Automotive

Vauxhall/Opel to unveil two-seater EV Concept

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Vauxhall/Opel will reveal an interesting new concept that blends elements of an electric car and a motorbike
The Vauxhall/Opel EV concept is said to have a top speed of 75 mph
Vauxhall/Opel will reveal an interesting new concept that blends elements of an electric car and a motorbike
Vauxhall/Opel EV will unveil an interesting EV concept this week in Frankfurt
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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.

Vauxhall/Opel EV will unveil an interesting EV concept this week in Frankfurt

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.

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12 comments
Facebook User
Yes please! These vehicles are LONG overdue... It always amazes me on my way to work seeing all these 1.5 tonnes+ cars being driven by a single 80kg person. All that wasted energy and space to power a big metal cage that\'s 20 times heavier than the object being moved. It just doesn\'t make sense.
VoiceofReason
Looks cool. It will never see the light of day in the US though, due to outdated and dumb no restraint laws. These laws make American cars much heavier than they really need to be. It Opel wants it to fly in the US, it will need to lose a rear wheel in order to qualify as a motorcycle. Anything with four wheels here in the states, is a car.
Slowburn
Max Powers - September 12, 2011 @ 05:01 pm PDT
Most people do not have the money to buy a different car, for each load of passengers they will need to carry, so the one they buy suits the maximum load, even though that means that they spend most of their driving time alone in their multipassenger car.
Womp
I like these single seater and 2 inline type cars, I am constantly annoyed at having to drag around 3 or 4 extra seats that I never use. But, I am annoyed that car companies keep teasing us with these concepts but not a single one has gone into production.
Also, the speed restricted version, I dread the thought of being stuck behind one of those.
666gm666
@Max Powers: Are you joking? The main reason 80Kg people drive SUVs is for protection. In a crash with a large vehicle, a tiny vehicle gets crushed.
Keith Reeder
\"Also, the speed restricted version, I dread the thought of being stuck behind one of those.\"
It\'d be no harder to overtake than a speed/power-restricted moped or scooter, which is what kids in a lot of European countries have to start on.
vv_vv
What else is new? The problem with all these things (just like Carver or Spyder) is that production versions end up costing more than medium size cars while lacking the practicality or safety.
Harpal Sahota
How cool is this two seater electric vehicle for the city. Throw in free city parking, and i\'m buying one!
Chris Jordan
I echo \"never make it in the US\". Low speed would make other drivers furious (road rage country- with many impatient drivers), and the safety issue comes out with any small vehicle. Our 25 mph streets become 40 mph streets quickly when people can get away with it.
Like Zap, Aptera, Triac, Moose, Th!nk, City-EL, Alius, and many more EVs; this is a pleasant pipe dream.
Like a Smart car- I would like to see a wheelchair jabbed in there!
Jason Bontrager
Make it for less than $5K and I\'d buy one. Most of my driving is short-range as I live in a small town.
I\'d prefer that they double the range though. I make 60-90 mile (one way) trips several times a month. They\'d have to make it a hybrid to do that though, at least until electric storage tech matures a bit more.
That 75mph upper limit is a bit risky too on the highway. Still, a definite move in the right direction if it ever gets produced.