I had the happy opportunity to ride as a passenger with Narend from Zorce in the GWM Ora. It was a delicious experience AND this was the EV that changed my (typically unyielding) mind about electric vehicles. I’m a Class-3 driver with 20-plus years’ driving experience. This is my female, front-seat passenger POV.

This is my female, front-seat passenger POV.

Talk about attractiveness! Feeling like royalty for the weekend, heads swivelled everywhere we went. We nodded, smiled and waved at excited onlookers, except, it was not us, it was the Ora. It drew a range of surprise, joy and intrigue from little kids to teen boys and dads, but most of all, it caught the attention of the ladies. I was fascinated to see how the Ora created a sort of euphoria (euphOra?) in the form of forty-something moms tugging on their husbands’ sleeves and smiling coyly, and twenty- and thirty-somethings drawing their phones in unison, no doubt in a bid for a sure-fire top weekend post.

Ora created a sort of euphoria (euphOra?) in the form of forty-something moms tugging on their husbands’ sleeves and smiling coyly...

The Ora’s aesthetic beauty lies in its classic, yet modern design lines cued in from the Porsche and the Mini brands. The car’s external and internal colour scheme features an elevated, neutral palette. The body paint (officially called Hazelwood Beige) is a beige with a drop of pink and is paired with a bronze (Wisdom Brown) that flows from the A-pillar to the roof, with touches on the side mirrors, too.

Pretty cars come and pretty cars go, I thought. Then I opened the door, but I. Was not. Prepared.

Ok. Exciting exterior. Pretty cars come and pretty cars go, I thought. Then I opened the door, but I. Was not. Prepared. The Ora quietly outclasses all other brands on the T&T market with its minimalist-chic, retro-modern dashboard and front cabin. This is not hyperbole. This was also the reaction of people spanning a variety of life stages and pay scales.

Ora’s interior door latte-foam-on-caramel coloured stitch detailing, which I immediately recognised as a salute to connoisseurs of coffee and of the iconic Chanel bag

A caramel macchiato-inspired interior conveys understated, yet singular style and sophistication. This was translated masterfully in the Ora’s interior door latte-foam-on-caramel coloured stitch detailing, which I immediately recognised as a salute to connoisseurs of coffee and of the iconic Chanel bag with its quilted stitching and Caviar leather texture. I’m convinced the brand’s intention is to make the car feel like a luxe matching accessory for your designer handbag and heels. The powered front seats are also a welcome extra.

 

I’m convinced the brand’s intention is to make the car feel like a luxe matching accessory for your designer handbag and heels.

Though, for practical reasons, having the sound of an internal combustion engine vehicle feels safer to me, the quietness enjoyed in an EV never grows old. As a homebody, I love it. Turning the A/C off for a moment, the quiet allowed us to hear the organic tyre-on-road sound in a unique way.

 

It’s not a secret that women make up a significant segment of our local consumer car market, so I have to mention just two conveniences that were absent. Having set the bar so high on aesthetics, the Ora, clearly aimed at women buyers, provided no dedicated compartment for my handbag – and no, guys – the footwell is not it. There are at least three other EV car brands that cater to women in this way. I also considered the absent central cabin light as an inconvenience to both women and families. We all know the bedlam that can break out on a night drive when a kid drops something under the seat! After all, there are not three ISOFIX child car seat tethers for nothing!

 

For useful extra features, I liked the easy-to-access sunglasses case holder up front, and the rear seat-accessible, single USB-A phone charging port. The only thing is that today’s device-reliant consumers will expect to see at least one C-type port, too.

 

The Ora’s reliable suspension made familiar roadway imperfections forgettable. Its soothing ride smoothness held up solidly on a vehicle stability test at pace on a roundabout. I’ve truly never felt so safe in any other vehicle in comparable manoeuvring.

 

Ora’s reliable suspension made familiar roadway imperfections forgettable. Its soothing ride smoothness held up solidly on a vehicle stability test at pace on a roundabout.

Trivia geeks might like to know that ‘Ora’ “stands for ‘Open, Reliable and Alternative’, according to its makers, and pays homage to mathematician Leonhard Euler via the car’s brand mark based on a rotated Euler diagram.

 

Plain talk, bad manners: EV drivers are beta. At least that’s what I thought. “I save the planet – now, tell me I’m good.” That, along with a reduced power consumption mindset, I rejected wholesale. Turns out I wrongly assumed that reduced power consumption equalled reduced power.

 

Show me, don’t tell me, this passenger (and a bit of follow-up research) said. According to one source/electricvehiclehub.com.au, “Electric cars have greater horsepower than petrol cars, with a standard car having about 120HP and Tesla’s Model S between 360 and 470HP. EVs accelerate faster and can hit peak torque from zero kilometres per hour."

 

As a seasoned driver, you just know what engine power and torque feels like, even as a passenger. As per the GWM contract, no other drivers were permitted, but my impression is that the Ora’s immediately available torque coupled with its road stability and stylish comfort make it a very persuasive EV option among a crowded rabble of small-market, big-brand contenders.

 

Ora’s immediately available torque coupled with its road stability and stylish comfort make it a very persuasive EV 

Narend's additional Notes:

I ended up in some unusually tight drive through lanes, no idea how the Hilux ahead managed to not hit a few bollards... NB– A new Hilux is around 17 feet long!

 

The Ora's multiple cameras made the job easy! 

Charging up at Unipet Chaguanas was possible, but still pretty slow. We can't wait for Unipet's coming upgrades and additional charge points, you'll see it branded as "Unipet Energy".

NP's Flagship Station at Preysal Trinidad is still the top stop for fast charging in T&T. And although our geographical region is designated according to world standards to use Type 1 charge ports, this station has Type 2, which is perfect for European and Chinese market vehicles such as the Ora. 

Technical Specifications: 2023 GWM Ora 03

Electric Motor Power	169hp
Electric Motor Torque	184ft-lb (250Nm)
Transmission	Single speed direct motor drive w/electronic gear selection
Drive Configuration	Front Wheel Drive
Top Speed	167km/h (electronically limited)
0-100km/h (0-62mph) as tested	8.51s (3 occupants)
1/8-mile as tested	10.38s @ 110km/h (3 occupants)
1/4-mile as tested	16.1s @ 135km/h (3 occupants)
Brakes F/R	4-wheel discs + adjustable regenerative braking
Wheel & Tyre	18" Alloy Wheels with 215/50R18 tyres (F&R)
Est. Cruise Range	420km (will vary according to driving style)
Battery Capacity kW/h // Type	63.1 // Ternary Lithium
Charging Port	Type 2 + DC fast charging
Safety Features	Lane assist, collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control, 360 cameras, reverse and side cameras etc.
Curb Weight	3400 lbs. / 1540 kg
Price as tested	TT $350K

Enjoy a few photos from this weekend's drive:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•