Electric-vehicle (EV) startup Uniti has unveiled its
crowdfunded city car at its factory in Landskrona, Sweden. The bubble-shaped
commuter, dubbed the One, offers a 300 km range from its 22kWh battery. A DC
fast charger can add 200 km of range in just 30 minutes if required, too.
Details about the car are still a bit hard to come
by but we know the car will be offered in two-,
four- and five-seat layouts, with a starting price of € 14,900 (US$ 23,360).
Top-spec cars will sell for closer to € 20,000 (US$ 31,200).
Along with different seating setups, buyers will be
able to choose from a traditional steering wheel or a ‘centre-pivot joystick
control system’. The company says the latter option is unique, and drew
“audible interest” from the 2000-strong crowd of onlookers.
But the most interesting thing about the car,
besides its optional joystick control scheme, is the way it was developed.
Uniti has raised more than US$1 million through crowdfunding to build a
prototype. It’s now on sale online, with deliveries set to begin in 2019. Along
with dealerships in Stockholm and Malmö, customers will be able to buy the car
online – something Tesla has toyed with.
When production is up and running, Uniti says the
One will emit at least 75 per cent less carbon over its lifecycle than a
regular car. Partners in the project include Nvidia, Siemens, Haldex,
BorgWarner and Kuka Robotics.
