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Will GWM clap back at BYD in electric car price wars? 2025 GWM Ora gets new cut-price entry-grade in UK, suggesting EV price tug-of-war against BYD Dolphin, Nissan Leaf and MG MG4 has only just begun

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Samuel Irvine
Cadet Journalist
22 Jan 2025
3 min read

Could Australia’s EV wars be about to hit another major milestone?

Just less than two weeks after BYD moved to undercut the GWM Ora with a new sub-$30,000 Essential grade of its cheapest EV, the Dolphin, it appears GWM could be about to fire back.

UK-based publication Autocar has reported the budget brand has moved to offer a new entry-level grade on the Ora 03 (as it is known in the UK), bringing its entry pricing down by a staggering £7000 ($13,775) to £24,995 ($49,187).

Any price cuts taken in Australia are unlikely to be as drastic as they are in the UK given Australia’s new-car prices are significantly cheaper. For example, the GWM Ora Standard Range already starts here with a limited-time national drive-away price of $33,390 until January 31.

But as another right-hand drive market, word of a substantial price cut, particularly with our current EV price wars raging, is promising news.

CarsGuide has contacted GWM’s local division asking whether a new entry-level variant is in the pipeline. An update to the story will follow with a response.

In the meantime, Autocar has reported the new Pure variant will replace the previously entry-spec Pure+ in the UK, while maintaining the same 48kWh battery unit offered here, which delivers 310km of WLTP-rated range, and much of the same standard kit.

That includes the Ora’s 10.25-inch with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as a surround-view camera, as is offered in Australia.

It does lose seat heating, ventilation and massage functions from the Pure+, though, features currently reserved for the top-spec GT Extended Range variant in Australia.

Should GWM look to cut its Ora pricing in Australia, it would be the third brand to do so in just the first month of 2025, following Nissan’s Leaf run-out sale and BYD’s recent Essential announcement.

That would leave just the MG remaining as the only brand yet to announce a price cut on its affordable electric hatchback, the MG4, which until last November was Australia’s cheapest EV.

Australia's cheapest EVs in 2025

VariantPrice
BYD Dolphin Essential$29,990 (before on-road costs)
GWM Ora Standard Range$33,990 (national drive-away)
Nissan Leaf EV$34,990 (national drive-away)
MG MG4$34,990 (national drive-away)
Samuel Irvine
Cadet Journalist
Since visiting car shows at Melbourne Exhibition Centre with his Dad and older brother as a little boy, Samuel knew that his love of cars would be unwavering. But it wasn’t until embarking on a journalism masters degree two years ago that he saw cars as a legitimate career path. Now, Samuel is CarsGuide’s first Cadet Journalist. He comes to CarsGuide with an eagerness to report on a rapidly advancing automotive industry, and a passion to communicate the stories car buyers need to know most.
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