Is the Geely Panda EV a Ford Model T for the electric car age?

The little Geeley Panda EV could be the template for a new generation of car. A Ford Model T for the electric age.

The Panda might be small, but it seats four, has a 120+ mile range and can do 60mph. And then there's the price. In it's domestic market of China, the little runabout will set you back 39,900 yuan - or the equivalent of £4,400.

Crucially, the Panda EV is not classed as a lightweight quadricycle like the Citroen Ami or recently launched Fiat Topolino EV. It's a bona fide car - albeit one that's only three metres long. It boasts a reversing camera, air-con, electric windows and even a touchscreen with Apple CarPlay.

It's highly unlikely the Panda will make its way to Europe. The car industry makes a fortune encouraging irrational decisions about our choice of vehicle. How else can you explain the huge popularity of SUVs? These bulky cars are ill-suited to the way most of us use our cars. One-in-four car trips are under 1 mile, and 71% are under 5 miles. Most of these journeys with only one or two people onboard.

The changing face of personal transport

There was a time when learning to drive and buying one's first car was a rite of passage, but in the age of e-scooters, e-bike share schemes and Uber, there's been a marked drop in car ownership among young people over the last generation.

Driving licensing among young people peaked in 1992/4, with 48 per cent of 17-20 year olds and 75 per cent of 21-29 year olds holding a driving licence. By 2014, driving licence holding had fallen to 29 per cent of 17-20 year olds and 63 per cent of 21-29 year olds. In 2010-14, only 37 per cent of 17-29 year olds reported driving a car in a typical week. The figure was 46 per cent in 1995-99.

If the privately owned car is to survive - particularly when e-bikes are so well suited to urban living - it will need to move with the times. Japan devised the kei car class of small car to address the challenges of crowded streets. The Geely Panda looks ready to do the same for the electric car age.

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK's most ethical provider.