Seat sparks all-electric interest 14 | 11 | 2011
SEAT IS SET TO JOIN the growing swathe of manufacturers competing for a share of the slowly expanding electric vehicle market.
In addition to its prototype Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive, a plug-in hybrid, the Spanish manufacturer has unveiled a prototype Altea XL Electric Ecomotive, a totally electrically-driven zero-emissions car.
Over the next few months Seat will supply prototype examples of the two cars to government institutions in Catalonia and Madrid for use in their vehicle fleets.
The information harvested from the tests will provide the company with valuable information on use of the cars. Seat hopes to launch its first electric plug-in hybrid car in 2015, to be followed a year later by an all-electric vehicle.
The Altea XL Electric Ecomotive delivers 115 hp (85 kW) and 270 Nm of torque, and will have a limited top speed of 84mph.
With its roomy passenger compartment and generous boot, the electric Altea XL is aimed at the average family transport. By positioning the batteries under the rear seats and the boot, there is no intrusion into the passenger compartment.
In addition to a sophisticated regeneration system with adjustable braking torque, which optimises energy use, the electric Altea XL also utilises rooftop photovoltaic cells.
That means when the car is parked in the sun, the cells recirculate fresh air inside the passenger compartment, reducing the energy needed afterwards by the climate control system.
The new Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive is — according to Seat — a 'ground-breaking concept in the field of plug-in hybrids', combining the advantage of emission-free driving with the range of a traditional internal combustion engine-equipped vehicle.
In full electric mode the TwinDrive has a range of 32 miles, with a top speed of 75mph. In combined mode (electrical plus combustion) the consumption forecast is only 0.4 gallons of fuel and 18.5 kWh per 62 miles, the equivalent of a rock-bottom 39g/km of CO2, with a top speed of 105mph.
"Customers demand a more sustainable form of mobility, but their needs are diverse," Seat President James Muir said. "Therefore, we believe that a parallel strategy of developing two different technologies will put Seat in the best position to meet their needs."
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Jim McGill