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MyCar (Maimai in Chinese) is a Chinese micro pure electric car brand affiliated with Jiangsu Saleen Automotive Technology Co., Ltd., headquartered in the Economic and Technological Development Zone of Rugao City, Jiangsu Province. Officially established in 2019, it was the first mass-produced model launched following Saleen’s localization. Positioned as an A00-class urban electric sports car with a two-door, two-seater layout, MyCar highlights “youth, trendiness, and mini hot hatch” as its core selling points. The exterior was designed by Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, while the chassis was tuned by Steve Saleen, the father of American supercars. However, after its launch, MyCar suffered a significant setback due to excessively high pricing and ambiguous market positioning. With cumulative sales of only 31 units, it has become a highly representative case of failure in the wave of new automotive ventures.
The technical origins of MyCar can be traced back to 2009. That year, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the local Hong Kong automaker EuAuto collaborated to launch a micro electric car named “MyCar,” which had a top speed of only 64 km/h, was equipped with lead-acid batteries, and offered a range of 110 km. In May 2010, American GreenTech Automotive Company (GTA, also known as WM GreenTech Automotive) acquired EuAuto for $20 million, bringing MyCar under its umbrella. GTA was co-founded by Terry McCall and Wang Xiaolin, with Wang Xiaolin serving as CEO. In the same year, MyCar was selected as a designated product for the Danish Prime Minister’s electric vehicle policy and was subsequently added to the US Department of Defense procurement list and multiple state police procurement catalogs.
In 2014, MyCar debuted in the Chinese market under the Chinese name “Jitai Maimai,” participating in multiple exhibitions such as the Beijing Auto Show and Chengdu Auto Show. It claimed a range of 170 km and a top speed of 110 km/h. In March of the same year, Wang Xiaolin acquired the American supercar brand Saleen through his holding company, Zifu Holdings. A month later, the Saleen S7 and Jitai Maimai were exhibited together, marking the beginning of Saleen’s entry into China. Wang Xiaolin negotiated production base projects in various locations, including Ordos and Ningxiang in Changsha, claiming investment amounts of up to tens of billions of yuan and planning annual production of hundreds of thousands of vehicles, but none of these plans materialized.
Around 2016, Wang Xiaolin shifted the manufacturing focus to Rugao, Jiangsu. Jiangsu Saleen Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. was established, with plans to build a factory in Rugao for the annual production of 50,000 MyCar units and another facility for the annual production of 150,000 Saleen S1 units. In 2018, MyCar entered the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology product catalog, utilizing Youngman Auto’s whole-vehicle production qualifications for filing.
On July 20, 2019, Saleen held the “Saleen Night” brand launch event at the Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest), inviting stars like Jason Statham to support the official launch of the MyCar urban electric mini sports car. At the event, it was highlighted that MyCar’s exterior was designed by legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who created classic supercars for Ferrari and Maserati, while the chassis was tuned by Steve Saleen, the founder of the Saleen brand. This marked the transition of MyCar from a concept prototype to the local mass-production phase. On November 11 of the same year, MyCar officially went on sale at the Tmall Flagship Store, launching two models: the Sports Custom Edition and the Chibi Maruko-chan Custom Edition, with post-subsidy prices of 168,800 RMB and 158,800 RMB, respectively. However, sales for MyCar were dismal after its launch. From the store opening on November 1 to its closure on December 23, a total of only 31 orders were received. Due to the extremely low sales volume, the vast majority of inventory vehicles remained unsold, and MyCar had effectively exited the market.
At the end of 2020, Saleen Automotive faced a capital chain crisis. In May 2022, the Nantong Intermediate People’s Court listed Saleen Automotive’s assets in Rugao, including land use rights, buildings, and production lines, for online auction, with a starting price of nearly 2.38 billion yuan. Wang Xiaolin remained in the US, accused of obtaining company control via “false technology capital contribution,” resulting in the alleged loss of dozens of billions of yuan in state-owned assets. By then, the production and operational activities of the MyCar brand had been completely terminated.
The MyCar brand offered only one car model, divided into three available versions:
MyCar 2020 Sports Custom Edition: Priced at 168,800 RMB, this version focused on sporty appearance and handling performance. Its body dimensions are 3,108 × 1,660 × 1,580 mm, with a wheelbase of 1,920 mm and a curb weight of 1,100 kg. It is equipped with a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering a maximum power of 80 kW (109 hp) and a maximum torque of 250 N·m. The 0–100 km/h acceleration time is 8.2 seconds, with a top speed of 100 km/h. The NEDC combined range is 305 km, with a maximum range of 355 km. The battery pack is a ternary lithium battery supporting fast charging, requiring 0.5 hours to charge from 30% to 80%. The chassis adopts front MacPherson and rear multi-link independent suspension, with a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout.
MyCar 2020 Chibi Maruko-chan Custom Edition: Priced at 158,800 RMB, this was a limited special edition model developed in collaboration with the “Chibi Maruko-chan” IP. It featured collaboration-themed exterior livery and interior elements based on the original car, while other technical parameters remained basically consistent with the Sports Custom Edition.
MyCar 2020 Da Mai Edition: This was the brand’s entry-level version, released simultaneously with the aforementioned two models, though specific pricing was not detailed.
