Norwegian Kewet Buddy electric vehicle's got good specs, clunky look
Even though some people at the G-Wiz Forums like the look, the Kewet Buddy wins many style points from me. It looks too much like a blunt doorstop. Still, the more NEVs, the better, right?
Here're the specs of the Kewet Buddy. It uses a 13 kW SepEx 72V DC motor and a Gear wheel transmission with differential rear-wheel drive and fully automatic electric gearshift system. The EVs top speed is 80-90 km/h (about 50-55 mph) and the standard version uses 8.4 kWh lead acid batteries. 10.5 kWh batteries are an option, as are 10-15 kWh li-ion batteries. The lead acids charge from zero to 100 percent in 6-8 hours and from 30 percent to full in three hours and give 50-100 km range (man, that's a wide spread, which Kewet says depends on road conditions, temperature and the driver). The li-ion batteries up the range to 100-150 km. The Buddy comes in left- and right-hand drive versions.
There's a lot more information at the Elbilnorge site, but it's not in a language I can read. Any Norwegian-capable AutoblogGreen readers out there want to poke through the site and see if there's something amazing I'm not getting? If so, fill us in.
[Source: Kewet, hat tip to Kert]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Gianni 9:16AM (1/23/2007)
I doubt that it is a NEV since it goes 80-90 kph.
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Phil L. 9:38AM (1/23/2007)
My grief with cars like this:
It has the potential to be my daily commuter.
But at soon as they bring it to the US - and force it to comply with current NEV rules - its max speed will be 25 mph and it will be limited to roads with 35mph speed limits or less. At which point it no longer makes sense for my commute (which is short - but has some roads where a 25 mph top speed is a traffic death wish).
Perhaps we need a class of vehicles between NEV and regular autos, where the speeds are more useful - but the regulatory standards (likely the biggest challenge for the Kewet Buddy in the US) are attainable at reasonable expense.
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IanJ 1:11PM (1/23/2007)
Agreed, the 25 MPH limited NEVs are going to be the death of the electric car. Bring out something that's actually useful on US roads with aggressive US drivers, please!
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Hanne Gro Korsvold 8:27AM (1/26/2007)
Hi, I am Norwegian and I'll be happy to translate the site for you if you want some specific info!
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Phil L. 10:22AM (1/26/2007)
Hanne -
Out of curiosity: How common are EVs like this in Norway? I know Pivco/Th!nk go its start in Norway - and ended up with the Th!nk City models that didn't make it in the US.
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Hanne Gro Korsvold 7:59AM (1/30/2007)
Hi,
sad to say that these cars are not very common in Norway, although you can see quite a few of them in Oslo. Mostly, ordinary people don't buy them because the cars can't do more than 60-80 km befor you have to recharge it and that is simply not enough in Norway. I think some people have a el-car as their second car, but because cars are so expensive (about 45 000 US$ for a VW Golf) most families can afford only one car (which is good!).
Some companies have them though, and they can park for free everywhere, the dont't have to pay toll, the can use the busline etc.
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Lars C. Krogenæs 5:25AM (3/22/2007)
Hi
There are twice as many pure EV`s as there are Hybrid Electric Vehicles (Prius etc).
With a population of only 4.5 million, our 1700 EV`s in Norway are in fact quite a common thing in the urban areas.
There are currently no tax, no fee at the common toll-roads and most important, the EVs can drive in the fast communter lane.
For people living in the surounding areas of Oslo, this means that you save 30 - 60 minutes every day. For the ICE drivers stuck in the congested lanes, there are about 200 - 300 EVs passing by in the fast commuter lane at high speed every morning on the largest "highway" :-)
The EV`s are aprox:
Citroen: (saxo and berlingo)231
Peugeot: (106 and partner)360
Renault: (Clio and kangoo) 49
Think: 700
Toyota (RAV4EV) 2
VW Citystromer: 15
Kewet: Cityjet 1 - 5: 133
Kewet Buddy: 158
The new Think City will start production later this year, with a production of about 250 EVs this year.
There is a great demand for EVs in Norway, and you are lucky if you can get hold of one...
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