- The Skywell Q is 169.1 inches long, or the same length as a Chevrolet Bolt EUV.
- Skywell plans to put the Q hatchback on sale in European markets starting next fall.
- Skywell, or Skyworth, is a well-known maker of affordable smart TVs.
This year’s Paris Auto Show certainly had a lot of interesting dynamics. For a short while immediately post-COVID, European automakers had followed suit with American ones, and decided to abandon the Auto Show model. Now, they’ve quickly realized that wasn’t a great idea, so European automakers are back out in full force, showing off new designs in an attempt to stave off the existential threat that Chinese manufacturers pose to the entire European car industry. But Chinese automakers also brought their A-game to Paris, including new brands you’ve probably never heard of.
Like Skywell. Or, maybe it’s called Skyworth; it’s a confusing name; the car is often reported on under the name “Skywell”, but the rear of the car and the brand’s website says “Skyworth.” Either way, the unknown brand showed off a production-looking concept EV hatchback called the Q, with plans to enter Europe in the fall of 2025.
Now, I know above I said that you’ve probably never heard of Skywell (or Skyworth) before, but you actually probably have. If you’ve been shopping for a cheap smart TV within the past five years, chances are you’ve stumbled on a Skyworth-branded TV either in person at stores like Staples or Walmart or online at Amazon. Yes, the same people who made the TV have decided to do up a car. The Skyworth Auto EV brand is the result of a partnership between Chinese tech company Skyworth and Chinese bus manufacturing company Skywell.
Also, this technically isn’t the first car they’ve made, either. Before the thought of a Chinese tariff was in the minds of the United States or Canada, a very small startup had the idea to rebadge and federalize the Skyworth EV6 (Skywell ET5) as the Imperium SEV. It seems like Imperium’s U.S. plans quickly evaporated, but the SEV’s plans for North American sales pressed onward in Canada. Some Canadian auto journalists even got a chance to spend a little time with the SEV, and even Sandy Munro did an overview of one on his channel.
However, it’s not clear if the cars ever entered sale officially in Canada. The company Imperium became Liteborne, and it looks like the whole shebang died not long after the name change. There was never an announcement, but Liteborne’s website is down and all of the posts on its Facebook page are full of Francophone Canadians asking for their $800 CAD deposit back.
Having said all of that, the car the brand showed off in Paris looks fine enough. In a world of oversized crossovers, the Skywell Q’s decidedly hatchback shape and low hood feel refreshing. The digital-camo-esque detailing on the Q’s lower side skirts and rear splitter are subtly sporty. Likewise, the interior’s light grey and aquamarine color scheme are pleasant even if the design is kind of par-for-course in any modern EV. The brand says the car’s audio system will come from the German company Metz. Power comes from a 201-horsepower motor powering the front wheels. Battery size isn't specified, but Skywell says it'll go 300 miles on a full charge in some form.
The Skywell Q is an attractive car, but how real is this, anyway?
Even in China, Skyworth/Skywell doesn’t have a great reputation. According to CarNewsChina, back in 2023, its lone vehicle the EV6 (not to be confused with the Kia) only moved 18,000 units against goals of 40,000. That EV6 isn’t all that great of a car, either, it only got one star in China’s C-NCAP crash test.
Skyworth’s founder Huang Hongsheng also came under fire for saying that buying one of his EVs could cure high blood pressure and diabetes and help you live to be 100. The article also says that he spent three years in jail in 2006 for embezzling money from Skyworth’s companies.
Perhaps this brand has turned a corner, though. The Skywell Q looks pretty well finished for what it is, at least in pictures. Keep in mind that BYD originally started out by making cell phone batteries, while Geely originally made refrigerators. Now, Geely owns Volvo and BYD is one of the biggest vehicle manufacturers in the world.
Maybe Skywell could be in that number, too.
Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com