As of 2026, all MyCar models have been discontinued, and sales channels are completely closed. In addition to the above three mass-produced versions, MyCar exhibited multiple early engineering prototype vehicles under the name “Jitai Maimai” between 2014 and 2019, but none entered the formal sales phase in the Chinese market.
MyCar’s market performance is considered a dismal case in the history of China’s new car manufacturing forces. Regarding product pricing, the Sports Custom Edition was priced at 168,800 RMB and the Chibi Maruko-chan Custom Edition at 158,800 RMB, far higher than comparable micro electric cars. In comparison, the Zhidou D2 had a post-subsidy price of about 50,000 RMB at the same time, and the BYD e1 was about 60,000 RMB; MyCar’s pricing was close to or even exceeded that of the smart fortwo (66 kW hardtop version).
In terms of sales data, MyCar opened at the Tmall Flagship Store on November 1, 2019, and officially applied to close the store on December 23, receiving a total of only 31 orders, with 9 units sold in November. The MyCar factory, with an annual production capacity planning of 50,000 units, had final production far below capacity, with the vast majority of products turning into unsold inventory. On the financial statement level, Saleen Automotive burned through 6.6 billion RMB in capital, selling only 31 MyCar units. The Chezhiwang platform lists MyCar’s manufacturer guidance price as 158,800–168,800 RMB (2020 model) and its brand attribute as “Domestic,” but in the Reputation column, comprehensive scores and average scores were blank, and actual transaction data was almost zero. On Chinese automotive vertical websites, all MyCar models are marked as “Discontinued.”
In terms of consumer feedback, the public generally evaluated MyCar as an “elderly mobility car” or “Laotoule” (slang), believing its styling, performance, and pricing were severely inconsistent with the image of the Saleen supercar brand. Industry media universally criticized it, stating, “The design is too childish and completely disconnected from mainstream aesthetic standards.” Outsiders also questioned that MyCar’s appearance was almost completely identical to the 2009 MyCar prototype, “unchanged in ten years.” Wang Xiaolin claimed MyCar had “no relation at all” with the MyCar electric vehicle, but third-party investigations confirmed that its prototype indeed came from the Hong Kong EuAuto company acquired by Saleen.
MyCar’s technical solution reflects the typical “Prototype Import + Local Adaptation” model:
Chassis and Handling System: MyCar’s core selling point is the chassis tuned by Steve Saleen. The chassis adopts a front MacPherson and rear multi-link independent suspension structure, a rare rear independent suspension configuration among comparable A00-class electric vehicles. The drive form is rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, with a motor maximum power of 80 kW (about 109 hp) and torque of 250 N·m. The rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout paired with sports car-oriented suspension constitutes the technical basis for its “Electric Mini Hot Hatch” positioning.
Battery and Three-Electrical Systems: MyCar is equipped with a ternary lithium battery pack, adopting a dual-mode water cooling system composed of two circuits: normal circulating cooling and air conditioning circulating cooling. The battery pack case is made of high-strength aluminum alloy material, with IP67 dust and water resistance capability. The cells use German VDA standard size, with insulation monitoring and high-voltage interlock functions. In fast charging mode, it requires 0.5 hours to charge from 30% to 80%. The NEDC combined range is 305 km, with a maximum range of 355 km.
Body Structure and Safety Technology: The body adopts a steel-aluminum hybrid structure, using SPR (self-piercing riveting) and FDS (flow drill screw) processes to achieve high-strength cold connection between dissimilar materials. Body torsional rigidity reaches 50,000 Nm/deg; even in the empty body state (without the battery pack), it reaches 40,000 Nm/deg. Safety configurations include six airbags, active tire pressure monitoring, and the Bosch ESP 9.3 version vehicle electronic stability system. The center control is equipped with a 9-inch HD touchscreen supporting smart interconnection technology.
Power Performance: 0–50 km/h acceleration takes only 4 seconds, 0–100 km/h acceleration takes 9.5 seconds, and the maximum gradeability reaches 45%.
MyCar’s predecessor had brief overseas layout records in European and American markets. In 2010, after MyCar was acquired by GTA, a factory was established in Mississippi, USA, for mass production, with a price of about $15,000. In 2012, MyCar entered the US Department of Defense electric vehicle procurement list, and in 2014, it entered the procurement catalog of multiple US state police departments. In the same year, a higher-end version was released with a price of $17,000. Additionally, in 2010, MyCar was designated by the Danish government as a recommended vehicle model for its electric vehicle policy.
However, these were all overseas activities of the MyCar prototype before its acquisition by Jiangsu Saleen. MyCar, as a brand under Saleen, was never officially sold in markets outside China, nor were production bases or sales networks established overseas.
As of 2026, the MyCar brand is in a state of substantial cessation of operations. Jiangsu Saleen Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. had its assets compulsorily auctioned by the Nantong Intermediate People’s Court in May 2022, and Wang Xiaolin remains in the US without returning. To date, there are no concrete plans for production resumption, brand revival, or debt restructuring. Among the vehicles produced by MyCar cumulatively, only a small portion entered the used car market for clearance processing. Limited by the parent company’s bankruptcy liquidation status, MyCar’s models, intellectual property, production lines, and other assets have been dispersed along with the overall auction disposal of Saleen Automotive assets, making the possibility of a brand restart extremely low. As a typical failure sample in China’s New Energy Vehicle “Car-Making Great Leap Forward,” MyCar has become a landmark case for the industry’s reflection on excessive capital operations and technological “take-it-ism.”
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