Skoda’s first ever electric car was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show yesterday in an exclusive press preview, ahead of its public debut this weekend.
The Czech carmaker will start small scale production of the new Octavia Green E Line in 2011 to launch the first fleet of test vehicles.
The new concept, based on the car maker’s popular Octavia saloon is the first full electric vehicle it has ever produced. With an electric motor that delivers constant power of 60 kW and a max power of 85 kW, the car has a maximum torque of 270 Nm, enough to give the car sharp acceleration and a good amount of agility which the drivers should appreciate in busy city traffic. The Octavia Green E Line accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just twelve seconds, and the car’s maximum speed is limited to 135 km/h.
The electricity for the Octavia Green E Line is supplied by a modern lithium-ion battery which achieves a range-per-charge of 140 kilometres. The battery, located in the floor and extending partly into the luggage compartment, at 650 mm long is small enough to make almost no impact on space within the passenger and luggage compartments.
Better still, the electric Octavia features with integrated energy-generating photovoltaic panels in its roof. Inside an series of smart dashboard indicators keep the driver informed of battery capacity and energy flow so the driver can even know if engine is being supplied with electricity, or, on the contrary, that it is generating electricity as the car decelerates or goes downhill.
