(Yicai Global) Dec. 3 -- China's Great Wall Motors, the largest sports-utility vehicle maker in the country, plans to start selling electric cars under its Ora brand to Europe.

The Hebei province-based firm is studying ways to expand its global distribution for electric vehicles and ultimately aims to enter Europe, the South China Morning Post reported today, citing Great Wall Vice President Ning Shuyong.

Ora put its first vehicle on pre-sale at the beginning of this month, priced at around CNY61,800 (USD8,880) and upwards after subsidies. The model, named R1 and about the size of a Smart car, will go on sale officially on Dec. 18. It has a range of up to 351 kilometers for higher-spec versions.

Small EVs make up the biggest portion of China's new-energy vehicle sector, at about 400,000 sales a year, SCMP reported, adding that Ning believes a market leader would need to shift about a quarter of that.

Great Wall has acquired a 25 percent stake in electric carmaker Lingtu Motor, also based in Hebei, as it looks to spread its wings in the field. It hopes to sell 700,000 EVs in 2025, 35 percent of its total goal of two million sales, Chief Executive Wang Fengying said in March.

It will also make electric cars under its Wey and Haval brands, and has partnered German auto titan BMW to further its reach into the sector. The pair have formed a joint venture, Spotlight Automotive, to make electric Minis and develop new technologies for electric vehicles.

Editor: James Boynton