California is one of the largest markets for
electric vehicles in the United States so it comes as little surprise that
Ampere Motor decided to use the Los Angeles Auto Show to introduce a prototype
of their upcoming roadster called the 1.
Described as an ideal vehicle for city commuting or
weekend fun, the roadster is a three-wheel electric vehicle from a startup that
says it consists of "highly experienced car designers, engineers, and race
drivers."
The car is still in the prototype phase but the
company says it's about 80% ready for mass production. Given the situation,
it's not surprising that details are extremely limited. However, the company
revealed the car rides on a tubular chassis and features a double wishbone
suspension as well as "carbon kevlar belt powertrain."
Motivation comes from an electric motor that powered
by an undisclosed battery. It will reportedly enable the model to have a range
of up to 160 km on a single charge. Ampere says the roadster will only cost US$
9,900 and will be launched next year. The company is accepting pre-orders for US$
200 and says additional information will be released shortly.
