Aussies to Get Electric Commodore

With currently most of the world's major car makers planning to launch one type of electric vehicle or another in the near future (as we've learned yesterday, even Rolls-Royce is planning an EV), the Australian auto makers were lagging behind. Until now, that is, when news of a consortium of companies working on an electric version of the Holden Commodore surfaced.

According to GoAuto, five local companies (Futuris, Air International, Bosch, Continental and Better Place Australia, all backed by Holden) joined hands and created the EV Engineering Limited, a company which will be tasked with creating the electric version of the aforementioned model. Very confident, the new company has committed to introduce no less than seven electric versions of the model by 2012, using an AU$3.5 million grant from the federal government. None of them, says the company, are yet planned for production.

EV Engineering Limited will be led on the path to success by former Holden executive director Rob McEniry (chairman) and Ian McCleave, also a former Holden exec, as CEO. The actual work will be done by a group of 10 engineers.

“We are keen to see the technological viability and how the project goes, but there are no plans for us to put this into production at this stage,” Emily Perry, Holden director for external communications told GoAuto.“It is very ‘future-scoping’, if you like.”

According to the initial information, the electric Commodores will be powered by a rear-mounted electric motor, which will draw its power from batteries located in the front of the vehicle.