Yesterday, General Motors‘ upcoming new electric vehicle for China, the Chevrolet Menlo EV, leaked online ahead of its unveiling at the 2019 Chengdu Motor Show in September.
The Menlo EV’s name caught our eye, as it is a rather interesting English language name applied to a car that will be sold exclusively in mainland China.
So why did GM select this name for the Chinese-market EV, anyway? According to Fox News, the name is derived from the Menlo Park, New Jersey neighbourhood in which Thomas Edison lived and where his research laboratory was located. It was in the Menlo Park lab that Edison invented the phonograph and also the first commercially viable incandescent lightbulb. As a result of Edison’s research, Menlo Park’s Christie Street was one of the first in the world to be lined with electric lights.
As for the Chevrolet Menlo EV itself, it is said to be powered by a 150 horsepower electric motor driving the front wheels, which is paired with a lithium-ion battery pack of undisclosed size. It’s also not clear how far it will be able to travel on a charge, although we imagine it will have a similar range to the Buick Velite 6 EV, which boasts an alleged city driving range of 187 miles. It will also feature a rear camera, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights, a roof rack and an optional panoramic sunroof.
To reiterate, the Menlo will not be sold in North America. It was developed with the Chinese market in mind, where strict emissions standards have forced automakers to discontinue certain products and sell greener alternatives in their place.
We’ll have full details on the Chevrolet Menlo EV following its debut in Chengdu early next month. For now, be sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more electric car news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Source: Fox News
Comments
My first thought was they named a car after the place Henry Fords buddy lived.
I wonder if anyone at Chevy knows the Menlo Park lab is mpw at the Henry Ford Museum @ Greenfield Village? i wouild not recomend it for a new car intro. They might get turned down.
A step below the 200 hp electric motor and 238 mile range of the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt; if these factors mean anything, one would have to suspect that the Chevrolet Menlo EV is more affordable with possibly a $28,000 entry level price.
Pretty cool way of coming up with a name.
Why name a Chinese market only Chevrolet partially after a city that an American inventor lived in over a 100 years ago? Do Chinese people even know who Thomas Edison even was? Sometimes I question the decisions GM makes. Also seems lately there is way too much focus on China at GM. I understand that it’s a very important market for GM to compete in but what about your home market? If anything the new C8 Corvette is proof that GM still has some of that old magic from years gone by. Hopefully that old magic finds its way into more future products back here in the USA.
The name “Menlo” sounds better than “Bolt EUV”.
Good looking!