2010 Paris Motor Show: Guide To Electric Vehicles
The 2010 Paris Motor Show is upon us and amongst the supercars and superminis lie a veritable feast of electric vehicles.
Whilst we've known about many of the cars due to be shown for a little while now, for many it will be the first opportunity to see the newest EV concepts and production cars up close and manufacturers will be hoping to make a big impression.
So here is your AllCarsElectric roundup of the EVs that'll be stealing the show in Paris. Check out the roundup of other green cars in Paris over at GreenCarReports.
Production cars
Not really a vehicle that needs much of an introduction, and one of the most important cars of any type soon to hit the streets. European pricing varies between $40,000 and $44,000 before local incentives, and U.S. versions will start at $32,780 before federal and local incentives.
Range should be around the 100 mile mark with comfortable freeway ability. We've had a few opportunities to drive the Leaf and come away impressed each time. You can find all the details of the 2011 Leaf in our Ultimate Reference Guide.
2011 Mitsubishi i-MiEV (European version)
Mitsubishi's i-MiEV has been doing the rounds in Japan Europe for a few years now but the Japanese maker is still making refinements to the design and engineering before the car goes on sale to the public.
The i-MiEV will play an important part in the European market, as the PSA group who own Peugeot and Citroen have licenced the car fromMitsubishi and both companies will sell re-badged versions across Europe in left-hand drive.
For the U.S. market, the i-MiEV is expected to gain a host of extra safety features and grow a little in size. The U.S. market car should go on sale as a 2012 model. Check out our Ultimate Reference Guide here.
Tesla Roadster 2.5
The latest version of Tesla's ubiquitous Roadster model will be shown in Paris, allowing people a closer look at the EV stealing all the headlines. Comfort, performance, equipment and styling have all gained improvements over the previous model having listened to customer feedback.
2011 Mercedes Benz A-Class E-Cell
U.S. customers don't get Mercedes' smallest model, the A-Class, but the car has been a feature on European roads since the late 1990s.
The Stuttgart marque now has an EV with the three-pointed star on the hood with the A-Class E-Cell, having previously explored EVs with the Smart Electric Drive. The E-Cell has been given more power though and a greater battery capacity offers more range, up to 125 miles.
The E-Cell is unlikely to come to the States though, with the 500 examples only going as far as Germany, France and the Netherlands.
Renault Z.E.s
Renault are expected to make a big impact in the EV market any time soon. Their Kangoo Express Z.E. will offer staggering value, matching the prices ofdiesel models of the same vehicle in France, and Renault claim the Fluence sedan will be available cheaper than the equivalent gasolinecar.
The Zoe and Twizy Z.E. models, a subcompact and tiny city car, are technically both concepts at this stage but both cars are being considered for production in the next few years.
None will hit U.S. soil, but Renault's partnership with Nissan means that their powertrains might.
Saab 9-3 ePower
We brought you news of Saab's 9-3 ePower a few weeks back, and it's another vehicle that'll be on display at the show. The ePower is the Swedish firm's first attempt at an electric car.
Based on the 9-3 SportCombi, the ePower offers impressive performance from a 135kW (184 horsepower) electric motor reaching 60mph in 8.5 seconds and with a top speed of over 90mph, freeway cruising should be comfortable. Range is 124 miles and Saab claim that their battery heating and cooling technology ensures range shouldn't deviate too much whether you live in the Northern-most regions of Sweden or the hottest stretches of Nevada.
Unfortunately you're unlikely to see it in Nevada since the ePower trial is limited to 70 cars in Sweden, but the car is sure to mark Saab's first EV of many.
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