Touted as the future of the automobile, the EV or Electric vehicle is the buzz word for most auto manufacturers today. Many companies are pumping millions of dollars into the development of automobiles that can be powered by electricity. We drove two electric cars in 2012 – the Fluence EV in Portugal and the Leaf that came to the Auto Expo. We were convinced that electric vehicles are slowly going to replace cars powered by internal combustion.
Motor Trend has reported that Skoda is working on the electric variant based on the Citigo for a 2014 launch in Europe. The Citigo is the Volkswagen Up’s identical twin and the specifications of the Volthead are already frozen!
The tiny tots are fired by an 18-kWh battery pack wired to a 80 hp electric motor. This lends a range of 81 miles with a top speed of 81mph. Volkswagen will introduce its version by 2013 followed by the Skoda model a year later.
The petrol engined Up! is on sale across Europe while the Citigo is available in its home market of Czech Republic. The petrol Citigo’s availability will extend to other European markets in 2013. It is powered by a 1L petrol engine producing 60 or 75hp.
The Tata Vista EV, developed in International Automotive Research Centre at the University of Warwick Campus, Coventry, is a fully-electric 4-seater hatchback with impressive performance characteristics such as 110 miles range and a top speed of 71 mph.
The Vista EV was parked at the 2012 Auto Expo in Delhi demonstrating Tata Motors’ technological prowess. But, in case you missed it, here is a nicely edited video showing the features of the Vista EV.
Nissan recently showcased the NV-200 at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo and named it Evalia for the Indian market. But in Detroit, Nissan has showcased and all electric Nissan e-NV-200 that heads for production by 2014. The production model is expected to have a few tweaks, but the basic technology and shape will be unchanged.
The e-NV-200 has a grafted Nissan Leaf’s front fascia. In addition to sweeping headlamps and LED accents, the hood features a blue-accent badge that pops open to reveal a charging port. The e-NV200 features a pair of large glass roof panels, which gives the interior a more airy feel, as well as advanced telematics and a digital instrument display that appears to be inspired by an iPad.
The e-NV200 shares its electric drive system — an 80kW motor and lithium-ion battery pack — with the Nissan Leaf. It’s expected to provide around the same 160km range as the LEAF. Nissan states that this van would be suitable for both commercial and passenger use in large metropolitan areas.
The Nissan Leaf was handed out to journalists in a private area yesterday in Noida. The Leaf takes on this journey to eavesdrop on India’s comments at the Auto Expo 2012 and win some fans on the way. It has no plans of extending its stay as the lack of charging terminals and India’s power shortage woes has it worried.
Economies of scale
This one’s making the Micra owner blush – Same start button on Leaf!
We spent a few minutes driving the Leaf and this is what we could get.
We were invited by Nissan to be part of the “Innovation Drive” yesterday featuring the Leaf and the GT-R models beside the carlines sold in India. Nissan displays the new models at Auto Expo (you read that first on Indian Autos Blog last month). They have not made a decision on the launch any of the two vehicles. Hence don’t expect them at a Nissan dealership in the foreseeable future.
We were allowed to drive the fully-electric Leaf in a small track surrounded by traffic cones to understand the vehicle’s maneuverability, instant acceleration, on-board computer and comfort. The most impressive feature in the Leaf for any driver is the pin-drop silence in the cabin. The acceleration is shocking as 100% torque is available from 0 RPM. The Leaf squashes the myth that electric vehicles are slow and boring. More importantly it achieved a maximum 5 star rating at the EuroNCAP crash test, so its as safe as a house.
The Leaf is driven by an electric motor that generates 110 hp and 280 Nm torque. It is a C-Segment hatchback sporting a interior color scheme, similar to the Micra’s.
On the evening of the Day 1, people behind Renault’s electric vehicle project conducted a presentation to enlighten us on this technology. The electric vehicle has been around in India since the early 2000′s through the form of REVA, which until Renault’s entry was the world’s largest selling electric car.
Over 3,000 examples are on roads today, but the REVA is what karting is to motor racing – its very basic, its sold as a quadricycle in some markets. It uses Lead Acid batteries and the passenger and luggage space seem like an afterthought.
Touted as the future of the automobile, the EV or Electric vehicle is the buzz word for most auto manufacturers today. Many companies are pumping millions of dollars into the development of automobiles that can be powered by electricity. We drove two electric cars in 2012 – the Fluence EV in Portugal and the Leaf that came to the Auto Expo. We were convinced that electric vehicles are slowly going to replace cars powered by internal combustion.
