Volkswagen E-Scooter Unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show

The German automaker, Volkswagen, surprised most of the automotive fraternity in Shanghai where they had unveiled an electric powered scooter. Scooters are something totally new for the company and the decision to venture into unknown territory most likely signifies that the German car maker will soon move into the two-wheel market. The two-wheel VW electric sensation has been named the E-Scooter and weighs only 20 kg without the batteries. The scooter features a 350-watt motor powered by nickel-metal-hydride batteries, which gives it a range of 40km and a maximum top speed of 48kmph. The batteries are so small that they can be removed from the scooter and recharged inside your home. “Our idea was to come up with a solution for affordable mobility in megacities like Shanghai, and to give people who’ve never owned a car a way into the VW brand,” a spokesperson from VW said. So far this is just a concept, but VW says that within the near future these electric scooters will be available to the general public.

Delta Motorsports builds an electric sports car

Electric vehicles have been at the forefront of development in the current environment of automobile production. Delta Motorsports, which is an UK engineering consultancy firm based out of the Silverstone Circuit, have confirmed that they have come up with an electric sports car called Delta E-4 Coupe. Built from scratch, the sports car has a range of 321Km and can accelerate from 0-100Km/h in less than five seconds. Formed in 2005 by Simon Dowson and Nick Carpenter, the company has expertise in motor sport, high performance engineering and clean technology projects. Made up of carbon composite, the chassis weighs just 85Kg which is two-third less than a comparable steel structure, which according the company would be able to pass EU crash test. The motors powering this vehicle are to produce a power output of 120 bhp along with 600 Nm of torque as it weighs 23Kg only. The motor has been developed in partnership with Oxford University and spin-out Oxford YASA Motors. The Delta E-4 Coupe will be a good alternative to the fuel guzzling race machine that we normally see on the race track. By the time you read this, the company would have already launched the sports car which was showcased on the 9th of May 2011 at the new Stowe Circuit complex, Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire.