SEAT has shocked the crowds in Paris with a stunning all-electric hatchback concept called the IBE. Compared to the IBE concept shown in Geneva, this is a very different beast. For starters, it’s not just a model, it actually works, thanks to a new-generation Siemens electric motor under the chiseled bonnet. It’s also sports a sharper version of Seat’s future design language.
Featuring a 101bhp electric motor, the IBE is capable of 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds and a top speed of 100mph, despite a single-speed gearbox. SEAT claims a range of 80-miles is possible on a single charge.
On the inside, in place of a built-in screen, SEAT has written its own iPhone app, so your handset can dock into the top of the dash and take care of the music, the navigation and other vehicle settings. Two touch pads on the steering-wheel allow you to navigate around your smart phone without your hands leaving the wheel.
The two rear seats fold down individually to enlarge the luggage capacity and create a large, flat floor. And they still provide decent headroom despite the slinky 1.23-metre overall height, and batteries mounted under the floor pan.
A lithium-ion battery pack and a combination of steel and aluminium in the body and plastic body panels keeps weight down to 1100kg. It's low and wide stance isn't just for show either, this is a car that really works and should be as sporty to drive as it looks.
But if the IBE has a production future as an electric car, it will not be for a few years yet. The next major step is a Leon Twin Drive Ecomotive, a plug-in hybrid due in 2014 with a range of 50km on battery power alone, without having to switch on its range-extending petrol engine. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express