Skywell offering £3,750 discount on all-electric BE11 SUV
Chinese car manufacturer Skywell has slashed the price of its BE11 SUV in response to the UK Government’s delay in stating which brands are eligible for its recently-announced Electric Car Grant (ECG) of up to £3,750.
However, the government is yet to announce which all-electric vehicles will qualify for it as carmakers are required to supply evidence of how environmentally friendly their battery and manufacturing processes are.
This green issue has raised a number of concerns with other Chinese carmakers who fear they may not meet the outlined criteria. Skywell compatriots, Leapmotor and GWM have their own grants of between £1,500 and £3,750 on their all-electric models. Hyundai has also done the same.
Following the announcement of its own £3,750 grant, the Skywell BE11 is now priced from £27,245 for the standard car with its 248-mile range and 72kWh battery. The BE11 long range, with its 86kWh battery is marginally more expensive, with a starting price tag of £30,245 and a 304-mile range.
In terms of standard equipment, the Skywell BE11 gets a 12.8-inch high-resolution infotainment display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, plus an opening panoramic sunroof. Furthermore, the BE11 is vehicle-to-load ready.
Further standard kit includes 19-inch alloy wheels, a 360-degree parking monitor, front and rear parking sensors, and automatic park assist.
Miss Rosy He, sales director for Skyworth – Skywell’s parent company – said: “The recently announced Electric Car Grant comes with a number of restrictions, and requirements not seen previously, which may delay Skywell’s participation in the scheme, whilst we gather the required document and request approval. We will of course work with the UK Government, in hope our vehicles can be eligible for the scheme.
She added: “We want to show UK customers that we fully support the shift to electrification. We know the Skywell BE11 is a great value proposition and have already seen popularity from family buyers and business users alike across other markets.
“We also want to remove barriers for UK retail buyers in the shift to electrification with removing the price cap set by the government to the scheme, therefore allowing both BE11 models to be available for our incentive.”
Despite being a strong value proposition, the Skywell BE11 has been described as one of the worst cars on sale in Britain today. To read the full EV Powered review of it, click here.
