Blade Electric Vehicles (BEV) out of Australia has released its latest all-electric vehicle, called the Electron MkVI, which, unlike older BEV models, features an all-new chassis. The company, founded in 2006, has been upgrading Hyundai Getz cars to electric vehicles with assistance from the Victorian state government.
The Electron MkVI is equipped with a 70 kilowatt motor and a three-speed semi-automatic transmission, an extra low gear for steep drives, and two higher gears for highway driving. Powered by a LiFePO4 lithium-ion batteries, the electric car has a range of around 100 miles and a top speed of 100 miles per hour.
BEV says its latest product can be recharged in two hours, and comes with the option of an Ecotality wall mount unit. The specifications are nice, the price, however, is steep – just over $50,000. Of course rates differ by country, but the Electron MkVI seems to be a good deal more than the Nissan Leaf of Mitsubishi i-MiEV for about the same performance.
Despite the price, the idea of upgrading older model cars into electric vehicles is an interesting foundation for a company, especially if the idea of green transportation is to lower environmental impact. We recently reported on a study that found electric vehicle production, namely the battery systems, produce signification pollution when being made, and charging the cars from utilities that use coal or other dirty fuel sources isn’t exactly earth-friendly. Lowering overall impact by refurbishing otherwise useful vehicles could be a great D.I.Y. hobby, or even a standard business practice, that could catch on.
