Despite hosting one of the biggest auto shows of the year, and notwithstanding the occasional quirky Rinspeed and BMW grand prix car, Switzerland doesn't have much of an automotive industry to speak of. But hybrids, now that's a bandwagon the Swiss can jump on. Witness the E-Motion, a gasoline-electric hybrid shooting brake concept from Swiss firm Mindset.

Although it currently only exists as a scale model, Mindset says they could have the E-Motion in production by next year, building 10,000 units annually for €50k apiece. Former VW stylist Murat Guenak is said to have penned the modern design, which incorporates such retro subtle touches as round headlights, gullwing doors and rear glass canopies, in its composite body panels laid over an aluminum spaceframe. The lightweight construction would keep the car's weight down to 800kg (1764 lbs) despite measuring 4.2m (13.8 ft) in length, driven by a hybrid powertrain similar in concept to the GM E-Flex system found in the Chevy Volt: a small 24hp gas engine charging lithium-ion batteries to give it a 100km range, plus a solar roof panel to soak in some extra juice along the way. After the jump, you can see video shot last month of the prototype-in-progress on a test run. Listen to that motor -- it's like a bat stuck in a ceiling fan!

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via 4Car]

Continue reading Swiss shift out of neutral with Mindset E-Motion

Swiss shift out of neutral with Mindset E-Motion originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.