Buick Electra E5 is winning over buyers in China as brand’s first electric SUV

Buick opened reservations for its first electric SUV, the Electra E5, on April 13 in China. According to an update from the automaker Tuesday, the Buick Electra E5 has 8,000 orders after 10 days on the market.

Buick’s first electric SUV receives 8,000 orders in 10 days

The Electra E5 is not only the brand’s first electric SUV but also Buick’s first mass-produced EV on GM’s ultium platform.

We got our first glimpse of the electric SUV in November after documents released by the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology leaked documents containing images and specs.

Buick says the new vehicle adopts a brand-new electric vehicle design language called “new life” and is loaded with features such as VCS smart cockpit and GM’s next-gen Super Cruise ADAS technology.

The Electra E5 is a large five-seater pure electric SUV that’s 4,892mm (16 feet) long, 1,905mm (6.25 feet) wide, and 1,655mm (5.3 feet) tall. Powered by either a 68 kWh or 80 kWh battery, depending on the trim, the SUV provides a CLTC range of 545 km (338 miles) or 620 km (385 miles).

Buyers in China have five trim levels to choose from, with power output options of 150 kW, 180 kW, or 211 kW.

The cheapest trim, the Electra E5 Standard Range, features 545 km (338 miles) of CLTC range for a starting price of 208,900 yuan ($30,146). Meanwhile, the top Electra E5R RWD Avenir trim features 603 km (374 miles) of range but will cost you over $40,000 (278,900 yuan).

According to Buick in China, its first electric SUV has received over 8,000 orders within half a month of launching. Of the reservation holders, 47% have chosen the standard battery edition.

Electrek’s Take

Although Buick has already filed trademark protection for Electra models one through nine in the US, it’s not likely we will see the same version.

Buick has already noted this is a China-specific version. However, Buick did announce it will be going all-electric by 2030, so we will see some version of the Electra E5. Being in the middle of the lineup, we can expect another midsize crossover.

The automaker says its first EV will be available in North America, but not until next year. At that point, there will already be several midsize crossovers on the market, so Buick will need to act urgently before the brand falls even more out of favor in the US.