Off-the-shelf EV unveiled

ANY car-maker wanting a new electric vehicle in a hurry need look no further than specialist automotive design and production company Magna Steyr, which revealed a production-ready EV platform and drivetrain at the Geneva motor show last week.

The Austrian-based company anticipates a number of production opportunities from manufacturers that need to get an emission-free EV city car to market quickly but have not invested – or cannot in the current climate – the billions of dollars necessary to develop a stand-alone product.

As an established low-volume producer of complete cars for Mercedes-Benz (G-class), BMW (X3), Chrysler (300C) and other manufacturers, as well as engineering services, Magna Steyr is well-placed to market an off-the-shelf EV.

“We are hoping that a manufacturer will buy into the basic design, which would allow it to get a fully engineered green car into production far more quickly than if it were to start developing such a vehicle on its own,” said a company spokesman at the Geneva show.

“Magna Steyr wants to contract to build the cars with our proven Flex Plant concept, where all versions can be made on a single production line.”

The Magna Steyr MILA EV is a lightweight five-door hatchback with a removable power module that includes batteries and electric drive motors, as well as solar cells integrated in the glass roof to provide additional energy generation.

Magna Steyr has been working closely with BMW on its Project i electric car program, and reports out of Europe suggest the MILA EV could form the basis of a new BMW EV to go on sale within two years.

Ford also has a partnership with Magna International, the Canadian-based parent that employs 74,000 people globally, to develop a Focus-based EV that will go on sale in 2011. A prototype was revealed at the Detroit auto show in January.

Last week, Magna also announced a collaboration on electric and hybrid vehicle systems with Swiss company Brusa Elektronik, which produces power electronics and electric motors.

Magna Steyr’s MILA EV features a 50kW electric motor supplied by a single Magna Steyr-developed lithium-ion battery pack that provides a range of 150km and takes an average 2.5 hours to recharge.

Sitting on a wheelbase of 2500mm – only 140mm less than a Focus – the MILA EV is four metres long and features non-production innovations such as rear-view cameras instead of conventional side mirrors.

Magna Steyr said in Geneva the flexible platform could accommodate a hybrid powertrain, a natural gas-powered engine or even a hydrogen fuel cell while still meeting all crash test standards.