Unveiled, today, at the Paris Auto Show – the B-Zero is not a concept. This car will be in production shipping in 2009.
Bolloré and Pininfarina have entered into a partnership featuring all the expertise required to launch serial production of an electric car.
This car will not be a prototype. It will be a mass production model, with the first units coming off the production line at the end of 2009, after which production will be ramped up gradually based on the availability of the batteries. Built in Turin by Pininfarina-Bolloré, a joint venture formed by the two family-owned groups, the B0 electric car will be powered by Bolloré’s proprietary LMP technology, using a combination of batteries and supercapacitors manufactured in Bolloré’s plants in Quimper, France and Montreal, Canada.
The B0 will be a fully-electric vehicle without any carbon dioxide production, having been designed from the ground up with that aim in mind. Its batteries will be housed in a compartment specially designed for that purpose and located under the car, between its axles, lowering its centre of gravity and providing it with outstanding road-holding properties.
With its superb body styled by Pininfarina, Italy’s renowned vehicle design shop, the B0 electric car will be an elegant four-seater, four-door hatchback with an automatic gearbox. Its LMP battery, which will be rechargeable in a matter of hours from a standard domestic main socket, will provide it with a range of 250 km (153 miles). The B0 will have a top speed that is electronically limited to 130 km/h (80 mph) and will feature potent acceleration, reaching 60 km/h from a standing start (0 to 37 mph) in 6.3 seconds. The B0 will also feature solar panels on its roof and hood, so as to help recharge its electrical power reserves.
No hint at list price. You can download a .pdf of their brochure here.
>>And considering how FUGLY is the final version I >>believe that they are uglifying it to the extreme
Yes, it’s butt ugly. I’m not sure good taste is a prerequisite for car-buying, though.
Look at the PT Cruiser. Look at those weird boxy minivan things (don’t remember the make). And look at the f&cking Hummper, for chrissakes. That thing is so ugly, the ONLY reason to buy one is to broadcast how much money you can afford to spend on a “car”. If Hummpers cost $28,000, I’ll bet they couldn’t give them away.
What exactly is so great about this? 80 mph top speed, 0-37 in 6.3 seconds, and a 153 mile range is all pretty dang crappy. All for $50K? It would be useful for driving to and from work, just as long as you don’t have to merge onto any freeways.
And to all of you that are complaining that a US company didn’t come up with this first, have you all forgotten about Tesla? Their first car does 0-60 mph in 4 seconds,top speed of 125, and a range of 220 miles. Yeah it costs $100K, but their sedan is going to be $60K, and with their track record so far I would be willing to bet that it will out perform this hunk of junk on every count.
#32 – Jay-T
First generation. They’ll give some away to Brad Pitt and George Clooney, a few tree huggers will buy them, and two or three generations down the line they’ll make something I would buy.
At least it’s a step in the right direction.
Better than the response to the 1973 oil embargo, when people were sitting in line waiting for a few gallons of rationed gasoline, talking about how in 20 years cars were all going to be getting 200mpg. Twenty years later was 15 years ago, and 35 years after the embargo we’re still driving around in obscenities like the Humper, the Nagravator, and shit like that.
cool.
Nice. I couldn’t get to Nasville and back or Huntsville and back and it would be a near thing for Florence.
This thing is more like what I’d call a run around town and go to work car.
I think this car is very cool looking. My only issue with these things is, I’m a tall drink of water, and these cars are never designed for me. The roofs are too low, the seats don’t go back far enough, and the intrusive dashboards cram right into my knees. I drive a Silverado, not because I necessarily want to, but I can slip into it quickly, comfortably, all without whacking my knees up. There’s no reason why a small car can’t be designed to accomodate ME. If one were I’d get one in a heartbeat.
In Europe, hatchbacks are driven by the mainstream.
In America, hatchbacks are driven by the poor and by men who’s wives make their decisions for them (and they can’t afford an SUV).
The real issue here is the body type of the car: As soon as this kind of tech is put into a four door saloon (that’s car lingo for you kids) it will take off in America.
…even with angry liberals.
It’s American ingenuity like this that will keep us #1.
#36- The Commodore
I know exactly what you mean. I drive a mid 90s LeSabre because it gives me all the room I need. Does it get good mileage? Not really. But my desire to save money is outweighed by the fact that I don’t want to have my legs mangled in a low speed collision because my legs are jammed against the dash.
I’ll wait for the second generation when the price drops to something a lot more reasonable.
Can we get this Pininfarina B-Zero in the US? I’d buy one for $20-23k for commuting in Los Angeles. What a great car from Italy.. BRING IT OVER!