ORA Electric Beetle
Well, seems like Volkswagen is beaten in the race to produce an electric Beetle

Chinese EV firm ORA is set to reveal an electric Beetle in the upcoming 2021 Shanghai Auto Show.

The term Beetle is only used for reference, as, partly, it is yet unnamed, but chiefly, because the car looks very much like the iconic car from the German brand.

Only the side and rear profile of the EV can be seen in the teaser images and the silhouette is that of the original Beetle, one that has been stretched to accommodate rear doors.

Sporting round headlights with a chrome trim cover, the ORA electric Beetle has extended bumpers front and rear, rounded and flared wheel arches, a decent-sized glass area and alloy wheels.

It even has circular rear-view mirrors, oval-shaped tail lamps and tonnes of chrome trim fitted all over the electric vehicle.

Even the steering wheel and the speedometer dial have been meticulously (and rather unabashedly) copied, but the the air vents and other interior parts such as the touchscreen, trim and switches are new.

There’s not much else known about the upcoming electric Beetle, other than the fact that the carmaker is said to have referred to it as a “time shuttle”. We presume the carmaker wants to bring a bit of nostalgia with the new Beetle lookalike.

It won’t be long before the car makes its debut and once it does, its powertrain and other specifications will be revealed by ORA.

Interestingly, Great Wall Motor Company, which owns ORA, has signed a joint venture with BMW to build MINI models in China in the future. There is a possibility that the platform used for the ORA electric Beetle could also underpin the MINIs.

ORA Electric Beetle Dashboard
Expect there to be ample space inside for occupants
ORA Electric Beetle Rear
Of course, ORA will come up with a different name for the electric vehicle