North Korea is surprising the world by showcasing its self-produced electric vehicle branded as Madusan, which has a range of up to 720 km.
The Mysterious Electric Car
KANCC TV, a YouTube channel believed to be associated with North Korea, has posted shocking images. Among them is an electric vehicle labeled Madusan gliding gently on a rainy road in North Korea. The video also reveals impressive specifications, highlighting a range of up to 720 km.
For comparison, according to certification standards in South Korea, the Tesla Model X has a range of 439-478 km, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 ranges from 367-524 km, and the Kia EV6 offers a range of 461-494 km per charge.
As introduced, the Madusan Economic Federation is an economic organization in North Korea established in 2018. In the KANCC TV video, this “economic federation” operates much like a conglomerate, producing everything from phones to banking services.
Is North Korean Electric Vehicle Inspired by Chinese Models?
Upon closely observing the overall design of this electric car, the Malaysian website WapCar, which specializes in Southeast Asian automotive news, notes several similarities with the BYD Han EV from China.
The BYD Han EV has a range of 715 km, powered by a front-mounted electric motor generating 238 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque. It utilizes an 85.44 kWh LFP Blade battery.
Although the Madusan has not released detailed specifications for its electric vehicle, the design and technical similarities lead many to believe that this product might essentially be a BYD Han EV rebranded.
From the images, the Madusan electric car (above) looks quite similar to the BYD Han EV (below) – Photo: KANCC TV, BYD
International Skepticism
North Korea’s claim of producing electric vehicles has drawn skepticism from major South Korean newspapers like Korea Herald, Korea Joongang Daily, as well as international public opinion.
First, North Korea is under sanctions, making it challenging to acquire suitable inputs for producing a new vehicle like an electric car.
Second, Western media have reported that North Korea often faces electricity shortages. Thus, the decision to develop electric vehicles seems perplexing.
In fact, North Korea does have an automotive industry represented by Pyeonghwa Motors. However, based on information available to Western media, the North Korean car market is considered one of the smallest in the world due to low average income and restrictions on accessing international markets.
It remains unclear how many units the Madusan electric car could sell given the modest market size – (Image from KANCC TV video).
On the streets of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, from the images released so far, there are not many cars on the roads. If there are, the vehicles mainly consist of older models from China, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo. Speaking of old Volvos, the North Korean government still owes the Swedish government for purchasing these vehicles.
Therefore, some opinions suggest that even if North Korea is indeed manufacturing electric cars, the production will be very limited and will only serve a small group of people.
