China’s carmaker Bentu is entering Europe under the Bontu name, starting with the BTE05 minicar, the smaller BTE09 and the BTE03 mini commercial vehicle.
The Shandong-based company presented the range in Milan, where it is starting its European sales push. These are not conventional cars.
Bontu is targeting the lower-speed, urban electric vehicle space, where compact dimensions, easy parking and low running costs count for more than outright performance.
The BTE05 is the most car-like model in the range. It is a 3,000 mm-long electric minicar offered with two or four seats, and Bontu said it is driveable from the age of 16 in markets where local rules allow it.
The battery choices are 13.9 kWh and 18.1 kWh, giving claimed ranges of 170 km and 222 km respectively. Top speed is 90 kph.
For a vehicle this small, the kit list is not bare.
The BTE05 gets regenerative braking, electric power steering, ABS, EBD, air-conditioning, a driver airbag, hill-start assist, a rear camera, parking sensors, a 7-inch instrument display and a 12-inch central touchscreen. Bontu also said the passenger cell uses 60% high-strength steel.
Below it sits the BTE09, aimed at younger urban users. It measures 2,750 mm long and is available as an L6e two-seater or an L7e four-seater. The L6e version is limited to 45 kph and has a 7.68 kWh battery with up to 130 km of range.
The L7e version gets a 10 kWh battery, up to 150 km of range and a 75 kph top speed. Charging takes three hours.
The third model is the BTE03, a single-seat electric mini commercial vehicle for last-mile deliveries. It comes in pickup, truck and cargo configurations, with the cargo version available with rear doors and an optional side door.
It measures 3,564 mm long, has a 340 kg payload and uses an 8.35 kWh battery for a claimed 80–100 km range. Charging to 80% takes 90 minutes.
All three models are homologated under EU Regulation 168/2013 as L6e or L7e quadricycles. Bontu is offering a three-year or 50,000 km warranty.
