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Giants of the electric car sector such as Tesla and Renault are now faced with increased competition in the market with new innovative manufacturers trying to establish their credentials. Many modern, creative and daring start-ups have emerged in the electric mobility field worldwide, with new products being launched in the United States, Switzerland, France and Croatia.
Microlino
Microlino Cars was launched by Wim Ouboter, a Swiss industrialist. The car is described as being a microcitadine with access by a door incorporating 2 seats, a dashboard, 2 seats and 4 wheels, 2 of which are tightened at the rear. The Microlino car is available to order after being unveiled for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in spring 2018. Microlino has a range of 125 km. The company have stated that the cars can attain a maximum range of 200 km of autonomous driving but for safety reasons, the speed will remain restricted to 90 km/h. The Microlino is therefore best suited for urban and city driving rather than highway driving.
Rivian
Rivian is best described as being an anti-Tesla company. It was founded by Robert RJ Scaringe who has worked for ten years on autonomous cars and electromobility. The first Rivian car, the 100% electric R1T pickup, was launched at the Los Angeles show in 2018. The company have more recently unveiled the R1S, its SUV equivalent, which has a 400 to 750 horsepower engine, giving a range of 370 to 640 km.
Both models feature a chassis including rapid charge batteries, which can deliver up to 180 kWh, an adaptive hydraulic suspension and motors on each wheel. To finance the industrialization process, Saudi investment fund Abdul Latif Jameel and the Standard Chartered Bank in London injected 180 and 405 million euros, respectively. Amazon then followed suit by injecting 630 million euros before Ford weighed in with 450 million euros to ensure the sustainability of the business. The SUV costs 70,000 dollars and the pick-up 66,000 dollars and are now available for delivery as of January 2020.
Goupil
France is one of the leading producers of electric cars, having a 60% market share in Europe, with major producers such as Renault and PSA leading the way. Goupil, meanwhile, is a manufacturer of fully electric light commercial vehicles (LCVs) which is starting to make a name for itself. Founded in 1996 in Bourran and bought by Polaris in 2011, this ETI creates and assembles 2,300 vehicles per year, with 130 employees.
Each Goupil LCV is unique, albeit featuring an identical technical base, and can be modified and tailored depending on the customer’s needs and specifications. To this end the company offers a choice of 3 different chassis versions and 30 pieces of tailor-made equipment for the G4 which can be used for vehicles used for a wide range of purposes from vacuuming up leaves to skips and refrigerated trucks. Each business can therefore find a use for its own Goupil vehicle!
Exports accounts for two thirds of the company’s 50 million euro turnover with the company currently present in 35 countries. As each vehicle order is made to measure, the manufacturer does not have a price list. However, the cost of the vehicles can range from $20,000 to more than $50,000.
1,500 electric LCVs were sent abroad in 2018 with 750 delivered domestically in France, at an average price of $25000. 1,200 municipalities in Europe, including the City of Paris, have ordered Goupil trucks to help the maintenance and upkeep of their green spaces.
Rimac
The 100% electric hypercar was designed in Croatia. By the age of 19, the company founder, Mate Rimac, had transformed a BMW 3 Series (1984) into an electric car, with a 600-horsepower electric motor. Today at the age of 31 years old, Mate Rimac has created Concept One, the first electric hypercar. With 500 km of autonomy, the car is capable of being driven at speeds of more than 350 km/h, and has a power output of 1,300 horsepower. Concept One is sold for a cool one million dollars.
Given its price, only 8 units have been produced and delivered since 2016. In 2018, at the Geneva Motor Show, the Rima C Two was unveiled. Costing 2 times more than the Concept One, with a top speed of 415 km/h and a 1,900 horsepower engine (1.5 times more powerful than its predecessor), Rima C Two can reach 100 km/h in 1.85 seconds.
