After 8 years with my old petrol car, it started burning oil, and I noticed a lot of people around me were switching to electric vehicles. That got me thinking. I was originally planning to get the top-spec Tank 300 (Menglong), and during the National Day holiday I went for a test drive — it met my expectations.
On the way back, I stopped by a Jetour dealership and saw the T2. My daughter instantly fell in love with the exterior and interior — it completely overshadowed the Menglong in her eyes. Looks clearly played a big role, and after a test drive, it felt good enough. Since I don’t really need 4WD for daily driving, I booked it right away. Looking back now, I do wish I had waited for the 4WD version — a bit more power would’ve been nice.
For this type of vehicle, electric power saves a lot. For daily use, my cost is just around 0.10 AED/km (charging at home on off-peak rates of 3.3 AED/kWh). My daily round-trip to work is under 20 km, so I only charge every four days, when the battery hits around 20%.
For long-distance trips, I don’t bother with charging — it’s too much hassle. I just set the car to preserve 60% battery and drive on petrol. Even if fuel consumption is slightly higher, it’s fine since I only do a few road trips per year.
The car is heavy and feels solid on the road. Acceleration is decent, but the 4WD version definitely would’ve offered better power and confidence. I’ve had the car for over half a year now. So far, the only issue has been a slight noise from the steering system — which was fixed. Other than that, no major problems. Buying a car always involves a bit of luck anyway.
The biggest downside is the driver assistance system — it lags behind the competition. The infotainment system has improved a bit with the latest 4.11 update, but it still has room for improvement.
Overall, I’m quite satisfied. Compared to many newer EV startups, Chery is an established brand. The lifetime warranty adds a lot of peace of mind, especially on the powertrain and electric components.
