Vehicles like this would be absolutely perfect in the Caribbean. So many islands there have to import fuel to get electricity and have an absolute abundance of sun all year round. To be practical there just need to be able to handle very steep hills.
Everyone wanting doors on a solar car makes sense. In theory, you'd want to store it outside to get the most sun so, the doors would keep the interior dry without having to worry about rain. Even if the interior is waterproof, no one wants to sit in a wet seat.
for a private car… yes also it's going to keep your private stuff you left inside a little more "removed" from the other people. I'm not talking about "safe", but about the same safety I get when I leave stuff inside of my bike-bag. You can't just grab something walking by. OTOH: for rental? Yeah, drop those doors! You actually want people to take a look around in your vehicle! Or take a seat and discover that it's actually nice - unlocking it while it rains? much better inside, under the roof!
- ha ha, well even the old clear vinyl flaps on the mini moke will keep the rain out - they were as simple as it can get ( and a basic early model for a lot of the more recent "skateboard"" chassis designs).
Thank you Jack and Fully Charged for this nice video! We are working on this suspension issue, clearly the suspension is way too hard, (It seems the supplier made a mistake with the springs :-). One thing we forgot to mention is why we use a full Aluminium chassis; yes it is light, therefore efficient, and very recyclable. But mainly because we have got quite a large interest from islands and seaside resorts, e.g. in the Caribbean. Actually one of the first decisions we have made is to make the full chassis in Aluminium because of the corrosive salty & humid air on Caribbean Islands. This was suggested by an early customer in St. Barths.
This is very smart because the batteries are likely to improve (and/or get cheaper) in the next decade, while electric traction motors are already the result of 100 years of engineering effort. It would be a shame if the frame were to rust out about the time that batteries have improved two-fold. Now I feel like I want to invest in a Solar EV rental company in Costa Rica!
@@djsbriscoe I'm pretty sure stainless steel could be described as a "brittle" material under certain circumstances, such as extreme cold, and that's not the normal environment for an ordinary car. Steel is definitely heavier than aluminum, but also much stronger. And the price highly depends on the place, weight vs volume, etc.
Lived in Southern CA a while, and it was not infrequent to see road-worthy (apparently, there were plenty around on the roads) open, golf cart-type vehicles as a “second car” (Or 3rd car). And often, these were charged off the house electricity supplemented by solar panels. They just have bench seats and a flat roof, generally no doors or windows, and don’t look highway worthy, but are handy for short trips around town, taking kids to and from school, going to the local stores, and are pretty popular, including among teen drivers.
Got to love the Dutch - "The weather in our country is every bit as miserable as the UK" ...sucks on spliff... "Let's make a solar powered car!" Joking aside: Something like this would be ideal for someone like me who lives on a sunny if mountainous island, with a change or two: 1) Enough grunt to get up a steep incline at more than walking pace. 2) Reasonable range, not 'city only'. 3) Some foldable rear seats.
Swappable batteries? Affordable? Solar? Going to be available in the US? It's like these people have done something insane... listen to what people want. I need this adorable thing. I hope they are wildly successful.
@@cujoedamanI suspect you are right, but a man can dream. If we did, it would really be a huge deal I think. I fear that the safety regulations though would add so much cost it wouldn't be worth it anymore.
I live in a small town. The main road has a 40kmph limit. Everything in the town only a 5 minute drive away. I think small places could use this as much as large cities.
