Yesterday's progress - electric car from Pininfarina
11/07/2012
Around 25 years ago, Pininfarina presented a small electric car in Turin that was not a cheap car, but still wanted to be reasonably affordable. The (then still) huge batteries were housed under the seats of the four passengers, thus achieving a good overall weight distribution and a reasonable economy of space.
With an electric motor developing 36 hp, the aim was to reach 80 km/h, and the range of the 16 lead-acid batteries é 6 V was estimated at 60 km in city traffic. The total weight was given as 1,250 kg.
In its 18/1978 issue, Automobil Revue stated that "the time was not yet ripe for the widespread use of electric cars in really large numbers and at a correspondingly low price". At least it was positive about the collaboration between Fiat and Pininfarina, who as partners were showing a step into the future with this research vehicle.
But where was the progress? It is only in the last five years or so that we have been able to offer more convincing forms of propulsion; 20 years earlier, hardly anything seemed to have happened.
The vehicle shown by Pininfarina could even have a justification today, because with comparatively inexpensive standard batteries, the basic price could probably be kept much lower than with modern energy systems and the 80 km/h will soon be sufficient even on the highway if vehicle density continues to increase ...
