Jidu Robo 1 Lunar Edition - 544 HP electric SUV from China

28 October 2022

If you think this is just another Chinese company, here today gone tomorrow - don’t be so sure. Jidu is a joint venture between two Chinese giants - Baidu and Geely. The cars are manufactured at one of Geely’s factories in Zhejiang and Robo 1 is the first model from the new brand.

Jidu Robo 1 starts its life in a limited to 1,000 units Lunar Edition. Looking at the car there are hints of influence from many other brands - front has a Polestar flavor to it, the overall silhouette is a mix of Nio EL7 and Range Rover Velar - the result of this mix is a rather handsome SUV with seriously sporty lines.

At 4.8 meters long it’s not a small SUV either, the 3 meters wheelbase explains the cavernous interior and 555 liters of cargo space is more than decent by any standards. Pop the rear seats down and you have 1,528 liters of space to play with - more than enough for a quick IKEA trip or an impromptu camping adventure.

The 100 kWh battery supplied by CATL gives the car a claimed range of 600 km (372 miles) and feeds the two electric motors which in turn power all four wheels. The combined power output is 544 HP and despite its rather bulky figure, the car storms from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds.

The interior would not be out of place on the Star Trek movie set. There is the yoke steering - arguably better looking than the one from Tesla - and SpaceX-worthy front seats. The headrests come with built-in speakers. The front screen is 35.6 inches wide and it is a single unit - not three scenes behind a single pane of glass like in the Mercedes, this is a one super-wide screen.

The positioning of the screen is unusual, sure it sits in the middle of the dashboard but it means it starts right in the middle of the steering yoke - that will take some time getting used to. The entire infotainment system is powered by Snapdragon 8295 and ADAS is powered by NVIDIA Orin X. The car comes with two LiDAR and 31 external sensors.

The Robo 1 initially will be available only in this Lunar Edition which is a collaboration between Jidu and China National Space Administration. The Lunar Edition celebrates the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program and there are reminders of that all over the car.

The car starts at a rather attractive RMB 399,800 which works out at just over $55,000 at current exchange rates. Considering the performance of the car, the equipment and the fact it is limited to just 1,000 units - that’s not a half-bad offer. Sure, the company is new but it has serious backing, it is opening its first experience center in Shanghai some time next month and is already planning to introduce its second model at the upcoming Guangzhou Auto Show.

This is another example of the tsunami of electric cars and EV brands on its way from China. The cars are good looking, have excellent levels of equipment, are built to the highest standards and the new brands have seemingly endless support from their parent companies. By the time the ICE ban comes into force in 2035, the automotive market will be a completely different place.

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