Tokyo-based Keio University is
ready to take Sim-Drive, its Eco-friendly vehicle technology, to another
level. The university announced over the weekend that it will
collaborate with a total of 34 Japanese companies and municipalities,
including powerhouses such as Mitsubishi Motors or Isuzu, to release a
new electric car.
The aim of the consortium is to develop and mass-produce an electric
car prototype that’s based on the Sim-Drive technology. Each
participating company and institution is financing the project with
$220,000. If things go as planned, the futuristic, four-motor (one for
the end of each axle) car will be able to drive 300km on a single
charge. This driving range is about twice that of electric cars that are
available currently.
The consortium expects a first prototype to be ready this summer.
Mass-production (meaning around 100,000 vehicles) is scheduled to begin
in 2013. Price-wise, the final version is expected to be on the same
level as gasoline-powered cars (excluding batteries).
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