Where the EICMA trade show in Milan, Italy, is usually reserved for powered two wheelers, Spanish e-mobility company Silence opted to use the 2021 event to debut a two-seat electric nanocar called the S04. Now the company has announced that the vehicle has entered series production.
Prior to 2019, Silence had been producing sit-down electric scooters for B2B operations but the first non-business riders got the chance to jump aboard in February of that year.
The scoot's pop-out-and-roll removable battery unit then became the centerpiece of the S04 electric nanocar – "which combines the safety and comfort of a car with the agility of a motorcycle" – that launched at EICMA in October 2021. And now the first series production vehicles have started rolling off the company's new 60,000-m2 (645,835-sq-ft) Zona Franca factory in Barcelona.
The S04 comes in two variants. The first to market is the dual-battery L7e model with a 14-kW (22-kW peak) motor for a "homologated range" of 149 km (92.5 miles) per charge and a top speed of 85 km/h (52.8 mph).
The 5.6-kWh batteries will initially be produced at a facility in nearby Sant Boi de Llobregat, but Silence intends to bring manufacture and assembly of all components under one roof at the Zona Franca factory.
Each unit can be removed from its home behind the S04's door, and feature trolley wheels and a handle for hauling to the nearest charge point for a top-up – though the vehicle can also be plugged in at a charge point.
Despite its diminutive 2.28 x 1.29 x 1.59 m (7.5 x 4.2 x 5.2 ft) proportions, the nanocar can seat two and sports a 247-liter trunk. That compact size also gives it an edge when it comes to inner-city parking, with up to three vehicles able to fit into a standard parking space. It also benefits from a tight 3.5-m (11.5-ft) turning circle.
Pricing for this model starts at €10,180 (US$10,899, though sales beyond Europe have not been revealed), and it can be had with or without the batteries – the latter option dependent on the availability of a Silence Battery Station for subscription-based battery swaps.
The series production window and pricing for the second flavor has yet to be announced, but drivers for the L6e model won't require a driver's license to get the behind the steering wheel. Top speed for this one is limited to 45 km/h (28 mph) courtesy of a 6-kW motor, and it comes with just the one removable trolley battery.
Source: Silence
