'sub-Tesla toaster nEVs are not intended to be sexy'
http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20141112-fast-times-in-the-slow-lane The Cruser Sport is not your grandfather’s golf cart David K Gibson 12 November 2014 [image http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/624_351/images/live/p0/2b/pn/p02bpn52.jpg Ecocruise Cruser Sport (Ecocruise Vehicles) http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/624_351/images/live/p0/2b/pn/p02bpn4k.jpg http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/624_351/images/live/p0/2b/pn/p02bpn4g.jpg http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/624_351/images/live/p0/2b/pn/p02bpn4x.jpg http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/624_351/images/live/p0/2b/pn/p02bpn4q.jpg ] In the US, so-called Neighborhood Electric Vehicles – those sub-Tesla toasters used by maintenance crews on corporate campuses and people who live in “active adult communities” – are not intended to be sexy beasts. Depending on the region in which they are registered, NEVs are limited by law (and usually, by power output) to speeds below 25mph or 35mph. The best of them resemble earnest attempts at space capsules, the worst evoke street-legal golf carts (and often because they are, quite simply, street-legal golf carts). But not the Cruser Sport. This forthcoming model from Ecocruise, a startup based in the Pacific northwest US state of Washington, sooner evokes a dune buggy than a municipal-course beverage cart. When you consider its pedigree, that makes a lot of sense. Ecocruise is the brainchild of Steve Leighty, a veteran of the off-road motorsports industry, having founded Kasea Motorsports in the 1990s. Beginning by importing Chinese scooters, Leighty realised he could design and build sportier vehicles – ATVs, dirt bikes and motorcycles – himself, and ship the prototypes to China, Korea and Taiwan to be mass produced; the production versions were then sold back to customers in the US. Business prospered, but by 2004 Leighty was ready for a new challenge, and turned his attention to electric mobility. The two-seater Cruser Sport is the first Ecocruise model to hit the streets, and it is anything but boxy, with a swooping carbon fibre body over exposed tubular steel, plus a covered rear hatch and T-tops. Exposed suspension and 14in aluminium wheels impart a beefy stance, and the bucket seats reinforce the off-road lineage. Safety – hardly an afterthought, even for low-speed neighbourhood electrics – comes in the form of US Department of Transportation-approved safety glass and seatbelts, antilock brakes and a two year bumper-to-bumper warranty and three-year warranty on the lithium-ion batteries. Leighty claims that the topmost battery package will take the Cruser Sport up to 60 miles on a charge. The car will retail for $8,500 to $11,900 in the US, depending on motor and battery options, when deliveries commence in January 2015. Shortly thereafter the company plans to release the more conventional one-seater EZIP-4 for around $3,800. A line of service and utility vehicles, including electric scooters, will follow. Distribution in the US is managed through a group of roughly 50 independent retailers, while in Europe, an expected partnership with UK’s Urban Mover will provide a readymade dealer network. And lest the putter-perfecting neighbourhood-electric user be denied, Cruser Sports will soon be available in golf-cart form, too. [© bbc.com] http://www.ecocruise.com/#!nevs-crusersport/cr06 CRUSER SPORT - Coming January 2015 Introducing our BRAND NEW Cruser Sport, a street legal, DOT approved NEV. Cruser Sport offers an advanced multitude of efficiency, technology, and safety features for a fully integrated drive. Engineered with a full carbon fiber body for maximum efficiency and safety. The Cruser Sport comes standard with body contouring racing inspired bucket seats for maximum driver and passenger comfort. Efficient. Specifications Mechanical Lifepo4 72v 62AH battery 5kW brushless DC motor 4-wheel disc brakes Suspension, front, dual A arm Suspension, rear swing arm Max speed 25/35 mph or 40/56 km/h depending on local state regulations Exterior Carbon fiber body DOT approved safety glass for front and rear windshield 14" aluminum wheels Removable T-Top Interior AM/FM radio, CD player optional 2 speaker audio system Premium driver and passenger bucket seats Manual seat adjusters, driver and passenger Modular dash with glove compartment storage Convenience Instrumentation, digital LCD screen Charge cord, 120-volt, portable Push button transmission Covered rear storage with hydraulic lift assist Single windshield wiper Removable T-Tops Safety Safety belts, 3 point DOT approved safety glass for front and rear windshield Anti-lock brake system Efficiency Battery Range 35/60mi or 56/97km per charge depending on battery pack option Battery density 160W/kg Advanced controller Warranty Drivetrain Limited Warranty - 2 years Battery Warranty - 3 years Dimensions Passenger Capacity 2 - For EVLN posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html#nabble+template%2FNamlServlet.jtp%3Fmacro%3Dsearch_page%26node%3D413529%26query%3DEVLN%2Bbrucedp2%26days%3D0%26sort%3Ddate {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/Cruser-Sport-nEV-Sexy-dune-buggy-beverage-cart-love-child-tp4672672.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
