Great Wall Motor & Ora: the Funky Cat is the cutest credible Chinese EV in Europe
Great Wall Motor's Ora sub-brand is the most design-led Chinese EV maker — the Funky Cat / Good Cat is a deliberately playful retro-EV that has won over UK and German reviewers. Here's how GWM has positioned Ora as China's answer to Mini.
Background
Great Wall Motor (GWM) is China's largest private-sector automaker (founded 1984, based in Baoding, Hebei), best known internationally for its Haval SUVs and Tank rugged-luxury SUVs. The company is publicly traded on Shanghai and Hong Kong; founder Wei Jianjun retains majority control.
Ora is GWM's all-EV sub-brand, launched in 2018. The name comes from a Greek-rooted word the company associated with hope and dawn. The product line is small — three mainstream models (Ora 03 / Good Cat / Funky Cat, Ora 07 / Lightning Cat, and Ballet Cat) plus a couple of China-only variants — but the brand identity is unusually distinct: all three cars share a deliberately retro-cute design language that stands out sharply against the German-imitative aesthetic of most Chinese EVs.
The Ora 03 (sold as the Funky Cat in the UK, Good Cat in domestic China) is the headline model. Compact, 4-door hatchback, 218 mi EPA-equivalent range, Porsche-911-meets-Mini styling. It earned a five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2022, which was an inflection point in European credibility for any Chinese-built EV in the segment.
Strategic wedge
Ora's strategy is differentiation through design rather than tech leadership or aggressive pricing. The cars are competitive on range and charging but not class-leading; they command attention because they look like nothing else in the mainstream EV segment.
Key strategic decisions: a retro-cute design language that references Beetle, Mini, and 911 — deliberately not trying to look German-executive like the BYD Han or Zeekr 7X. A female-skewed product positioning in China — Ora marketing explicitly targets younger urban women, with pink interior options on Ballet Cat (controversial inside China but commercially effective in a segment that other Chinese brands ignore). UK and Germany as priority export markets — not Russia or the emerging markets where most Chinese makers start; Ora picked the toughest crowd first, which made the Euro NCAP 5-star rating the brand-defining win. And a modest model count — three models, no expansion sprawl. GWM seems content to let Ora stay small and characterful rather than diluting into a full-range brand.
GWM's other sub-brands (Haval, Tank, Wey) cover the bigger-volume mainstream and premium segments. Ora is allowed to be the design-forward weird sibling, and the company doesn't pressure it to become anything bigger.
Current lineup (China)
| Model | Body | Powertrain | Battery | CLTC range | Price (CN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ora 03 (Funky Cat / Good Cat) | Compact hatchback | BEV | 63 kWh | 311 mi | ¥109,000 ≈ $15,300 |
| Ora 07 (Lightning Cat) | Midsize fastback sedan | BEV | 83 kWh | 438 mi | ¥168,000 ≈ $23,500 |
| Ora Ballet Cat | Retro compact hatchback | BEV | 59 kWh | 311 mi | ¥125,000 ≈ $17,500 |
Prices are manufacturer base prices in China. CLTC is the Chinese test standard and runs roughly 20–30% optimistic vs EPA. These models are not sold in the US.
Ora 03 (Funky Cat / Good Cat)
BEV · 63 kWh · 311 mi CLTCRetro-styled; sold in UK/EU as 'Funky Cat' and 'Good Cat'.
Ora 07 (Lightning Cat)
BEV · 83 kWh · 438 mi CLTCLarger sedan in the 'Cat' lineup; Porsche-Taycan-styled fastback.
Ora Ballet Cat
BEV · 59 kWh · 311 mi CLTCVW-Beetle-meets-Mini-Cooper retro styling; China-only.
Where they sell today
Markets sold in: China (Ora Good Cat, Lightning Cat, Ballet Cat), UK (Funky Cat / Ora 03), Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Israel, Australia, Thailand, New Zealand, South Africa, Mauritius.
Not sold: US, Canada, Japan, France (Ora has not entered the French market despite EU coverage elsewhere), most of Latin America.
Export markets: UK, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Israel, Australia, Thailand, New Zealand, South Africa, Mauritius
US-market outlook
United States: No path under current tariffs and no announced ambition. GWM's public statements have focused on Europe, Australia, Thailand, and the Middle East. A US launch would require GWM to build manufacturing in North America, and there's no indication that's being considered.
