WPL D32 D22 Wuling Mini EV 1/16 Review

The WPL D32 and D22 are 1/16 scale RC models based on the Wuling MiniEV. This is faithfully recreated in 2 styles (D32 and D22) and in 5 cute pastel colours. Although it is 1/16 scale don't compare it to other 1/16 'cars' because this is based on a much smaller vehicle. This car comes ready to run other than the 2 x AA batteries required for transmitter.

The Wuling MiniEV which this RC is based on is a game-changing kei car sized EV that is unique to China with pricing starting from USD5000. Sadly not a car we see in Western markets (probably due to lack of safety features) but it is one of the top 2 selling EVs in the world. I think you could probably say that this is what the instruction manual is exclusively in Chinese - sale in Western markets was probably an afterthought. Still, it doesn't mean I can't review it so here goes...

What is in the box?

Being a cheaper car it's just the basics:

• The car itself
• 3.7v Lithium Ion battery
• USB charger
• 2.4GHz transmitter (requires 2 x AA batteries)
• Plastic parts to attach
• Decals to apply

There are clear, clear red and black plastic parts to attached to this little car. Although these possibly should have been done from the factory, it is fun to do yourself. Although the instructions are in Chinese, they are easy to follow and took me less than 5 minutes. Once all on, it looks pretty cool, scale details are nice down to the tread pattern on the tyres which are the same as the those on the full scale 12" wheels.

I'm not going to go into huge detail here on the build of the car because it is pretty basic but I'll give you the key points:

• It's powered by a little brushed 130 motor and a 14500 500mah 1s li ion battery
• Receiver is integrated with the ESC.
• LED lighting front and read (flashes when it is not bound)
• Front strut suspension is friction dampened
• Rear wheel drive with fixed gearing an no diff.
• Solid rear axle but with floating suspension mount
• Steering is full proportional but do not know what type of servo it runs.

So how does it run?

Well you'd never mistake this for being fast but it feels about right for the size - good to run indoors. The turning circle is very tight - combined with the short wheel based it means that it can turn on the dime and at full speed. This makes for something quite fun - it dives and rolls in corners which make  it look very scale-like in operation because from what I've watched, the real thing does the same. Sounds like a small thing but makes driving it a lot more fun that I thought it would. I think if you had 2 or more of these you could have a lot of fun; race a full speed steering only on a tight track would make for some good laughs. 

I should be clear that this would be for running strictly inside or on flat outdoor surfaces. It is not suited for even slight off-road as you can see below.

Options for Upgrading?

Not really. I'm known for upgrading brushed powertrain in RC cars with brushless but being more toy than hobby grade, this would not be a simple task here. Even if you could all the brushless power train, the car simply wouldn't manage it and would be very tippy...

It might be that you can upgrade in other ways, based more on the scale looks; for example see the real cars below - the MiniEV has a thriving modding scene in China.....

Yes, this one has been converted to a boat

The wheelbase is too long to go on the WL toys 284131.

Conclusion

The WPL D32/ D22 is a scale model of the Wuling MiniEV that is largely targeted at the Chinese market do to the popularity of the 1:1 scale car there. Although it has proportional throttle and steering it is more toy grade than hobby but it is still fun to drive strictly on flat surfaces. The body roll makes it fun to drive but outside of that is is a little limited. Options for modding are light but there may be body mod options in future.

This car is fun to look at and muck around with inside. Not really my style but fun to review nonetheless. Thanks for reading my review.

Oh, if you are looking for a more typical hobby-grade RC Car, then a summary of all the RC cars I have reviewed can be found here: CHINESE RC CAR BUYER'S GUIDE BY QUADIFYRC

I ordered my WPL D32 / D22 from Banggood here. It's typically for sale around the $50 mark

If you are looking for a discount on this car, I will post any coupon codes or flash sales for it over here on my coupons and discounts page. Remember buying from any of these links supports my page without any cost to you and is appreciated especially since I don't ask for money via patreon and the like. If you want to get involved in this discussion, feel free to join the QuadifyRC Facebook Group Here or like my page below

Not sure why I took a photo in the grass, no way it will run there