I am working on a vehicle for personal transportation. It's going to be very compact comfortable, safe and affordable to run, make the person using it healthy and pollute very little. I have posted a few videos on TH-cam if you want to see it
Will definitely keep an eye on this one. It ticks pretty much all the things I want from a micro car. Small but spacious, Safe, Practical, AC!, no extra tech that is unnecessary. The solar power is just the best dot on the i of the bunch. It makes so much sense and takes this one from "that's neat" to "I kinda want one yesterday"
Stunning micro-car. The savings on not having to buy fuel are going to be significant. I'm sure you could probably stick a Bluetti in and charge up the car if you really wanted (I saw another micro-car channel where they did just that and charge up their car from a solar-powered Bluetti). Ofc, this already has solar on the roof. Excellent presenter as well, and his mix of technical info and informal, chatty presenting style felt very natural. I felt he got the balance just right. This is a game-changer for people especially in the cities in flats, where they can't run cables out to their vehicles and don't want to get ripped off with on-street chargers. Basically, the car is always charging 🙂
I live in the countryside in NE Thailand; a couple of years ago I bought an electric tuktuk, basically the front of a motorcycle and a cargo bed in the back with a windshield and roof. A year ago I had a solar panel and a new battery added. We get plenty of sun most of the year, even now during the rainy season. A couple of weeks I drove at least 45 kilometers: it was a sunny day and the battery didn’t even drop to 80%. It is slow - a cruising speed of 40km/h on a good road - but we mostly use it as a neighborhood and garden vehicle to transport manure, biochar, tools, plants, harvests, straw, food from the market and such. Speed is not an issue. If it had been done right from the start, it would have cost me an estimated $3,000, at most. Unfortunately it’s been a learning experience for everyone involved, but eventually I found a trustworthy mechanic and stuck with him through his learning process. By now - three battery changes later - it has cost me about $5,000, but it’s worth it. The nearest gas station is 3.5 km from here, in a direction we usually don’t go. The solar tuktuk has replaced the need for a pickup truck, so we bought a small hatchback EV instead. It’s easy and cheap to get things like tires and brakes fixed. Why vehicles like this aren’t everywhere beats me.
Look like the automated taxis they were gonna being to my hometown back in 2000, johnny cabs. They got thousands in european grants for it. Then we got 200m of cycle path and a new road network we didnt need (cardiff council, wales...if your interested eu grant people. They ran off with the money)
Great little car for city and towns, removable doors are a great idea as well, the price of this is very good, especially when you can pay more for a mountain bike. Great work Jack and team.
The prices you see these days for electric bikes looks a bit suspicious. Way to high given the improvements in battery technology, both capacity and price.
@John Dance I think the idea then in Finland at -15 would be to leave the doors on and tick the "heater" optional extra box when ordering but clearly this is a product better suited for no worse than temperate latitudes.
We do have to wonder what the eventual price will be when actually available and on sale. Wouldn't be the first time a projected price will have been... "optimistic", shall we say.
I am just now getting into the micro car fit. Always been more of a biker. Glad to know something like this will be a part of our transportation future. Would greatly reduce traffic, auto deaths and the carbon foot print here in the US. Jack does a great job introducing everyone to these commonsense vehicles (I've been binge watching His videos). His enthusiasm is contagious when he talks about the features. Also, He's definitely not bad to look at himself. Thank you Jack and Fully Charged Show for doing these vieos!
12miles/kwh. Bonkers. Now that would enable realistic transport for short distances. I’d certainly consider it for all my local stuff up to 20 miles. Swappable batteries mean you could nip into an ‘energy station’ and be on your way in no more than a couple of minutes. Space for shopping and the dog!👍
@@FalkonNightsdale you never use 100% of a battery, once the volts drop to low it cant power the motors, think of it like shaking a coke bottle and undoing the lid, the liquid that squirts out of the top is your volts, whats left in the bottle is the energy that cant be used.
12 mi/kwh is about 404.4 MPGe per an MPGe calculator I found. By my math, it's about 214 MPG equivalent cost if gas is $2.5/gallon and electricity is $0.14/kwh.
Jack is going to be in so much trouble with his Mum! 🙂 Nice looking, practical little car. I can imagine that being really popular in urban areas and as 2nd family cars. I also expect we'll be seeing some people saying how it is pointless because they have a daily commute that is a 100 miles in each direction. Heads up for them: we know this car isn't for you. Just move on.
Yah, my Ma is the same. She's a a really good driver, for a person with no depth perception. Never an accident (touch wood) just a lifelong series of tiny scratches.
@@robinbennett5994 sure from a car manufacturer perspective it's all about that however I think these kind of micro cars are so much better mostly for electric. I don't they will ever replace the other models but complement them.
Glad they're willing to come to USA!! We desperately need affordable small cars for city travel. I live in TX where there's no short supply of sun pretty much year round. I would love this!
I really hope they succeed. Already reserved mine. This is everything I need for 90% of my driving. Plus our government has an incentive of 5000eu compensation for new electric cars. So lets say ~6000eu for all my city driving needs? Absolutely! I live in a flat, so solar + removable batteries are perfect. The only concerns are if I will have where to repair it since I doubt there will be any partners in my country. And how it will survive the winters here.
I want one and I want one right now! 😂 North America NEEDS these asap, once they're on the streets and around for a bit, I could see them taking off in popularity. Such a simple solution. Perfect as a second/ short-haul vehicle... or primary vehicle if your commute is reasonably short.
