New lithium-ion G-Wiz has 75-mile range, 15,795 price tag

GoinGreen, the UK distributor of Reva's G-Wiz, has announced prices and specifications of the tiny quadricycle with upgraded lithium ion batteries. The good news: the new model has a range of up to 75 miles, up from 48 in the older, non-li-ion version. Both models sport a 51 mph top speed, but the new lithium-powered version costs almost twice as much as the standard one: base prices start at £15,795 and £7,995, respectively. The li-ion version will also be available with an optional fast charge unit and uses about 20 percent less energy to charge. See more differences between the two models in this spec sheet. If you have a non-li-ion G-Wiz, GoinGreen will offer to convert your car to the new powertrain. Price TBA.

GoingGreen claims that this car is "the world's first mainstream electric vehicle powered by lithium-ion battery technology." Well, that's kind of bold. Is the G-Wiz more "mainstream" than a Tesla Roadster because of the price? Delivery of the G-Wiz L-ion will commence in May. More details after the jump.

[Source: GoinGreen]



PRESS RELEASE:

75 MILES WITH THE G-WIZ L-ION

GoinGreen, the retailer of the UK's best selling electric vehicle, the REVA G-Wiz, announces the specification and price structure of its much-awaited G-Wiz L-ion, the world's first mainstream electric vehicle powered by lithium-ion battery technology. The G-Wiz L-ion is now available to order for delivery in May. With an extended range of up to 75 miles, the G-Wiz L-ion is suitable for 97% of all car journeys without the need to recharge. GoinGreen is also introducing an off-board fast charge station capable of a 90% G-Wiz L-ion charge in one hour and a complete charge in 1.5 hours.

Based on the current G-Wiz i platform, the G-Wiz L-ion incorporates new technologies for safety and performance, key points include; increased range and acceleration, improved charging efficiency with approximately 20% less energy required per charge, reduced charging times both with normal charging – down to six hours - and off-board fast charging, maintenance-free battery operation with no watering or equalisation required and better all-round weather performance. The G-Wiz L-ion also comes with a full three-year battery warranty ensuring trouble-free servicing for L-ion owners and further establishing G-Wiz as the cheapest city motoring available. The top speed has been capped at 51 mph, sufficient for the G-Wiz's urban usage.

Steve Hartridge, managing director of GoinGreen says, 'With the ongoing technology race to bring lithium-ion powered vehicles to market, GoinGreen is proud to be the first in the UK to offer a mainstream affordable vehicle. The extended range and enhanced battery life really does make the G-Wiz L-ion the ideal vehicle for city commuting. The new battery technology also means that the G-Wiz L-ion is 15% lighter than previous G-Wiz versions, improving its acceleration and manoeuvrability. It is cheap to run, very nippy, great fun to drive and best of all, is zero-emissions'.

The new G-Wiz L-ion is available to order now and the price begins at £15,795. Deliveries will commence in May 2009 and the lead-time for orders will be around 14 weeks. For existing owners of a G-Wiz ac drive or G-Wiz i, there is the possibility of upgrading their vehicles to the new lithium-ion technology. Initially this upgrade will only be available to a limited number to vehicles and price is to be confirmed.

GoinGreen is the creator of the UK carbon-neutral automotive market and according to Newsweek (25/2/08), is 'the largest zero-emissions auto distributor on the planet today'. There are now nearly 1,000 G-Wiz on the roads and there is a strong used approved market. Since GoinGreen introduced the G-Wiz to London in 2004, more than 1,300 people have experienced G-Wiz driving.

The 2 + 2-seater G-Wiz is exempt from the London Congestion Charge and road tax (VED), is in insurance Group 1 (the lowest), costs about 1.5p a mile to run and benefits from free parking and recharging in the City of Westminster (which now has over 60 recharging points) with many other boroughs now also installing recharging points and offering incentives for EV owners. There is an increasing number of recharging points in commercial locations too, such as Westfield London, which has 30. The G-Wiz is sold via GoinGreen's website where customers can book a test drive online. The company has a team of engineers based at its Southall headquarters for full after-sales maintenance and for time-poor customers it also offers mobile servicing at the customer's home or office. www.goingreen.co.uk

March 2009