2026 ArcFox Beta T1: Facelifted Budget EV Hatch Starts At $9,200

ArcFox, the electric sub-brand of Chinese state automaker BAIC, has refreshed its entry-level city EV and folded it into the brand's new "β" (Beta) product line as the ArcFox Beta T1. Unveiled on June 16, 2026, the facelift is the second model to join the Beta family after the battery-swap Beta S3 sedan, and it keeps the same rock-bottom pricing as the outgoing ArcFox T1 while adding a stronger motor, a bigger base battery, a redesigned rear end, and an available Level 2 driver-assistance suite. It is a small five-door hatchback aimed squarely at China's booming A0-class EV segment, where the BYD Seagull and Geely Xingyuan already sell in huge numbers. Three trims are on sale now — 350 PRO, 450 PRO, and 450 MAX — priced from 62,800 to 79,800 yuan (about $9,200 to $11,700). A longer-range 550 km version with a bigger 56.4 kWh pack is planned to follow around August 2026, though ArcFox has not confirmed an exact on-sale date.

Performance & Specs

The Beta T1 keeps its predecessor's simple front-motor, front-wheel-drive layout, but ArcFox says the whole electric drive unit was redesigned for the refresh. The new 8-in-1 integrated e-drive module is 15% lighter, 18% smaller, and 10% more power-dense than the outgoing unit, and it lets the front permanent-magnet synchronous motor make 95 kW (129 hp) and 176 Nm of torque — a 25 kW jump over the old T1's 70 kW motor. ArcFox quotes a 0–50 km/h time of 4.5 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 140 km/h, numbers that suit a city runabout rather than a highway cruiser. All three launch trims share the same motor and torque output; the difference between them comes down to battery size and equipment, not outright power.

Powertrain	Single front-motor BEV
Power	95 kW (129 hp)
Torque	176 Nm
0–50 km/h	4.5 s
Battery	42.3 kWh LFP
Range	450 km (CLTC)

POWERTRAIN TYPE	Single front-motor BEV
HORSEPOWER	95 kW (129 hp)
ACCELERATION	4.5 s (0–50 km/h)
TOP SPEED	140 km/h
DRIVETRAIN	FWD
BATTERY	36.4 kWh or 42.3 kWh LFP
ELECTRIC RANGE	350 km or 450 km (CLTC)

Dimensions & Practicality

Length	4,375 mm
Width	1,860 mm
Height	1,572 mm
Wheelbase	2,770 mm

At 4,375 mm long on a 2,770 mm wheelbase, the Beta T1 is a touch larger than most A0-class rivals, and ArcFox leans on that for cabin space. Trunk volume is rated at 459 liters, made up of a 385-liter main compartment plus a 74-liter sunken, double-layer storage well hidden beneath the floor for keeping fragile items separate from luggage. Fold the rear seats flat and cargo space grows to a claimed 1,352 liters — enough, per ArcFox's own marketing, for camping gear like a folding table, chairs, and a small bike. The cabin rides on 18-inch alloy wheels and gets a 2.34 m² panoramic glass roof with an electric sunshade and 99.9% UV blocking, along with a power tailgate and roughly 32 small storage cubbies scattered around the cabin.

LENGTH	4,375 mm
WIDTH	1,860 mm
HEIGHT	1,572 mm
WHEELBASE	2,770 mm
CARGO VOLUME	459 L (1,352 L seats folded)

Charging & Battery

Both battery options are LFP chemistry for cost and longevity rather than outright energy density. The base 350 PRO carries a 36.4 kWh pack good for 350 km on China's CLTC cycle, while the 450 PRO and 450 MAX step up to a 42.3 kWh pack rated at 450 km CLTC. ArcFox quotes a combined energy consumption figure of about 11.2 kWh/100 km across the lineup. A heat-pump climate system with direct battery cooling and heating is standard, and ArcFox says the pack retains 94% of its charge after sitting at -7°C, a meaningful claim for buyers in northern China's cold winters. DC fast charging takes the battery from 30% to 80% in roughly 22 minutes; ArcFox has not published a specific AC onboard-charger power rating for the refreshed car, so that figure is unconfirmed. A larger 56.4 kWh pack good for a claimed 550 km CLTC is planned for a variant expected around August 2026, though no confirmed launch date has been announced as of this writing.

