This year's Paris Auto Showis turning out to be the most electrifying one yet, with car makersfrom all over the world debuting their electric vehicles. The offeringsrange from far-flung concept cars to very real production models. Solarroofs are a popular theme and lithium-ion battery packs abound. Whileit will take years to get the world's cars off petroleum, electrictransportation is imminent and the showing in Paris offers a glimpse ofwhat that will look like.
Monaco-based luxury vehicle maker Venturi Automobilesteamed up with French tire giant Michelin to develop the Volage, atricked-out electric roadster that sports eight electric motors, two ineach wheel. The curvaceous, carbon-fiber bodied vehicle rocks a numberof cutting-edge digital features like Michelin's "active wheel"technology and a touchscreen dashboard. Read more of our Volagecoverage here.
PSA Peugeot Citroën & Venturi - Berlingo First
Venturi developed a compact electric power train, electric motor andbattery pack so that the electric Berlingo First has the same volumeand payload as Citroën's petrol-based Berlingo. This is importantbecause this electric version will be delivering mail in 15 of France'slargest cities soon. The French postal service has commissioned 500 ofthe vehicles and has the option to order up to 10,000 over the nextfive years.
Based on Renault's Kangoo be bop, the Z.E., which stands for "ZeroEmissions," has a number of features designed to extend the car'slithium-ion batteries. The body is designed like a thermos, using twoinsulating panels with a sandwich of air in between, to keep you warmand cozy inside your car. On sunny days, solar panels on the roof run a"temperature regulation system" that controls the AC. Read more of ourZ.E. coverage here.
The Paris Auto Show has also served as the Chevy Volt's international coming-out party, and critics agree — the car looks much better in person than it does in those "leaked" photos. No word yet on whose batteries will power the Volt.
Daimler & Smart - smart fortwo ed
Smart celebrated its tenth birthday with the introduction of itssmart fortwo ed, for "electric drive." It is an all-electric version ofits petrol-powered smart fortwo coupe. The electric vehicle will bepart of Daimler's "e-mobility Berlin"program, which will see more than 100 of the electric cars zip aroundthe German capital and charge up at some 500 plug-in points to beinstalled by utility partner RWE by 2010.
Nissan hopes it's Nuvu will offer a "new view" of urban transit. TheNuvu can hit 75 miles per hour and gets a range of 80 miles on itslithium-ion batteries. The car has an arboreal theme includingleaf-shaped solar panels on the roof and a structural pillar inside thecar that Nissan calls a "tree trunk." It's a concept car, so don'texpect a launch date, but Nissan says the car uses EV technology thatwill be seen in its commercial electric offerings in 2010.
Italian automaker Pininfarina has teamed up with French conglomerateBolloré to make the B0, a mass-produced electric vehicle. The firstunits should roll off the production at the end of 2009. The car willbe powered by Bolloré's proprietary energy storage technology, using acombination of batteries and supercapacitors which will be partially recharged by the solar panels on the roof.
Designed by Chinese car stylist Li Shi Guang Ming, the Chika, or "Xiaoya," comes with either lead acid or lithium-ion batteries and only travels 28 miles per hour. But as Gizmag notes,this vehicle represents a very original design and could shed someinsight into the future of the Chinese auto industry, especially at anauto show that otherwise saw very few cars from the People's Republic.
Audi/Volkswagen - VW Up! (Maybe)
Reacting to rumorsthat BMW is planning on debuting an electric version of the MINI at theL.A. Motor Show next month, Audi board member Peter Schwarzenbauer hasconfirmed that the German automaker will build its own electric car."We will offer a pure electric car," Schwarzenbauer told Autocar, but added the small electric Audi "will not be based on the A1." A likely electric candidate is the VW Up! which could be renamed the Lupo and hit the roads in 2011.
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