Beijing Automotive Group's premium brand Arcfox has launched pre-sales for the Wendao V9, a large eight-seat luxury minivan with an extended-range electric powertrain (EREV — a gas engine that charges the battery but never drives the wheels directly). Priced from roughly $32,200 to $42,000 USD at current exchange rates, the vehicle pulled more than 8,000 confirmed orders — each backed by a $730 deposit — within 48 hours of its Beijing Auto Show debut. None of those sales are headed to the US.
A China-market minivan in a segment that barely exists here
The Wendao V9 is built around a 2+2+3 seating layout stretching across 208 inches of length (5,300 mm) on a 126-inch (3,200 mm) wheelbase. The powertrain pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged range extender producing 158 hp (118 kW) — which acts solely as an onboard generator — with a Huawei-supplied rear electric motor rated at 304 hp (227 kW), driving the rear wheels only. Two CATL battery options are offered: a 37 kWh LFP (lithium iron phosphate) pack rated at 216 km on China's CLTC test cycle (that's roughly 100–115 miles EPA-equivalent), or a larger 53.4 kWh NMC pack rated at 315 km CLTC (approximately 155–175 miles EPA-equivalent). CLTC figures typically run 15–20% higher than EPA ratings, so treat those numbers accordingly.
Photo: Dongchedi
Arcfox claims a 10–80% charge in 15 minutes despite the vehicle using a 400-volt electrical architecture — more common but slower-charging than the 800-volt systems appearing in newer EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. The suspension uses double-wishbone up front and multi-link at the rear; upper trims add magnetorheological adaptive dampers that can adjust stiffness up to 1,000 times per second.
Why it won't arrive stateside
Section 301 tariffs currently impose a 100% duty on Chinese-made passenger vehicles, effectively doubling the landed cost of any car built in China. Arcfox has announced no North American distributor, no US-spec engineering work, and no EPA certification program. The brand sold over 15,000 vehicles in China during March 2026 — solid momentum domestically — but has no meaningful footprint outside Asia.
Wendao V9 presentation at the Beijing Auto Show. Photo: Arcfox
For those shopping the US premium minivan space, the Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid remains the only electrified option on sale today, eligible for up to $7,500 under the IRA Section 30D tax credit when leased through the commercial 45W pass-through. The Wendao V9 is a technically ambitious machine, but for now it belongs entirely to the Chinese domestic market.
