According to GWM, Ora stands for "open, reliable and alternative", while also paying homage to Leonhard Euler, a notable Swiss mathematician whose surname is phonetically translated as "Oula" in Mandarin Chinese.[1]
Great Wall Motors announced the creation of the new Ora brand, dedicated to a new line of electric cars, in May 2018.[2] At the time, the brand was launched with two initial models: the crossover iQ5 (later iQ) and city car R1 (later Black Cat).[3] Sales of the iQ officially kicked off the brand in August 2018.[4] The third Ora model R2 (later White Cat) was first previewed in June 2019,[5] with production officially beginning in July 2020.[6]
The naming of the "Cat" series vehicles is reportedly based on a Deng Xiaoping's famous quote: "No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat; as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat."[8][9]
