Ora — Great Wall Motor's Electric Brand and Its Cat Names
Ora is the electric-car brand of the Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motor (GWM), announced in May 2018. It started with the iQ crossover and the small R1 and became known for its "Cat" model names. Its retro-styled Good Cat was sold in Europe as the Funky Cat and later as the GWM Ora 03. In 2022 the brand expanded to Europe, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa and Australia. Since 2023 Ora has been a sub-brand of GWM outside China.
Key takeaways
- Great Wall announced Ora in May 2018 as a battery-electric brand; the iQ went on sale in August 2018.
- The R1, later called Black Cat, was described in 2019 as the world's cheapest electric car, priced from 59,800 yuan in China.
- The Good Cat (Funky Cat, Ora 03) scored 92% for adult occupant protection in Euro NCAP's test of September 2022.
- In November 2023 GWM made itself the master brand in export markets; the Funky Cat became the GWM Ora 03.
Ora at a glance
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Announced | May 2018 |
| Parent | Great Wall Motor (GWM), Baoding, China |
| Name | GWM says "open, reliable and alternative", also a tribute to Leonhard Euler |
| First models | iQ (August 2018), R1 / Black Cat (2019) |
| Best-known model | Good Cat / Funky Cat / GWM Ora 03 (from 2020) |
| Main plant | Taizhou, Zhejiang; assembly also in Rayong, Thailand |
| Export start | Late 2022 (Europe, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia) |
| Brand CEO | Lu Wenpu |
An electric brand inside Great Wall
Great Wall Motor, founded in 1984 in Baoding, made its name with pickups and Haval SUVs; the company's background is in the Great Wall Motors history. In May 2018 it announced Ora as a brand for battery-electric cars. According to GWM, the name stands for "open, reliable and alternative" and also honours the mathematician Leonhard Euler. The same year Great Wall spun off its battery business into an independent battery maker and signed a joint venture with BMW to build electric Mini cars in China.
The first Ora was the iQ5, a compact crossover later renamed iQ, which went on sale in August 2018 from 89,800 yuan. It was built until 2020.
R1 and the first Cats
The second model was the R1, a small city car unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show in April 2019. Its 35 kW motor, 33 kWh battery and range of 301 km on the NEDC cycle were modest. Its price of 59,800 to 77,800 yuan was low enough for it to be described as the world's cheapest electric car in 2019. Its shape was often compared with the Smart ForFour. The R2 was previewed in June 2019 and entered production in July 2020.
In July 2020, at the Chongqing Auto Show, Great Wall renamed the R1 the Black Cat, and the R2 became the White Cat. The cat names are said to refer to a remark by Deng Xiaoping: "No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat." Ora confirmed the end of the Black Cat in China in February 2022. In Latin America the brand had already started in 2020, with Costa Rica among the first markets.
The Good Cat and the Funky Cat
The model that carried Ora abroad was the Good Cat, revealed at the Chengdu Auto Show on 24 July 2020 and on sale in China from 24 November 2020. It is a five-door compact hatchback with rounded retro styling and front-wheel drive. The main versions have a 105 kW (143 PS) motor and 210 Nm, and the GT version added in 2022 has about 127 kW. Batteries range from a 47.8 kWh LFP pack, good for about 400 km on the NEDC cycle, to a 63.1 kWh NMC pack with about 500 km. Production is at the GWM smart factory in Taizhou, Zhejiang, and local assembly in Rayong, Thailand, began in January 2024. Chinese sales were about 67,435 in 2023 and fell to about 30,123 in 2025, according to the table in the Wikipedia article.
Euro NCAP tested the car as the Ora Funky Cat in September 2022. It scored 92% for adult occupant protection, 83% for child occupants, 74% for vulnerable road users and 93% for safety assist. A reference cited by Wikipedia reports the full five stars. ANCAP adopted the result for Australia and New Zealand. The model and its prices are covered in the Ora Good Cat and Funky Cat guide.
