Newcomer in auto retailing eyes Australian EV market with possible backing from Chinese meetings
The Australian electric vehicle (EV) landscape is set to see some exciting developments, with the Dongfeng Forthing Friday and a smaller EV brand called Nammi taking centre stage on iGZEV's agenda. Both vehicles, already built in right-hand drive, are potentially poised to make their way down under.
iGZEV, a spin-off from iEngineering—a company owned by the Naiker family—is at the forefront of these potential introductions. Established in 2023, iGZEV has been actively seeking a Chinese EV brand to bring to Australia, and a deal has been struck to sell the Dongfeng Forthing Friday in Fiji via an agent.
The Dongfeng Forthing Friday is a 4600mm long, 1860mm wide, 1680mm tall five-seat SUV with a 27115mm wheelbase. It boasts a 150kW/340Nm e-motor driving the front wheels and a 64.4kWh Lithium-ion Phosphate battery pack, offering a claimed range of 425km.
Meanwhile, Nammi, an EV brand established in 2020, has already made its mark in Europe with the Nammi Box, which serves as Dongfeng's spearhead into the continent. Positioned as one of the market's cheapest EVs, the Nammi Box features a 42kWh battery providing a range of 310km, and a single 70kW drive motor.
While both vehicles have gained approval to be sold in the Oceania region, they have not yet received Australian Design Rule compliance, ANCAP ratings, or locked-in pricing. First sales of the Dongfeng Forthing Friday began in Fiji last week.
The Dongfeng company, a state-owned Chinese auto maker based in Wuhan and a member of the big four in China, alongside SAIC, Changan, and FAW, is in a joint-venture with Nissan in China. The Frontier Pro PHEV ute revealed at the Shanghai auto show last April seems certain to come to Australia, and another product of the joint-venture, the N7 sedan, has also been mooted for Australia, badged as a Nissan.
Nickhil Naiker, the new business manager of iGZEV, is planning a trip to Dongfeng headquarters in Wuhan, China to discuss selling the Dongfeng Forthing Friday in Australia. At this stage, iGZEV has no preference whether sales are via franchised dealers or agency. The maximum DC fast charging rate for the Forthing Friday is only 80kW.
Durgeshan 'Bobby' Naiker, the founder of both iEngineering and iGZEV, is a driving force in the engagement with EVs. iEngineering has experience in charging installation and design for clients. The current status of negotiations between iGZEV and Dongfeng to enable sales of the Dongfeng Forthing Friday and Nammi Box in Australia is not publicly available.
