2010 Geneva Motor Show: Seat IBE Concept
By Andrew C., 30 Aug, 2010. 0 Comments
Seat IBE Concept
Dynamic concept for urban mobility - this is how Seat describes its IBE concept, a purely electric vehicle which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. The car appears to be coupe supermini but when measured, the IBE is actually 25cm shorter than an Ibiza, 22cm lower but 10cm wider. The reason why people have a difficult time categorizing this car is due to its proportions of having big wheels, a broad stance and big body sections, plus the very subtle surfacing. The Seat design team has been successful at designing it with city car proportions but with the appearance a premium car a couple of sizes larger. The IBE uses a front-mounted electric motor, which is capable of producing 102 hp and 200Nm of torque at maximum output. his drives the front wheels. At the rear of the car, an 18kWh battery is mounted.
In regular driving conditions, the IBE's motor has a continuous power rating of 68hp with a top speed of 160kmh. Seat claims that the IBE weighs only 1,000 kgs. With this much power output, the car can get to 50km/h in only 3.4 seconds and to 80km/h in 6.3 seconds. Seat said that the IBE carries some elements of the VW UP city car. They share the same wheelbase and similar overall length but it is considerably wider. It is believed that one version of the UP will be a pure electric city runabout since it was actually previewed last September. This means that the technology to produce the IBE will be in the VW portfolio by 2013.
The Spanish government has gotten 16 different companies and 16 university and research establishments to work on the electrification of urban motoring. Chief designer Luc Donckerwolke asserts that the IBE is a shooting break and not a coupe. He clarifies that the car is an evolution of the cars that had come previously. The details of the IBE are reminiscent of the late 1990s Volkswagens and Audis. When asked if the IBE will soon go into production, Donckerwolke denied but still he left the possibilities open.
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