Ballet Cat, Lightning Cat and the Mecha Dragon
From 2022 the range grew upwards. The Ballet Cat, a mid-size hatchback, joined the range in 2022. The Lightning Cat was first shown as a concept at Auto Shanghai on 21 April 2021. It is a mid-size fastback saloon, and its resemblance to Porsche models, especially the 911 and the Panamera, made its styling controversial. It uses an 83.5 kWh NMC battery for up to 640 km on the NEDC cycle; the front-wheel-drive version has 150 kW (204 PS). The dual-motor version has 300 kW (408 PS) and 680 Nm, with 0–100 km/h in 4.3 seconds. A Touring estate was unveiled at the 2025 Shanghai show. For export the car is called the GWM Ora 07.
The Mecha Dragon, a full-size saloon, was built from 2022 to 2024. It was first developed for Sar, a brand that Great Wall cancelled in March 2023 before it had sold any cars, and moved to Ora. In 2025 the brand launched the Ora 5, a compact model offered with petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric drive, the first Ora not limited to battery-electric drive.
Exports and the GWM name
Ora's international expansion began in late 2022 with Europe, Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa and Australia. The Funky Cat made its European debut in October 2022, and at the 2021 IAA show in Munich GWM had already shown Ora prototypes for the European market. Brazil followed in 2023 (Ora 03 from 20 July), Brunei on 8 December 2023, and Indonesia in 2025.
In November 2023 Great Wall introduced its "One GWM" strategy for export markets: GWM became the master brand, and Haval, Ora and WEY became sub-brands. The Funky Cat was renamed the GWM Ora 03, and in Australia and New Zealand the car is sold simply as the GWM Ora. In 2025, according to press reports cited by Wikipedia, the brand appointed a new CEO and prepared a repositioning around electric vehicles with its own dealer network. Ora models on 1cars are listed in the Ora catalogue, and rival models are compared in the best first electric cars.
Ora timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Ora announced (May); iQ on sale (August) |
| 2019 | R1 at the Shanghai show (April) |
| 2020 | R1 and R2 renamed Black Cat and White Cat (July); Good Cat revealed (24 July), on sale 24 November |
| 2021 | Lightning Cat concept at Auto Shanghai (21 April); Ora prototypes at IAA Munich |
| 2022 | Black Cat ends (February); Funky Cat tested by Euro NCAP (September); exports begin |
| 2023 | Mecha Dragon moves to Ora from Sar (March); "One GWM" strategy, Funky Cat becomes Ora 03 (November) |
| 2024 | Local assembly of the Good Cat in Rayong, Thailand (January) |
| 2025 | Ora 5 with petrol, hybrid and electric versions; Lightning Cat Touring shown |
Landmark Ora models
| Model | Years | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| iQ | 2018–2020 | First Ora |
| R1 / Black Cat | 2019–2022 | Low-cost city EV from 59,800 yuan |
| Good Cat / Funky Cat / Ora 03 | 2020–present | Retro hatchback that took Ora to export markets |
| Lightning Cat / Ora 07 | 2022–present | Fastback saloon with up to 300 kW |
| Ora 5 | 2025–present | First Ora with petrol and hybrid versions |
Photo gallery
FAQ
Who owns Ora?
Great Wall Motor (GWM) of China, which also owns Haval, WEY and Tank. Outside China, Ora is sold as a GWM sub-brand.
Why are Ora cars named after cats?
The names are said to refer to Deng Xiaoping's remark that it does not matter whether a cat is white or black as long as it catches mice.
Is the Ora Funky Cat the same car as the Good Cat and the Ora 03?
Yes. Good Cat is the name used in China, Funky Cat was used in Europe and other markets until late 2023, and GWM Ora 03 is the export name since then.
How safe is the Ora Funky Cat?
In Euro NCAP's test of September 2022 it scored 92% for adult occupants, 83% for children, 74% for vulnerable road users and 93% for safety assist.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Ora (marque) (accessed 24 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia — Great Wall Motor (accessed 24 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia — Ora Good Cat (accessed 24 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia — Ora Black Cat (accessed 24 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia — Ora Lightning Cat (accessed 24 Oct 2026)
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