Axon Automotive unveils plug-in hybrid
Axon Automotive has once again shown off its pre-production plug-in hybrid, this time at the Milton Keynes Science Festival. Two versions of the lightweight city car are planned, the first using a small-bore gasoline-fed engine that's purported to deliver 83.3 mpg U.S. (100 mpg or 2.8 l/km in the UK).
A second version pairs an electric motor that's capable of powering the car without a drop of fuel for city use with a small gasoline engine that theoretically provides unlimited range for longer trips. According to Axon, the PHEV would generate just 50 grams of carbon emissions per kilometer, easily evading European carbon taxes in the process.
Two adults can fit in the little EV, and the interior is fashioned from recycled carbon fiber, denim jeans and pinstripe suits (really!). If all goes to plan and sufficient funding is sourced, Axon plans to begin selling the car in 2011 with full-scale production slated for 2012.
[Source: Green Car Congress]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mark Kiernan 9:13AM (10/28/2009)
If it can get a decent range in EV mode and doesn't cost a fortune (it is from recycled materials so lets hope) it seems like a really good car and a lot better than a lot of the OEMs seem to have on offer.
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Robert 9:51AM (10/28/2009)
Did they already do crash testing?
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dwarg 10:24AM (10/28/2009)
Hmmm... It's nice in theory, but how much can they scale up production if they're waiting for pinstripe suits to finish the interiors? Also, anyone else notice the wheel well covers aren't painted with the same paint as the rest of the car? Even the hatchback looks like it was added an after thought to a regular car body.
It is a pre-production but it's pretty rough. I hope they can pull it off, but I'm not holding my breath.
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Invisible 10:56AM (10/28/2009)
Is that a 1999 Insight body draped over an electric golf cart?
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Chris M 1:37AM (10/29/2009)
Sort of, except this looks even more scrunched up.
dieqast 11:31AM (10/28/2009)
Their speciality is cost effective CF construction beams so that part should be in order. Their PHEV has petrol engine with an IVT transmission, Ingenious. Looks pretty much like the first Honda Insight, only better. Why don't they make it slightly bigger (very much like the Citroen C4 Coupe) to accomodate 4 adults and sufficient cargo? And perhaps they should also go with a less exotic recycled interior and they could shoot much higher with this car. Wish them the best of luck.
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Chris 11:59AM (10/28/2009)
Axon are gonna have to fix that misalignment between the front and rear side windows. It's probably supposed to look radical and striking. It works on the Citroen C2 - kind of - but on this car it just looks broken - like it's been in an accident.
Aside from that it looks good.
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Polkaroo 2:38PM (10/28/2009)
"2.8 l/km".....hmmm, how about 2.8 l/100km ?
Yup, that's more like it !
:)
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