Video: Electric Fiat 500 - Not the new one, a converted one
People are loving the new Fiat 500 (me, too) but there's something more that could be done to green it up: make it an EV. With this thought in mind, an Italian association called Euro Zev has decided to convert a 1970 Fiat 500 into an all-electric vehicle. Their idea is that with so many 500s and other older cars that pollute considerably on Italian roads, it's a good idea to convert them to EV instead of letting them rest on a junkyard. The video shows the presentation of the car in a centric piazza in the center of Torino (Fiat's homeland).
The choice of this model wasn't meant as an homage to the iconic Italian car but as a practical decision. It's small yet it can still seat four (more or less), it's short and it's got decent aerodynamics
The specifications for the converted Cinquecento are as follows: It's got lithium-powered batteries. It can run up to 100 km (about 60 miles) and has a maximum speed of 100 km/h (60 mph). A full load takes 5 hours and battery life expectancy is 200,000 km (130,000 miles). Cost? Hmmm.
One of the things Euro Zev remarks at its site is how difficult it is to pass the Vehicle Inspection Test in Italy. They actually suggest bringing it to Germany and getting it homologated at any TÜV.
Watch a second video, one that shows the conversion process, after the jump.
Related:
[Source: Google videos]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Domenick 9:04PM (10/08/2007)
This guy has some other great videos on his youtube account. Check them out and get a glimpse of an Italian commute.
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Piergiorgio 1:19AM (10/09/2007)
During the video, the president of Eurozev (the guy with red t-shirt) is saying that the conversion cost for this prototype was 8000€, (4000€ or electic motor 4000€ for battieries).
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Ernie 7:32AM (10/09/2007)
2: Did they happen to mention if this was a 72v or a 96v battery? :) The size of the battery and the car tells me that's the reason it didn't cost an astounding sum.
Alternatively, I would love to know where they got the battery. I could sure use one that cheap for my EV conversion.
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Domenick 6:22AM (10/09/2007)
Ernie: You may be able to get a message to him through his youtube account. I'm sure he has some grasp of English.
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Xavier Navarro 7:34AM (10/09/2007)
The batteries are 96 V
Visit their site, although written in Italian, the documents are very clearly written.
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Phil L. 5:14PM (10/09/2007)
I'm curious about the battery cost and availability. The site claims a realistic conversion cost with lithium ion batteries would be on the order of 12000€ - which doesn't match up with the costs mentioned in the video and listed above in the comments.
It's sad the car's builders had so much problem with regulatory issues. That's an annoying cost that adds no real value to the project.
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