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Price |
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Production |
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Engine |
electric |
Weight |
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Aspiration |
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Torque |
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HP |
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HP/Weight |
-- |
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HP/Liter |
-- |
1/4 mile |
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0-62 mph |
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Top Speed |
81
mph |
(from Pininfarina
Press Release) Bolloré and Pininfarina have entered into a
partnership featuring all the expertise required to launch serial
production of an electric car which, thanks to its technical
characteristics and its attractive styling, is bound to make waves
in motoring circles.
This car will not be a prototype. It will be a mass production
model, with the first units coming off the production line at the
end of 2009, after which production will be ramped up gradually
based on the availability of the batteries. Built in Turin by
Pininfarina-Bolloré, a joint venture formed by the two family-owned
groups, the B0 electric car will be powered by Bolloré’s proprietary
LMP technology, using a combination of batteries and supercapacitors
manufactured in Bolloré’s plants in Quimper, France and Montreal,
Canada. The B0 will be a fully-electric vehicle without any carbon
dioxide production, having been designed from the ground up with
that aim in mind. Its batteries will be housed in a compartment
specially designed for that purpose and located under the car,
between its axles, lowering its centre of gravity and providing it
with outstanding road-holding properties.
With its superb body
styled by Pininfarina, Italy’s renowned vehicle design shop, the B0
electric car will be an elegant four-seater, four-door hatchback
with an automatic gearbox. Its LMP battery, which will be
rechargeable in a matter of hours from a standard domestic main
socket, will provide it with a range of 250 km (153 miles). The B0
will have a top speed that is electronically limited to 130 km/h (80
mph) and will feature potent acceleration, reaching 60 km/h from a
standing start (0 to 37 mph) in 6.3 seconds. The B0 will also
feature solar panels on its roof and hood, so as to help recharge
its electrical power reserves.
Solar Panels
Because it is 100%
electric powered, the B0 does not generate any pollution. But the
process of generating the electricity which the car uses must also,
as far as possible, not have produced any atmospheric pollution.
That is why the creators of the B0 have designed it to incorporate
every possible solution designed to optimise the car’s energy
efficiency and use of clean energy sources. For instance, the B0
electric car is fitted with supercapacitors, which enable it to
store and recycle the energy that is generated while braking.
Similarly, the car’s roof and part of its hood are covered with high
performance solar panels which help power some of its equipment. It
goes without saying that a responsible environmental approach must
be coherent throughout. Which is why all the materials used to build
the car’s body, battery and interior trim have been carefully
selected for their low environmental impact. All are recyclable or
reusable. The Bolloré Group is also in the process of developing
straight-forward panels of photovoltaic cells which might be
installed by individuals or in public places to fully or partly
recharge the B0 electric car’s batteries using solar energy.
LMP: revolutionary battery
technology
At the heart of any
electric car, lies the battery. Bolloré is a highly diversified
group of companies with a combined yearly turnover of 10 billion US
dollars and 35,000 employees. For the past 30 years, the group has
been the world’s leading producer of components for capacitors.
Thanks to its acquired know-how in extruded polymers and the storage
of electrical energy, Bolloré has been working for 15 years through
its subsidiary, Batscap, to develop a solid-state lithium polymer
battery. This battery is able to store, weight-for-weight, and it
can be recharged in just a few hours. The battery does not require
any maintenance and has a lifespan of around 200,000 km (125,000
miles). Another key benefit is its unmatched safety while in
operation. Added to that, the B0 electric car does not emit any
exhaust gases, nor any fine particles. The car’s LMP batteries thus
help combat air pollution. The batteries of the B0 also contribute
to reducing noise, another nuisance which affects people’s quality
of life in urban environments.
Supercapacitors: boosting
acceleration and recycling power
Supercapacitors are
sophisticated energy storage components developed by the Bolloré
Group. In an electric car, supercapacitors draw and store energy
generated while the car is braking and feed it back into the system
when the car moves off again. The result is greater acceleration,
increased range and a longer lifespan for the car’s battery. The
electric cars powered by BatScap’s LMP batteries and supercapacitors
have a range of over 250 km. They are fast (with a top speed of 130
km/h), pleasant to drive, safe, and long-lasting.
