Earlier this week, Spanish automaker Seat offered a preview of its future micromobility vision with the announcement of the Twizy-like Minimó electric urban runabout at Mobile World Congress 2019. Now the company has pulled back the curtains on its first all-electric car – the el-Born – ahead of a full reveal at the Geneva Motor Show.
The el-Born demonstrates what Seat sees as the key technologies that are currently driving change in the automotive industry – electrification, autonomous driving, shared-mobility and connectivity. It's being presented as a concept EV and has been designed and developed in Barcelona, will be manufactured in Germany and is expected to go on sale in 2020.
It's the first Seat to be based on the Volkswagen Group's MEB platform used for VW's I.D. electric concepts and upcoming production models, including the Buzz and Crozz, as well as the recently-announced electric dune buggy that will also be shown off in Geneva.
The el-Born features a 62 kWh battery pack that's promised to deliver up to 420 km (260 mi) of Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedures (WLTP) range per charge, with a quick charge to 80 percent possible in 47 minutes when plugged into a 100 kW DC supercharger. The designers have included an advanced thermal management system to help the el-Born mitigate some of the range drop associated with operation in low temperatures.
Seat says the car has 150 kW (201 hp) of output grunt that should see it sprint from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mi) in 7.5 seconds, though a top speed hasn't been mentioned at this point.
With no gas engine to air cool, the front grille has been sacrificed for improved aerodynamics. Air flows over the battery packs thanks to a few vents lower down the chassis. And the car's 20 inch wheels have been designed for optimum airflow too. The focus on aero ends at the rear with a double layer spoiler.
The el-Born includes Level 2 autonomy, meaning that the car will still rely on a human driver for much of its time on the road, but can assist with some steering, acceleration and deceleration tasks, as well as help with parking.
Thanks to the electric drivetrain, Seat is promising a roomier experience for driver and passengers, saying that there should be enough room between the two "cocooning" front seats for a bag, for example. The front of the cabin is dominated by a digital cockpit with a 10 inch infotainment and connectivity control display.
The el-Born will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week.
Source: Seat
