Imagine a futuristic-looking EV that can erect the driver’s cabin up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) high while it’s still driving on the road. It’s not fast, but has a decent range and comes in handy in situations that involve large crowds, especially for police forces that need to get a better view. In fact, that is the exact reason the French authorities are currently considering buying one.
Sold as the first electric vehicle in the world with a piloting post and telescopic observation, Iris Viseo was recently used for surveillance at a carnival close to Paris.
When it’s not using its lift-off system, it rather looks like an electric sportscar, but once you push the button the driver almost separates from the cabin getting a proper surveillance view.
The vehicle offers the possibility of heightening the cockpit by hydraulics and also bringing the driver's field of view to a higher level, literally. The driver is still able to keep driving thanks to the electro-hydraulic commands. The EV car was created by SAS Iris France, a subsidiary of the French family group Hiatus located in Northern France. The company is specialized in subcontracting mechanical engineering projects.
The single-seater is powered by an electric brushless 95kW (127 horsepower) engine while electricity comes from a 48V battery. The body of the Iris Viseo is made of polyester fiber, and according to the company, 95% of the car is recyclable.
As we previously mentioned, performance is not that big considering 25km/h (15 mph) is its top speed. On the other hand, it does have an 85 km (52 miles) autonomy with an 8 hour charging time.
There’s a video presentation of the peculiar lift-off EV we listed below, but other than seeing it on the road it won’t help you much if your French is not “working properly”. In case you’re wondering what this puppy costs, it appears you’ll need at least EUR 45,000 ($48,000) to start the discussion.
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