So says Riaan Grobler, Head of Dealer Development for iCAUR, and Omoda & Jaecoo.

Dealerfloor had a chat with him about the new, boxy-designed electric vehicles (EVs), called iCAUR, that will be launch-ready in May this year.

iCAUR, like Omoda & Jaecoo, are sub-brands of the Chery Motor Group with their own dealership networks in South Africa. iCAUR will be a standalone brand with dedicated facilities and not form part of any of the other Chery brands.

“iCAUR can form part of a multi-franchise dealer network, but only alongside carefully selected, complementary brands that align with our positioning and customer experience standards. Each dealership will feature a unique, dedicated showroom presence, which is central to what makes the iCAUR brand truly special,” Riaan tells Dealerfloor.

"Our colourful dealerships, combined with lifestyle options across the spectrum as well as different styling options, some of which will be done at dealership level, are part of our uniqueness. We will further set up relationships with suppliers to provide different wrapping options to customers.

"There is no need for any two iCAURs to look the same. We are creating the opportunity for customers to reflect their lifestyle and personality in the funky iCAUR. From lights and grille options to a selection of wheels, and even interior, personalised trimming, will ensure your iCAUR stands out from the crowd," Riaan says.

The brand will kick off its campaign to win the hearts and minds of potential car buyers with two models, the V23 and 03T. Both are fully battery-electric vehicles in either two-wheel or four-wheel drive configurations, with the bigger-range, range-extending vehicles (REEVs), the V25 and V27, making their debut at a later stage.

"We know the uptake of pure electric vehicles is still small locally compared to that of hybrids and normal petrol or diesel engine vehicles. We believe our volume will come from the REEVs, where a normal engine acts as a generator to charge the battery but is not responsible for the direct drive of the wheels.

"The two-model range at launch will have ranges of up to 430km on a single charge, and we are still finalising the sort of chargers available with each vehicle," Riaan tells us.

He says the dealer network will expand with time to give customers access to dealerships across the country. The kick-off will be with dealerships in the metropolitan areas.

"Some of our new dealerships are completed and some are still in progress. We are in the process of putting the final touches in terms of our corporate identity, and the bright orange dealerships are something no one will be able to miss," he adds.

The workshop areas will be different and have their own strict requirements, like anti-static floors to protect the high-voltage batteries and electronic control units that can be damaged by static sparks.

Riaan tells us that the units, which are already in the country, draw a lot of attention, and the boxy design with fun styling elements seems to be a hit with everyone that has seen the vehicles.

"We are ready to disrupt the traditional way potential car buyers look at getting a set of wheels, so to speak. iCAUR will most definitely be very different and backed up by our dealer network's unique approach," Riaan concludes.