Beijing (ZXZC)- On April 24th, Changan Auto issued an announcement stating its decision to temporarily cease new orders of its mini electric model, the BenBen E-Star.

Photo credit: Changan Auto

The automaker stated that due to the crimped supply of upstream raw materials, the limited production of vehicles and auto parts, the company would stop receiving new orders of the BenBen E-Star starting April 25th. 

As to users who have already placed their orders through official channels, Changan Auto will allocate its manufacturing resources accordingly to fulfill the backlog orders, ensuring a timely delivery to users. 

Changan BenBen E-Star is the most popular new energy vehicle model of the company. In the first three months of 2022, Changan Auto sold 26,119 BenBen E-Stars, soaring 147% year over year. 

As a mini EV model famous for its low price, the BenBen E-Star can be demanding in terms of cost control. 

With the surging price hike of raw materials, on March 31st, the automaker announced a price increase on the BenBen E-Star mini EV model. Per the announcement, starting April 1st, the price of the model went up by RMB4,000 ($628). After the price rise, the BenBen E-Star Multi-color trim now costs RMB53,800 ($8,442).