Opel RAK e concept previews a future affordable urban vehicle
19 Sep 2011|4,911 views
The RAK e joins the Volkswagen NILS as another two-seater urban runabout concept at Frankfurt, and Opel says that the RAK e has "production potential". The battery-operated vehicle with exposed wheels is based on a steel space-frame structure beneath a skin of conventional synthetic material.Opel has avoided using exotic materials in order to keep the costs of production down, and the RAK e has managed to keep the weight down to just 380kg or about 80kg less than Volkswagen's NILS concept. The RAK e measures around three metres long and 1,190mm high and can seat two people, including the driver, in a tandem layout.
Powering the concept is an electric motor that generates a peak output of 49bhp and a continuous 14bhp, while energy is drawn from a 5kWh battery. According to the German automaker, after charging the battery for three hours at a cost of about one euro, the experimental vehicle has a range of up to 100 kilometres.
Opel claims that over an annual 10,000 kilometres, the RAK e’s energy consumption would be 525 kWh, which could be supplied by a five square-meter, 500-Watt solar panel mounted on the roof of the garage. Opel added that the RAK e has a projected top speed of 120km/h and a 0-100km/h acceleration sprint time of less than 13 seconds.
"We want to develop electric vehicles that everyone can afford," said Karl-Friedrich Stracke, Opel CEO, in Frankfurt. "The range-extending concept of the Ampera demonstrates our leadership in electrification of the automobile, the RAK e experimental vehicle aims to deliver pricing that even younger customers can afford. The RAK e has cool looks and production-potential." Stracke added.
The RAK e joins the Volkswagen NILS as another two-seater urban runabout concept at Frankfurt, and Opel says that the RAK e has "production potential". The battery-operated vehicle with exposed wheels is based on a steel space-frame structure beneath a skin of conventional synthetic material.
Opel has avoided using exotic materials in order to keep the costs of production down, and the RAK e has managed to keep the weight down to just 380kg or about 80kg less than Volkswagen's NILS concept. The RAK e measures around three metres long and 1,190mm high and can seat two people, including the driver, in a tandem layout.
Powering the concept is an electric motor that generates a peak output of 49bhp and a continuous 14bhp, while energy is drawn from a 5kWh battery. According to the German automaker, after charging the battery for three hours at a cost of about one euro, the experimental vehicle has a range of up to 100 kilometres.
Opel claims that over an annual 10,000 kilometres, the RAK e’s energy consumption would be 525 kWh, which could be supplied by a five square-meter, 500-Watt solar panel mounted on the roof of the garage. Opel added that the RAK e has a projected top speed of 120km/h and a 0-100km/h acceleration sprint time of less than 13 seconds.
"We want to develop electric vehicles that everyone can afford," said Karl-Friedrich Stracke, Opel CEO, in Frankfurt. "The range-extending concept of the Ampera demonstrates our leadership in electrification of the automobile, the RAK e experimental vehicle aims to deliver pricing that even younger customers can afford. The RAK e has cool looks and production-potential." Stracke added.
Opel has avoided using exotic materials in order to keep the costs of production down, and the RAK e has managed to keep the weight down to just 380kg or about 80kg less than Volkswagen's NILS concept. The RAK e measures around three metres long and 1,190mm high and can seat two people, including the driver, in a tandem layout.
Powering the concept is an electric motor that generates a peak output of 49bhp and a continuous 14bhp, while energy is drawn from a 5kWh battery. According to the German automaker, after charging the battery for three hours at a cost of about one euro, the experimental vehicle has a range of up to 100 kilometres.
Opel claims that over an annual 10,000 kilometres, the RAK e’s energy consumption would be 525 kWh, which could be supplied by a five square-meter, 500-Watt solar panel mounted on the roof of the garage. Opel added that the RAK e has a projected top speed of 120km/h and a 0-100km/h acceleration sprint time of less than 13 seconds.
"We want to develop electric vehicles that everyone can afford," said Karl-Friedrich Stracke, Opel CEO, in Frankfurt. "The range-extending concept of the Ampera demonstrates our leadership in electrification of the automobile, the RAK e experimental vehicle aims to deliver pricing that even younger customers can afford. The RAK e has cool looks and production-potential." Stracke added.
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