Vauxhall/Opel will reveal an interesting new concept that blends elements of an electric car and a motorbike this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The vehicle is still unnamed, but the GM subsidiary describes it as a "production potential" concept that "could revolutionize" urban transport, though just how is left unexplained at the moment.
Aimed at the scooter demographic of young drivers and those strapped for cash, the concept is a low-riding electric vehicle with a tandem two-seater arrangement. It has a top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a maximum range on one battery charge of around 60 miles (100 km) at an estimated running cost of one euro per charge.
As part of its appeal to younger customers, Vauxhall/Opell hinted at a version limited to 30 mph (45km/h) more suited to the sixteen-year old crowd.
At one third the weight of a standard motor car (approximately 700 lbs or 310 kg), there aren't any details about the concept's drive train, but Vauxhall/Opel's claim that it was "inspired" by Vauxhall/Opel's Ampera suggests that there may be some hybrid element involved.
Though its design is called "radical looking", the teardrop shape bears a definite resemblance to concepts such as the BMW i1, the Nissan Land Glider, the single seat Honda 3RC and also the ZAP Alias. This indicates that the motor industry is not only interested in electric vehicles, but in a new line-blurring class of sub-sub-compact cars - a category that we've long seen as playing a key role in the future of urban transport.
