The ORA Funky Cat is a Chinese electric Fiat 500

• Range of up-to 193 miles
• Five-year warranty
• First Edition on sale in Autumn 2022 from £30,495

Budget-EV buyers will soon have another option as the new ORA Funky Cat electric small car is set to go on sale this Autumn. With a name that sounds more like a child’s toy than a production car, the Funky Cat boasts unique styling and a 193-mile range.

Sales will kick off with the top-of-the-range ORA Funky Cat ‘First Edition’, which starts from £30,495. Less-expensive versions are set to arrive in 2023, with prices rumoured to start from around £25,000; this would put the Funky Cat directly in line with rivals such as the electric Fiat 500 and MINI Electric – undercutting the similarly-sized Volkswagen ID.3.

2022 ORA Funky Cat First Edition

The cream of the Funky Cat crop is the First Edition model which, as the name suggests, will be the first version of the new car available to order. This comes fully loaded with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, electrically-operated heated front seats with synthetic leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, a 10.25-inch touchscreen and digital instrument cluster, plus a 360-degree camera.

Buyers will be able to customise their Funky Cat with a variety of paint options. As standard, the car will come with either Nebula Green or Starry Night Black paint with a black interior. For an extra charge, the ORA Funky Cat can get a suitably funky Mars Red exterior with a red and grey interior, or Aurora Green paint with green and grey upholstery.

Exterior and design

30

While there are no whiskers, the ORA Funky Cat does have an interesting design. A pair of round headlights at the front end look similar to a MINI or an old Porsche 911, while the slim rear lights are mounted on the tailgate glass and stretch right across the back of the car.

In spite of its cutesy look, the ORA Funky Cat is deceptively large; measuring 4,235mm long, it’s closer in length to a Renault ZOE or Volkswagen ID.3 than it is a Fiat 500. However, unlike the Fiat, the ORA has five doors and should have enough room inside to… swing a cat.

Interior and technology

30

Like many modern cars, the ORA Cat’s dashboard is centred around two screens, which are clustered together in one long bezel. One screen is behind the steering wheel and shows important driving and range information, while the other is used to display media, navigation and telephone functions. There’s a button-heavy steering wheel and slim full-width air vents, and there looks to be lots of storage between the front seats.

Each screen measures 10.25 inches, and the infotainment display features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – if you’d rather use your phone’s apps instead of ORA’s system. Unfortunately, there are no physical climate control dials meaning drivers will have to venture into the screen if they wish to change the temperature.

Range and charging

We originally expected the ORA Funky Cat to be available with two battery sizes, however it seems only the smaller unit will be available for the UK market at launch. With a capacity of 48kWh, this provides a range of 193 miles on a single charge – on par with rivals such as the Peugeot e-208. All models get access to 80kW rapid charging, which allows owners to charge their Funky Cat from 15-80% in just 40 minutes when connected to a compatible public charger.

The ORA Funky Cat gets a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 168bhp. ORA claims 0-62mph will take 8.3 seconds. Every model gets a comprehensive five-year warranty; the battery is covered for eight years/100,000 miles.

What does this mean for car buyers?

30

UK buyers tend to view new brands with a certain trepidation, so ORA will have its work cut out prising customers away from more established rivals. It has launched a ‘queue jump’ scheme that allows customers to place a refundable £100 deposit in order to be first in line for a new car. 

Regardless, the ORA’s promising stats should throw the Funky Cat among the pigeons in an increasingly competitive market. If the maker can get the pricing of more mainstream versions right, ORA could well land on all fours in the UK EV market.

Not quite ready for an EV? Check out our list of the top 10 best hybrids