In their marketing GWM promises that all versions of the GWM Ora 2023 electric car are capable of Three Phase 11kW maximum AC charging rate.
GWM doesn’t quote charging time using a single phase 7kW charger but the promised 3 phase 11kW charging time from 0% to 80% is 5.5 hours for the Standard Range version and 6.5 hours for the Extended version.
I tested the charging rate at my local shopping centre Ocular AC charging station, using my 7m Type 2 to Type 2 EV Charging Cable (22kW, 32 amp) cable and a Australian GWM Ora Extended Range 2023 (which I had on loan for a week to review).
I plugged one end of the cable into the car charger port.
I plugged the other end of the cable into the Ocular brand AC charging station.
After a few seconds charging started and I saw that the GWM Ora Extended Range 2023 was charging.
You can tell the GWM Ora Extended Range 2023 has an onboard Three Phase AC charger because the Ocular display shown above has all 3 phases in use.
Once it settled down the display showed roughly 240V and about 15 amps. After 15min the car had been sent 2.72kWh, which indicates a estimated 10.88kWh can be added per hour.
An EV only capable of 6.6kW or 7kW AC single phase charging like the BYD Dolphin (any version) or lower spec MG4 (Excite 51, Excite 64 or Essence 64) would have taken 50% longer to receive the same amount of kWh from the same AC charging unit. MG4 77 has the same 11kW charging rate as the GWM Ora.
While charging the car central screen displayed that the car was charging and the current battery level.
I tried to connect to the car using my Car Scanner Pro app and my OBD reader but unfortunately it looks like the GWM Ora Extended Range 2023 is the first car I’ve tested that my OBDLink CX OBD reader couldn’t extract any useful data from.
The GWM Ora Extended Range 2023 allows you to choose the maximum percentage AC and DC charge limit in the car settings. 80% is the best setting unless you’re about to go on a long drive.
As a side note one common question about the Australian GWM Ora Extended Range 2023 is can you can set the maximum charge percentage level or control the car using an app?
The answer is no because this car doesn’t have an app for remote access.
Type 2 to Type 2 Cable Buying Tips
I recommend buying your Type 2 to Type 2 cable from an Australian retailer like EVSE or Jetcharge so you have a good warranty and are supporting the local EV accessory industry.
You could get a shorter, cheaper 5m cable but I find the 7m length is handy as you never know how far the charging station will be from your car charging port.
Some electric vehicle (EV) owners buy a Type 2 to Type 2 EV Charging Cable (7kW, 32amp) to save a little bit of money.
This is a slower slightly cheaper cable available for purchase for cars like the BYD Atto 3, MG ZS EV 2021, MG4 Excite 2023 and Hyundai Kona EV 2021 that don’t support 11kW AC charging.
However if you later buy a newer electric car that is capable of 11kW AC charge rate or rent an EV capable of 11kW AC charge rate (eg common rental models Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2) then this wastes an opportunity to charge that EV much faster at an AC charging station.
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