Electra Meccanica unveils single-passenger vehicle

09 Sep 2016

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Electra Meccanica Vehicles Corporation today unveiled its new 2017 electric vehicle (EV), Solo,  at the Luxury and Supercar Weekend event held at the VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, Canada.

This one-person, innovative commuter vehicle is now available for public viewing, with deliveries scheduled for 2017.

Electra Meccanica Vehicles Corp. is a Canadian-based designer and manufacturer. The idea for the Solo was spawned when CEO Jerry Kroll, founder of KleenSpeed Technologies, first started developing advanced electric race cars at the NASA Research Park in Mountainview, California in 2007. Kroll was joined by long time automotive friend Henry Reisner, president of Intermeccanica Inc. to develop a fresh, new EV concept and the first Electra Meccanica prototype was completed in January of 2015.

Electra Meccanica shopes to mass-market the Solo and believes the vehicle will make the urban commute more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The bespoke vehicle is not intended to replace the family car, but to supplement the driving experience getting commuters where they need to go at minimal expense and harm to the environment.

The Solo's purpose-built design took into consideration that approximately 80 per cent of people commute to and from work alone in their personal vehicle. And with the average daily round trip commute being less than 60 km (40 miles), the Solo is unlikely to require a charge between home and office due to its 160km (100 mile) range.

Powering the Solo is a 16.1 kWh lithium ion battery and the drive system is tuned for enthusiastic driving. The chassis is made of a composite aerospace lightweight material combined with an aluminum drive train, which both contribute to an overall vehicle weight of approximately 1,000 lbs.

The Solo design team used data from wind tunnel simulations to achieve greater aerodynamic efficiency giving it a drag coefficient of .24, which is less than the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911.

The Solo also comes with a universal power connector which enables connection at both quick charge and standard stations. From zero to full charge, the highly efficient battery system requires only three hours of charging time on a 220 volt charging station and approximately twice that on a 110 volt system.

The AC synchronous electric motor powers the Solo's rear wheel creating 140 lb-ft of torque and a top speed of 130 km/h (80 mph) for spirited driving on the open road. The single seating configuration provides a fun-to-drive experience not found in any other vehicle and the 82 hp powerplant accelerates the vehicle from 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph) in under eight seconds.

The Solo has been priced at C$19,888 ($15,500) in Canada.

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