Great Wall seeks Australian trademark for low priced Ora Good Cat EV

Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors has confirmed it is looking to bring its GWM Ora Good Cat EV to Australia, with trademark processes underway to register the car name with the Australian government, a move which could result in a new Australian “cheapest EV”.

Great Wall Motors (GWM) announced last month that it was planning to launch its Ora Good Cat EV to Australia some time in 2022,” saying that Australia was “one of the important areas of Great Wall Motor’s global strategic map” and that “the first electric model will soon be revealed in Australia.”

Ora, the budget electric vehicle sub-brand for GWM, was formed in 2018 and offers several EVs including the HaoMao, better known as the Good Cat.

A subcompact EV with two battery sizes (49kWh and 63kWh) available in three variants, the Good Cat boasts a generous 500-kilometre range (NEDC) for the largest NCA battery, while the smaller LFP battery offers up to 400-kilometres.

Already available for sale in Thailand where pricing ranges from $A27,000 – 30,000, a potential arrival on Australian shores might end up giving the MG ZS EV a run for its money as the cheapest EV in Australia.

Further evidence from IP Australia, the Australian governmental agency responsible for administering intellectual property (IP) rights, suggests that the Good Cat is GWM’s first choice EV to land on our shores.

According to IP Australia’s database, Great Wall Motors already boasts a number of registered trademarks for its company name and logos, but in September the company filed to trademark the name GWM Ora and Ora respectively – both of which are currently under examination.

GWM in December also filed to register a trademark for a stylised Good Cat logo.

GWM has also filed its Good Cat trademark across several technology areas, including automotive as well as computer software, import-export services, and vehicle service stations, which gives a good indication of GWM’s plans for the Good Cat in Australia.