JUST as we were counting how many Chinese car brands are now being sold in the Philippines, another badge from the eastern powerhouse invited us for a preview of the electric vehicles (EV) it intends to market in the Philippines by year's end.Omoda, a brand spin-off from the more locally popular Chery, presented to select automotive journalists last week via a Zoom meeting its plans for introducing the Omoda 5 EV (electric vehicle). Now, Omoda actually launched early this year with their internal combustion engine models but in compliance with China's push for total automotive electrification by 2050, the company is also introducing globally its EVs.The Omoda, according to the presentation made all the way from China, boasts of a full range of advanced features only seen in electric cars because of the Chinese EV's tendency to morph into a personal digital gadget that you can drive around.We will talk about that personal gadget feature in a bit. Off the bat, the Omoda 5 EV presents its 16-function advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that incorporates front collision avoidance, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, vehicle alert and more.Omoda says safety is foremost in its vision of designing an EV. In the most recent Euro-NCAP test, the Omoda received a 5-star rating, and even in the Asian NCAP, it came out with flying colors.Under the hood, or what once was the hood, is a liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous motor that can deliver some 201 hp output and a peak torque of around 400 Nm. That is a lot of energy for an upcoming EV.All electronics power the interior of the Omoda 5 EV, too — remote start/stop, keyless entry, and it even has a remote switch for turning the air-conditioning on and off right on your key fob. I was wondering why the company did not include turning the engine on and off remotely from the same key fob, too.Anyway, the presentation showed us an impressive interior on our screens. Power adjustable seats with heating and ventilation for both driver and passenger front seats, leather materials wrapping the same seats, and luxurious fabric all around the cabin. Entertainment comes from dual 10.25-inch screens that can show a 360-degree view of the outside, connect to your phone wirelessly via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, show advanced auto information, and play music if you care to use its native player instead of your phone.This feature means you can use the screens of the car as an extension of your phone to lessen distraction while you are driving, or as I said earlier, a gadget you can drive around. I did not see if there was a wireless charging feature on the dash since this would really make the whole Omoda 5 EV a gadget extension, or one where you can pop your phone on the charge bed and drive off.Oh, and did I tell you the Omoda 5 EV can drive some 300-450 kilometers on a full charge? Of course, this is quite deceiving since to do so, you would have to not use your entertainment system, not charge your phone, and not use your headlights or many of the electricity-draining features of the EV. Of course, this is not limited to just the Omoda 5 EV, but most other EVs on the market as well sell their units using the range angle instead of battery consumption information.
