Way back in 2004, GM's European arm put a toe in the water of the rapidly expanding city car market with its Opel Trixx concept. A few years later, though, GM's Carl-Peter Forster indicated that the automaker would not be entering that microcar market after all. Fast forward another couple of years and (surprise!) it looks as if GM may be once again reversing that stance.
According to Auto Express in the UK, Vauxhall is now planning a small urban vehicle to do battle with the smart fortwo, Toyota iQ and the upcoming Volkswagen Up!. If these rumors are to be believed, the Trixx will be based on GM's Voltec drivetrain but will completely eschew the range-extended 1.4L engine in favor of going fully electric with a goal of hitting a 90-mile range between charges.
You might think that dropping the internal combustion engine would make the car considerably cheaper, but that may not actually be the case. AE indicates that the lithium ion battery pack powering the Trixx could cost as much as £8,000 ($12,100 U.S.) per unit to make. To counteract the high cost of entry, Vauxhall may sell the actual car while offering a separate lease for the battery.
[Source: Auto Express]
According to Auto Express in the UK, Vauxhall is now planning a small urban vehicle to do battle with the smart fortwo, Toyota iQ and the upcoming Volkswagen Up!. If these rumors are to be believed, the Trixx will be based on GM's Voltec drivetrain but will completely eschew the range-extended 1.4L engine in favor of going fully electric with a goal of hitting a 90-mile range between charges.
You might think that dropping the internal combustion engine would make the car considerably cheaper, but that may not actually be the case. AE indicates that the lithium ion battery pack powering the Trixx could cost as much as £8,000 ($12,100 U.S.) per unit to make. To counteract the high cost of entry, Vauxhall may sell the actual car while offering a separate lease for the battery.
[Source: Auto Express]
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