17 March 2010

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Mila EV

If you’re unfamiliar with Magna Steyr then don’t get too angry with yourself – the Austria based manufacturer is best known for its contract manufacturing for Chrysler and Mercedes Benz. However, at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show it unveiled a vehicle that was entirely its own design – the Mila EV.

History of the Mila EV

Magna Steyr is located in Graz, Austria, and is a subsidiary of Canadian based Magna International as well as previously being part of the Steyr-Daimler-Puch conglomerate. It develops and assembles cars for other companies on a contractual basis with some of its current production including the BMW X3, the Chrysler 300C, the Jeep Commander, Jeep Cherokee and the Mercedes Benz G-Class.

Despite a history of being a name in the shadows, Magna Steyr stepped forward at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show when it unveiled the Mila EV – a fully integrated electric vehicle platform which the company believes can be used by other manufacturers to realise their own product aims in the shortest space of time.

Magna Steyr is hoping that a manufacturer will effectively buy the design off the shelf to allow it so get a fully electric car into production faster than if it were to start developing the car on its own. Nevertheless, if Magna Steyr did choose to ‘go it alone’ with the Mila EV it could have sizeable hit on its hands as the car has an alternative, forward-looking drive technology with graceful aesthetics.

Environmental credentials of the Mila EV

As an all-electric vehicle, the Mila EV produces no emissions of its own – indeed if the electric grid were to source its energy from only renewable sources then the Mila EV could be described as producing zero emissions.

Indeed the design of the car goes much further than most in maximising its environmental potential as it features solar cells that are integrated into the glass to provide additional energy generation and rear-view cameras have replaced the drag producing wing mirrors for added aerodynamic performance.

The Mila EV is a 4m long car with a 67hp electric motor. It includes lithium-ion batteries which extend its range beyond that of a typical city car to an impressive 150km. It also includes a lateral running sensor strip which shows the current battery charge as well as acting as a fuel gauge and more. The battery takes around 2.5 hours to recharge.

Mila EV statistics

Here are some crucial statistics about the Mila EV:

Charge time: 2.5 hours.
CO2 emissions: None.
Range: 150km.
Top speed: Unknown.

Future of the Mila EV

Magna Steyr is looking for a buyer for the Mila EV design with no immediate production plans. As soon as any information becomes available we’ll inform you in the latest news section of TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk.

Author: Lee Sibbald, March 25, 2009

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