VIDEO: Brixxon Bontino beats the streets
Every day, it seems, we are bombarded by sackfuls of e-mail from our vast Hungarian readership asking when an electric car will be produced in their country. We are happy to report today that the answer to that question is "now." That's right. Brixxon Elektromos Autó Kft has announced to the world that sales of their first Hungarian-designed model, the Bontino, available in mini-pickup form or with a box for a boot, have begun. Unfortunately for our Hungarian friends, due to what their website refers to as "unfavorable manufacturing conditions and uncertain economic prospects," it will be produced in Austria.
Although this company (and its car) are sized smaller than a Smart Car, its plans loom larger than a Ford F-550 Quad-Cab 4x4. With duallies. And what are those plans? Well, since you asked so nicely, they expect 3,000 baby Bontinos will be born this year alone to begin filling purchase order papers the company has already received from Austrian firms. The next four years will see an additional 150,000 csecsem?s produced with 500 of those going to Spanish company Dilixi Life S.L. in Barcelona. Performance numbers are not yet available but we suspect its 0-60 time to be best measured with a sun dial with its top speed to be similarly impressive.
Video of the cute-mobile rolling is after the break. Leave us a comment to let us know what you think, extra points if you can understand what they're saying.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kevin Nugent 9:47PM (5/22/2008)
I think its cute . But instead of being a car i think its more suited to be a nice sized golf cart. I don't see the point in that mini flat bed , but its cute. I just would have to put some plastic over those gaping doors. :) lol
Reply
David Wright 4:27AM (5/23/2008)
Whenever I see yet another goofy gimmicky silly-looking electric car (and they do seem to emerge every week now), my reactions are ambivalent.
On the one hand, as a keen advocate of electric vehicles, I am delighted to see yet another manufacturer stirring up interest in yet another locality, and hopeful that this might alert even more people to the feasibility of the concept.
On the other hand, I despair at the way such jokey designs play into the hands of those who enjoy dismissing EVs as something not to be taken seriously. Something to feature in those lighthearted stories the tv producers like to tag onto the end of news bulletins. Which in turn allows the producers of combustion engined vehicles a few more years in which to chuckle.
Reply
Tormod Henne 4:55AM (5/23/2008)
Sure these kind of vehicles are laughable to american taste, but in cramped old european cities and back streets where you sometimes have to fold the mirrors to get through, the laughs are on US vehicles :-)
Reply
fnc 2:03PM (5/23/2008)
Put some wooden stakes around that little flat bed and throw some loose straw and a dog in there and it'd be perfect.
Reply
kimurasensei 6:59AM (8/07/2008)
Well, well... :)
"extra points if you can understand what they're saying"
For sure the quality of the video's sound is not nice, but...
I can help you :D
The sentences you hear in order are the following:
(I give a translation)
...Körbejárok...
(I walk around)
...oké...
(OK )
úúú, szépen gyengül...
(Wow, it weakens nicely. - In other words the fellow thinks the batteries are depleting too fast.)
úgyhogy mehetünk haza.
(So we must head for home.)
Reply