Even as the U.S. has enacted rules to keep EVs made in China off its streets in an effort to protect the vital domestic auto industry – as well as address concerns about Chinese government spying – one man managed to import a Wuling MINI EV, into the States for his own personal use. The diminutive EV is manufactured and sold by General Motors’ SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture in the Asian country.
The rather complicated, expensive process saw a registered nurse, John Karlin, obtain and import the Wuling MINI EV for use in his hometown of Oklahoma City, Wired reports.
Karlin was able to simply buy the Wuling MINI EV off Alibaba. While some models cost $5,000, he opted for a slightly more premium “Macaron” variant that cost a bit under $8,000. The purchase, however, was the easy part, with the actual importation requiring considerably more effort.
Karlin requested the seller to lock the Wuling MINI EV at a top speed of 35 mph. This enabled him to make use of an Oklahoma state rule that waives many of the safety requirements if a vehicle is “low-speed,” “medium-speed,” and will not be used on highways. Golf carts and farm tractors are typical examples of such vehicles, but with the speed governor installed, the Wuling Macaron also met this definition.
Karlin, in fact, claims that the Wuling MINI EV is “much more safe than just a regular low-speed or medium-speed vehicle” because of its backup cameras and backup alarms. Importing the vehicle through customs and registering it was an expensive process, however, which cost Karlin about $13,000, five thousand more than the vehicle itself cost.
The Wuling Macaron was eventually successfully imported and Karlin drove it for a year, reportedly enjoying its features. It was followed by the police several times, but the officers never pulled him over, perhaps being merely curious about the strange but correctly licensed vehicle.
Karlin eventually sold the tiny Chinese EV to an unnamed car company executive who wanted it for research, noting that as they sat in the vehicle, “I can see the wheels turning in his head as he’s realizing this and that, and looking at these different features and materials.”
Karlin began his importation efforts in 2021. The process he used is likely no longer feasible, however. The Biden administration put 100-percent tariffs on Chinese EVs, making the process much more expensive.
Even worse for would-be Chinese EV owners the government banned China-made vehicle hardware and software from entering the U.S. at all, immediately before Biden left office.
Comments
Wuling mini e.v. ?? Safe because it has multi cameras??? If there is an accident on road. And
this vehicle ends up between two TRANSPORT TRUCKS. No fault of the TRANSPORT DRIVERS.
The camera*s won*t prevent it from becoming what is commonly referred to as a
“FOUR WHEELER SANDWICH”.
He won’t drive it on highways. READ THE ARTICLE, STUPID!
You should read newspaper articles and watch the news. No disrespect to Mininite people . But they drive horse and buggy on roads. How do you know and where is your proof they do not cross highways or drive on highways.?? They pay taxes and have a right to drive on OUR roads safely. Stupid? I have a “BOOT” . Leave your name please. So
I can give you an “ATTITUDE” adjustment. Have some dignity + self respect. Have “BOOT” can travel. What he says + does are “TWO” different things. I “CAN READ!!!!!!”
Minimum interstate speed is 45 by law.
Give us time to come watch. Too many people need attitude adjustments nowadays.
A fool and his money…
Buy from the US gov. perspective:
“If you can’t beat them, ban them.”
If you belive in this practice decades ago, we wouldn’t have any imported vehicles in tbe U.S. There would never be any VW Beetles, nor any Japanese, German, British, Italian, French, or Koreans vehicles. The U.S. was built by foreigners and always has an open market for people and vehicles. Trump would not exist if his grandfather was banned.
He obviously never heard of a mini Cooper. Or a smart car. Another Rhoades scholarship winner…
Growing up in an Air Force town, a lot of illegal vehicles were brought into the U.S. stored away in Bomb Bays and unloaded in the dark of night. It was not unusual to we MGs, Italian Isettas and every European motorcycle ever made on the streets back in the day.
“Karlin, in fact, claims that the Wuling MINI EV is much more safe than just a regular low-speed or medium-speed vehicle because of its backup cameras and backup alarms. ”
A backup alarm won’t help you in a head-on with a F450.
How was he able to insure it? And if he thinks getting that car here was a challenge, where are parts and service coming from?
Most excellant comment. After such accident. All that is left is enough to put in to a
MATCH BOX to be buried in. No CREAMATION necessary. Really save money too. Great idea mini car.
That little car would make a handy little grocery getter.
Put groceries in mini car. But once that is done NO ROOM for driver or passanger either. Me thinks.
I remember back in the ’60s when loads of Honda motorcycles mysteriously arrived in the USA in the bellys of C-124 aircraft returning from Viet Nam/Okinawa…good ol’ days.
“Gin: “I could stick you in my arse, small fry.”
Interesting. So basically he imported it as a non-street legal utility vehicle like a college campus runabout vehicle (think those GEM cars).
I’m sure there are tons of loopholes to take advantage of. The other day I saw a Chery Exceed in a parking garage in North Bergen NJ. Not sure what the car was doing here but it did have Michigan dealer plates on it. So it may have been a test mule for eventually introducing the car to the states. This was back in 2021 so it may have been the case.
On another note there is a company called DCar Studios with operations in the US focused on testing Chinese imports in the US. Several of their cars have been featured in TFL and Car Confections including a Li Auto, Geely, Xpeng, and Formula Leopard. I’m not sure what their goal is but I assume its to try to educate people about Chinese cars so the cars are imported under the educational purposes rule.
Amusing little thing, isn’t it? I guess driving around in parades, people would get a “charge” out of seeing this thing. Totally psychedelic in a happening kind of way I guess. Soo groovy. LOL