This is a Dayang Chok G2, seen in the Chinese capital Bejing in 2018. It was a bit dusty but in good shape, and dressed up with Hello Kitty stickers. The Dayang Chok G2 was a low-speed electric vehicle (LSEV), with a design inspired by the Suzuki Jimny.
The Dayang Chok G was manufactured by Dayang New Energy Vehicle (大阳新能源汽车), based in the city of Luoyang in Henan Province. The company is still in business, making all sorts of electric motorbikes and LSEVs. The LSEVs are sold under the Chok brand name. The Chinese name for Chock is 巧客, Qiǎokè.
The Chok G is still shown on Dayang’s website but seems no longer on sale. Dayang New Energy Vehicle is a subsidiary of Luoyang North Yichu Motorcycle (洛阳北方易初摩托车). This company also owned the Dayang Motorcycle brand.
The Dayang Chok G was available in two variants: the base G1 and the slightly nicer G2. The car that I saw is a Chok G2, painted in Mountain Brown. It is not a 1-1 copy of the Jimny. The Chok looks cooler, with crossy bumpers and wheel arches, sporty wheels, and roof rails.
Hello Kitty was hugely popular in China in the 2010s. At that time, Japanese culture was hot in China; cartoons, movies, music, everything. Shops were selling posters of Japanese movie stars, and Japanese music was everywhere. Later on, South Korean culture largely replaced the Japanese, and nowadays Chinese have finally fallen in love with their own popular culture. So, less Helly Kitty stickers on cars today!
The Chock G2 had a nice dashboard with a digital instrument panel, an audio system with a USB plug, and two cup holders on the right side. The drive selector is exactly in the middle of the dash, between the air vents. It has a large 3-spoke steering wheel, faux leather seats, and an old-school mechanical handbrake.
The Dayang Chok G2 has 3 doors and 5 seats. The rear door opens to the right, which isn’t ideal for loading luggage. Size: 3241/1466/1605, with a 2030 wheelbase and a 955-kilo curb weight.
Characters: 北方易初, Běifāng Yìchū, North Yichu, short for Luoyang North Yichu Motorcycle.
The badge is in shiny capitals with G2 in red. The G2 was powered by a single electric motor over the rear axle, with an output of 4.5 kW. The top speed was 44 km/h. The maximum speed for LSEVs is usually 45. Electricity is stored in a 4.5 kWh battery pack for a maximum range of 150 kilometers. A full charge took 12 hours.
On the back is a sticker with the original WeChat logo, with a green and a white face. Today’s logo has two white faces on a green background.
Note my Beijing-Jeep Cherokee XJ in the background. The white license plates on the Chok are fake, but they look kind of cool. The front design of the G2 was really sophisticated, with round headlights and a grille with 3 protruding vertical bars. Just above the grille is the Dayang logo.
Kitty looks happy. She surely would have approved the Chok G2 LSEV. Paint it pink and it is a perfect match.