SEAT unveils first all-electric car and PHEV

the Altea XL Electric and the Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive vehicles. Click to enlarge.

SEAT, a member of the Volkswagen Group, is unveiling the prototype Altea XL Electric Ecomotive as well as the prototype Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive, a plug-in hybrid. SEAT envisages the launch of its first electric plug-in hybrid car in 2015, to be followed a year later by an all-electric vehicle.

The Altea XL Electric Ecomotive features an 85 kW motor with 270 N·m of torque and a limited top speed of 135 km/h (84 mph). The batteries are located under the rear seats and in the trunk; there is no intrusion into the passenger compartment. When the electric Altea XL is parked in the sun, rooftop photovoltaic cells recirculate fresh air inside the passenger compartment, reducing the energy needed afterwards by the climate control system.

The new SEAT Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive offers a range of 52 kilometers (32 miles) in full electric mode, with a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph). In combined mode (electrical plus combustion) the consumption forecast is 1.7 liters of fuel () and 18.5 kWh per 100 km (138 mpg US), the equivalent of 39 g/km of CO₂, with a top speed of 170 km/h (106 mph).

Over the next few months the Spanish car maker will make available units of both models to government institutions in Catalonia and Madrid for use in their vehicle fleets. This will provide SEAT with information on use of the cars for assessment with a view to mass production of electric vehicles in the medium-term.

SEAT’s strategy is to commit to a wide range of alternative technologies. To this end the Spanish manufacturer is unveiling two different but complementary models at the same time.

Customers demand a more sustainable form of mobility, but their needs are diverse. Therefore, we believe that a parallel strategy of developing two different technologies will put SEAT in the best position to meet their needs.

—SEAT President James Muir

The announcement of the launch of the first electric vehicles coincides with the start of a major new product offensive—SEAT will launch four new models over the next 12 months, the first being SEAT’s new urban vehicle, the Mii.

Source: Green Car Congress