• The Electra L7 is a 5-meter mid-to-large sedan offering a 302-km battery range and equipped with Momenta's driver assistance system.
• The Electra L7 can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 5.9 seconds.

Buick, a brand under General Motors (NYSE: GM), has launched the Electra L7 extended-range sedan in China, offering competitive pricing and localized software solutions to tackle fierce competition.

The model, a mid to large-size extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) under Buick's Electra sub-brand, was launched at an event yesterday. It has a limited-time starting price of RMB 169,900 ($23,820) and will begin deliveries on October 20.

Buick originally planned to begin pre-sales of the model on September 28 but shifted to a direct launch to accelerate its timeline, as China's year-end electric vehicle (EV) tax subsidies are set to retreat.

Buick offers five variants of the Electra L7 with official starting prices of RMB 173,900, RMB 186,900, RMB 193,900, RMB 206,900, and RMB 219,900.

The brand is offering a limited-time discount of RMB 4,000 on all variants, effectively lowering the starting price to RMB 169,900.

Built on the Xiao Yao Super Architecture, the Electra L7 measures 5,032 mm in length, 1,952 mm in width, and 1,500 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,000 mm.

The vehicle incorporates Buick's "Zhen Long" (meaning “True Dragon”) extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) system.

This system features a 1.5L engine serving as the range extender, delivering a maximum power output of 115 kW, paired with an electric motor producing 252 kW (338 horsepower).

With this system, the Electra L7 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds and achieves a top speed of 200 km/h.

The vehicle comes standard with GM's 40.2-kWh Ultium battery pack, featuring cells from Zenergy and a joint venture between CATL and SAIC Motor (SHA: 600104).

Its battery range is 302 kilometers, with a combined range of 1,420 km when fully fueled and charged.

The Electra L7 also features an advanced driver assistance system powered by SAIC-backed Chinese autonomous driving startup Momenta, supporting the Momenta R6 end-to-end large model.

With this system, the Electra L7 offers full-scenario driving assistance capabilities including urban Navigation on Autopilot (NOA) and parking assistance.

The sedan also incorporates the Qualcomm SA8775P cockpit chip, making it one of the first models in China to utilize the chip.

EREVs have gained significant popularity in China over recent years, offering the driving experience of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) without range anxiety.

However, market growth has slowed considerably this year despite increased participation from automakers.

From January to August, China's EREV retail sales reached 732,000 units, marking a 7.33 percent year-on-year increase, according to data compiled by CnEVPost from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

By comparison, BEV retail sales during the same period totaled 4,612,000 units, surging 32.20 percent year-on-year.

($1 = RMB 7.1338)