Fledgling Swedish electric car company Uniti has opened online orders for the Uniti One affordable electric car.
The British-engineered compact EV will arrive in Sweden and the UK first in mid-2020, with a choice of battery capacities and prices starting from £15,100 including government grant.
Three days after a customisation system went online, Uniti has added over one thousand potential customers to its waiting list, and is now accepting 50% deposits from Swedish and UK customers to secure their cars for delivery next year.
"We're thrilled at the hugely positive response to our unique electric city car," Uniti CEO Lewis Horne said. “We’ve been quiet over the past few months, busy preparing for this moment, and are really excited to see the Uniti One on sale today.”
The entry-grade, 12kWh Uniti One will be capable of 93 miles between charges, while the optional 24kWh battery pack iextends that range to 186 miles. The larger battery can be charged from 20% to 80% in seventeen minutes on a 50kW CCS charger, while the 12kWh model takes just nine.
A 67bhp electric motor drives the rear wheels only, reaching 31mph in a claimed 4.1 seconds and 62mph in 9.9. Top speed is 75mph, with separate City and Boost drive modes to alternate between efficiency and sharpened response.
The three-seat EV, which weighs as little as 600kg, has a central driving position and room for two rear passengers. The steering wheel is flanked by two touchscreens, which are powered by Google's Android Automotive software, and control the majority of the car's functions. Drive, Neutral and Reverse gears are selected with individual buttons mounted on the dashboard. There is no key: the car is locked and started using a secure smartphone app.
An electrochromic sunroof, which can be adjusted from transparent to fully opaque, comes as standard, and automatically darkens when parked to keep the cabin cool. Other equipment includes rear LED lighting and LED daytime running lights, with full LED headlights an option.
The One has 155 litres of luggage space, which can be extended to 760 litres when the rear seats are folded flat.
The car can be ordered in a choice of Scandium, Graphite and Titanium colours. Customers placing their order before December 2019 will earn membership to Uniti's 'Founders Club', which includes free softwre upgrades for the life of the car.
Uniti is based in Sweden, but has a development, engineering and production hub in Norfolk.
"The UK’s approach to vehicle production, with its focus on light-weighting and innovation in advanced materials, is an ideal model for electric car production globally,” Uniti CEO Lewis Horne said.
Uniti has ambitions to become a “major player” in the British EV market over the next few years and plans to establish a London office that will ensure the necessary capital is raised to meet its tight time goals.
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"British-built affordable electric city car set to land in UK"
what? Do they get shot into the air at the end of the production line?
Has this got anything in
It's not an attractive thing but for urban transport, buzzing about in a city it's probably quite good, and being a car it'll have to pass ncap unlike the twizzy. Could do with being a bit cheaper though as it isn't far off a Zoe + battery lease of course.
I'm concerned that such a
I'm concerned that such a small enterprise has enough capital to develop and put into production such a vehicle