The blue car is a compact MPV, conceived as a four-seater five-door vehicle. It is powered by Lythium Metal Polymere (LMP) batteries, combined with a device for energy storage which retrieves and stores energy during braking and makes it available when the vehicle restarts.
The LMP can be recharged using an usual socket and takes a few hours to reach full capacity. The battery has a 200,000 km life span and does not require any maintenance during this period. Thanks to it, the electric car produces no gas or fine particle emissions and is as silent as it gets. The Bluecar will cruise along without making a noise for up to 250 km, the maximum range it can travel on a single charge.
Being designed not to harm the environment and use all alternative power it can get, the Bluecar has solar panels on its hood, which help power some of its equipment. All other materials that went into the car were chosen for their low environmental impact and are recyclable or reusable.
Pininfarina will begin production on the vehicle in 2010, when the first units are schedule to exit the factory. Production on an industrial scale will take place between 2011 and 2017, with forecast output by 2015 being about 60,000.
With no price estimation yet announced, we cannot be sure if this will be the first mass produced affordable all electric vehicle. But by the looks of it, the Bluecar has every chance of doing that. If someone else doesn't beat it to the punch.
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