BATTERY	36.4 kWh or 42.3 kWh LFP
ENERGY CONSUMPTION	≈11.2 kWh/100 km (CLTC)
DC 30-80% TIME	≈22 min
COLD-WEATHER RETENTION	94% charge at -7°C

Design & Interior

The Beta T1's facelift is concentrated almost entirely at the two ends of the car. Up front, ArcFox integrated a new daytime running light strip directly into the headlight clusters — the brand calls it an "ice-crystal" design — running across a redesigned front bumper. Around back, the previous car's separate taillights give way to a full-width LED light bar that stretches the rear visually, paired with a new bumper with sharper, more sculpted lines. Two-tone paint with a contrasting black roof is offered, and cars in ArcFox's press photos show both an olive-green and a bright magenta finish. Inside, the dashboard is dominated by a floating 15.6-inch touchscreen (1,920 × 1,080 resolution) next to an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster, with a soft-touch upper dash panel and quilted-pattern seat upholstery that looks a step above what the sub-$10,000 price tag might suggest. Flat-folding front seats and a low, flat load floor when the rear seats are down round out the practicality-first cabin.

Technology & Features

The central touchscreen runs ArcFox's own α-OS software, paired with the 8.8-inch driver display for basic trip and drive-mode information. ArcFox lists seven driving modes and a tight 5.2-meter turning radius aided by a low-speed intelligent steering assist, both useful in the dense urban traffic this car is built for. Every trim gets a 540-degree surround-view camera system, a built-in dashcam, and a Sentry Mode-style parked-car recording feature. A 3.3 kW V2L (vehicle-to-load) output lets the car power external devices — camping equipment, tools, or another EV in a pinch — directly from its battery, and the range-topping 450 MAX adds 50W wireless phone charging in the center console.

Safety & ADAS

Driver-assistance hardware is where the three trims genuinely diverge. The 450 MAX is the only version to get ArcFox's Level 2 driver-assistance suite, built around 12 ultrasonic radars and 4 panoramic cameras that combine for the car's 540-degree view and automated parking functions. ArcFox claims a 98% parking-space recognition rate along with a 50-meter trail/memory reverse-parking function that retraces a recently driven path. The 350 PRO and 450 PRO trims still get the base 360-degree camera system and dashcam, but without the added radar/ADAS hardware bundled into the 450 MAX.

ADAS LEVEL	L2 (450 MAX only)
ADAS FEATURES	12 ultrasonic radars, 4 panoramic cameras, 540° surround view, automated parking, 50 m trail memory reverse, dashcam

Available Versions

VERSION	POWER	TORQUE	TOP SPEED	DRIVETRAIN	BATTERY	EV RANGE	PRICE	KEY DIFFERENCES
350 PRO	129 hp	176 Nm	140 km/h	FWD	36.4 kWh	350 km	$9,200	Entry trim, smaller LFP pack, base 360° camera and dashcam
450 PRO	129 hp	176 Nm	140 km/h	FWD	42.3 kWh	450 km	$10,100	Bigger battery for 450 km CLTC range, same feature set as 350 PRO
450 MAX	129 hp	176 Nm	140 km/h	FWD	42.3 kWh	450 km	$11,700	Adds L2 ADAS suite (12 radars, 4 cameras) and 50W wireless charging

Pricing & Availability

The refreshed ArcFox Beta T1 went on sale in China on June 16, 2026, with official guide prices spanning 62,800 to 79,800 yuan (about $9,200 to $11,700). ArcFox is running limited-time launch pricing of 62,800 / 68,800 / 78,800 yuan for the 350 PRO, 450 PRO, and 450 MAX respectively, alongside up to 21,000 yuan in additional purchase incentives, a 5-year/120,000 km comprehensive warranty, lifetime free maintenance and core electrical-system coverage, and a 1,000 yuan first-year insurance subsidy for orders placed on the 450 PRO or 450 MAX before July 31, 2026. The original ArcFox T1 launched in mid-2025 and sold roughly 43,500 units that year, so this facelift — arriving under the new Beta T1 name just months later — is meant to keep that momentum going against a wave of new budget-EV competition. A longer-range 550 km/56.4 kWh version has been confirmed as planned for around August 2026, though ArcFox has not announced firm pricing or an exact on-sale date for it yet.

How It Compares

Against the BYD Seagull — the car that effectively defined this segment — the Beta T1 offers a substantially stronger motor (129 hp versus 74 hp) and a longer 450 km range on its top trims, all while undercutting the Seagull's price by more than $2,000 on the base 350 PRO. The Geely EX2 is priced closer to the Beta T1's entry trim but falls short on range at 250 km, making the Beta T1's 350-450 km spread look considerably more usable for anything beyond a short commute. The MG4 EV shows what an extra $6,000-$8,000 buys in this space: nearly 40 more horsepower and a roomier hatchback body, but at a price point that starts pushing outside the true budget-EV bracket the Beta T1 competes in. For shoppers who want the most range and features per dollar in China's cheapest EV segment, the Beta T1's combination of price, power, and now-standard camera hardware is hard to beat on paper.