EU and UK: The growth market. GWM was assigned an EU countervailing duty of about 18.8% (added to the 10% base MFN tariff) in October 2024 — the middle of the Chinese-OEM range, reflecting partial cooperation with the EU's anti-subsidy investigation. The duty has pushed UK Ora 03 pricing above the Mini Cooper Electric, which has eroded the price advantage that initially made the Funky Cat a UK best-seller. GWM has indicated it is evaluating European manufacturing (potentially Hungary, where it already has a sales operation, or the UK) but has not committed.
Great Wall / Ora strengths
- Strongest visual brand identity of any Chinese EV maker — Funky Cat is genuinely recognisable.
- Five-star Euro NCAP rating early in European launch was a credibility unlock.
- GWM private ownership avoids state-owned-enterprise political baggage that hits SAIC.
- Larger interior than Mini Cooper or 500e at similar footprint.
- Tight three-model lineup keeps brand identity coherent.
Great Wall / Ora weaknesses
- DC charging speed (67 kW peak) trails European rivals and limits long-distance use.
- EU countervailing duty has erased much of the original UK price advantage.
- Female-targeted marketing positioning is controversial and limits male buyer appeal.
- Small lineup means no growth path within the brand — buyers stepping up leave Ora entirely.
- ADAS and software stack are middling for a 2026 model.
Related
- BYD
- MG (SAIC)
- Chery
- Geely / Zeekr
- Chinese EVs vs US/EU
- Chinese EVs hub
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Ora 03 sold under three different names?
Marketing localisation. In China it's the Ora Good Cat (好猫). In the UK and several EU markets it launched as the Funky Cat — a name British buyers found charming and reviewers couldn't resist using in every headline. From around 2024 GWM standardised on 'Ora 03' across Europe to align with the rest of the Cat lineup numbering (Ora 07 for the Lightning Cat sedan). The car itself is unchanged across the names. The 'Cat' branding was a deliberate attempt to be unmistakably Chinese-design-led rather than imitative of European retro cues, even though the styling clearly references Porsche 911 and Volkswagen Beetle silhouettes.
Is Ora a separate company from Great Wall Motor?
No, Ora is a sub-brand wholly owned by Great Wall Motor (GWM). GWM also owns Haval (SUVs), Tank (rugged SUVs), Wey (premium SUVs), and the GWM pickup line. Ora is the all-EV sub-brand specifically — launched in 2018, named after a Greek word for hope/light. GWM is publicly traded on Shanghai and Hong Kong exchanges and is private-sector owned (Wei Jianjun is the founder and majority shareholder), not state-owned.
Can I buy an Ora in the US?
No. Great Wall Motor has no US import operations and no current plans to enter the US market. The same tariff stack (27.5% Section 301 + 100% Biden EV) that blocks other Chinese EV imports applies. GWM has historically focused on emerging markets and is now growing in Europe, Australia, and Thailand rather than chasing the US. The Ora 03 would have a tough time competing in the US even without tariffs — its 200+ mile EPA-equivalent range and modest charging speed put it in segment-territory most US buyers have already moved past.
How does Ora's design strategy compare to other Chinese EV brands?
It's the most overtly design-led of all the Chinese EV brands. Where BYD, Geely, MG, and Chery design competently-but-conservatively, Ora leans into character — round headlights, soft curves, deliberately playful colours. The Funky Cat / Good Cat references the original Beetle and the Mini. The Ballet Cat references it even harder — the front end is openly cute, the interior includes pink trim options. This is unusual in a market where most Chinese EVs try hard to look German. Ora is the closest thing China has to what BMW does with Mini.
Why is the Ora 03 more expensive in the UK than in China?
Three layered effects. (1) The base FOB China price is around ¥109,000 (~$15,300); (2) export-trim cars get added equipment (proper homologation, advanced ADAS, additional safety hardware) that bumps the unit cost; and (3) the EU countervailing duty (about 18.8% on top of the 10% base MFN tariff for GWM as a partially-cooperating company, set October 2024) plus dealer margin pushes UK MSRP to around £31,995–£35,995. So roughly a 2x markup from Chinese base price to UK on-the-road. The same multiplier applies, in different proportions, to most Chinese-built EVs in Europe.
Sources: Great Wall Motor annual reports (HKG: 2333); Ora UK pricing pages; Euro NCAP 2022 Ora Funky Cat result; EU Commission Implementing Regulation 2024/2754 (GWM countervailing duty); CarNewsChina model coverage. Vehicle data verified May 2026. 1 RMB ≈ $0.14 USD.