April 2021 under the working title BE11 and quickly went into mass production. In Germany, the electric vehicle is sold under the name Elaris Beo. Over the next two years, the Chinese brand expects to sell more than 25 thousand Beo vehicles in Europe. In America, it is known as the Skywell Imperium ET5. By the way, the new Skywell ET5 is already available for sale in Israel. The entry-level version costs around 175,430 shekels, whereas the top-end version costs 190,430 shekels (including the vehicle registration fee).
Exterior
The Skywell ET5 is a mid-size all-electric SUV. Its dimensions are 4,698×1,908×1,696 mm with a wheelbase of 2,800 mm. In comparison, it is slightly larger than, for example, the Skoda Kodiaq, that is, the ET5 is a fairly large five-seat front-wheel drive SUV. It is based on its own BE platform. The trunk volume varies from 467 to 1,141 liters. The top-end Skywell ET5 is equipped with matrix-type laser headlights, whereas simpler versions feature diode headlights. In addition, the top-end configurations come with a sunroof and 19-inch wheels.
Interior
The new Skywell ET5 features a large 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system (the entry-level version comes with an 8-inch display) with voice control, a digital dashboard and wireless smartphone charging. The main feature of Skywell electric vehicles is the Skylink intelligent system. It can be controlled by voice. This system and other equipment are supplied by Skyworth. Note that the SUV is equipped with 15 functions. The vehicles also have an autopilot, however, only the Level 2 one.
Equipment
The interior is comfortable and well-assembled. It is finished with artificial leather, featuring decorative lighting and four-zone climate control. The front seats are heated and ventilated, while the rear seats are folding and tilt-adjustable. The equipment of the top version includes all-round cameras (the entry-level version has a rear-view camera), adaptive cruise control, a choice of driving modes, a parking assistant, and hands-free trunk opening.
The minimum driving range is 460 km, whereas the maximum reaches 520 km. The battery can be recharged from 20% to 80% in 30 minutes.
The package of electronic assistants includes a blind spot monitoring system, a collision avoidance system, traffic jam assist, lane keeping assist, hill start assist and downhill descent control.
Powertrain
Israeli buyers can purchase the 2022 Skywell ET5 equipped with a 204 hp electric motor and a 72 kWh battery. The minimum driving range is 460 km, whereas the maximum reaches 520 km. The driving range is based on China’s NEDC driving cycle, which is outdated and does not reflect actual numbers. So you can safely subtract 100 km from the declared value in order to get one that will be real in our conditions. The battery can be recharged from 20% to 80% in 30 minutes. The connectors are located in the hatches on the front fenders on both sides. The electric SUV accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds, with a top speed of 160 km/h.