Finally the most common sense microcar. Not breaking the bank price, no-nonsense-just-useful features (solar roof and swappable battery) and decent looks too. The solar will definitely works best here too. Please come to 🇲🇾
@@SquadMobility Wow much appreciated for your response. But I just want to double confirm, the flag in my comment is Malaysia in case if you guys mistaken it for USA flag 😅 Anyway it's an honor. Congrats on the excellent product 👍🏼
@@obidean3964 If they do well so may you get your wish I bet, but it would be a mistake for them to over reach and try to be everywhere at once. So I think you would have to mail order one if you want one early.
I'd like a micro off-roader.... Something this size, but solidly built with more suspension travel and 4WD. 50 mile winter range would plenty. Small pickup bed with enough room for a couple of dogs would be a bonus.
Why would it sell insanely well? Because it's electric or because it's basic? Tata released a 4 seat 700cc (I think) car in the UK because people said they wanted simple and cheap transport. It didn't have carpets, a radio, AC, it was really basic. Guess what? Nobody bought it, seems like saying you want simple, basic and cheap, doesn't mean you buy simple, basic and cheap. I think this is better than hiring a bicycle to get around the city, but a viable from of transport? Only if you don't really go anywhere, and €6,000 for not going anywhere feels expensive to me, nah I'll stick to my fossil fueled car. But I genuinely hope this sells well across Europe. I'm also hoping for a 50% reduction in the sale of fossil fuels in Europe, that'll mean a glut of fossil fuels on the market, fewer buyers and reduced prices and lower pump prices here in Asia.
I'd buy and drive that thing; fun little bugger. Also, superb editing as always, and +1 for pronouncing _kilometres_ properly. Good job all around! BTW, it's _fewer_ cars, not "less" cars.
I am working on a vehicle for personal transportation. It's going to be very compact comfortable, safe and affordable to run, make the person using it healthy and pollute very little. I have posted a few videos on TH-cam if you want to see it
I would love to have one of these in Brazil, it's a bit too low to deal with potholes and speed bumps, but hey, if it gets stuck, it actually sounds feasible to get it out of any hole with one helping hand.
I bought similar three wheel electric vehicle that I am upgrading. One advantage of three wheels where I live is that you can park it at walking paths etc. I also like that it looks quite small but has very good interior space even for two adults and will fit and turn literally anywhere. Also for longer trips it is easier for cars to pass you because you aren't much wider than regular scooter.
Restricted to weekly shopping . . . Try once every three weeks home deliveries . . Let somebody else do the picking, packing and moving. . . You never get that time back !
Disruptive technology happens when already existing tech is creatively combined in useful new ways. This combination of microcar + battery + solar is surely on to a winner for local personal transport. Plus, connected and app-bookable for ride service, and monitoring. Wish it every success. The guys at Sion and Lightyear are probably kicking themselves for missing this more obvious and simple initial application for solar+EV.
Wow, a new electric car that doesn't come from China - brilliant! Most of London is becoming a 20mph (32kph) zone so you could even get booked for speeding - sweet.
All nice and dandy. But my vote still goes to the Citroen Ami. 🙂 This look like a better finished, more posh small piece of transportation. But the other one touch the hearth on a jiffy! BTW less glass might make for a more claustrophobic car. But it would save a lot of weight and money. 🙂I really love the solar option of this one. ;-)
So about £8k-ish once all the neccesary extras are in. For a car you'd rarely have to charge, that's amazing. As long as it can do 50mph for A-roads, I'm in like flynn! The flat folding seat defo needs doing. And I love the wheels forward design for parking.
I wonder how concentrator solar panels of the future (like they are working on at Stanford University) would be on this... if you could upgrade parts as tech improves, how fantastic. I really like this little thing. The price is fantastic. Where I live people buy golf carts to drive around the neighborhood... and they I think start around $13K!
I have a CitECar from 2016 which was designed and built in Charleston,SC and intended to be used in-town (SC allows low-speed vehicles/LSV on any road with a 35mph limit or less). Uses deep-cycle AGM lead-acid batteries which charge slowly and only limited range (especially at 6 years old!) but fine for local use. Can also use as a golf cart. The potential to get a solar-charged city vehicle at less than the cost of what I have is very attractive.
Concentrator solar cells a) need to be pointed at the sun to work and b) produce absolutely no energy when in diffuse light (=cloudy weather, have you been in the Netherlands? 😉). So they are definitely not a good fit for a solar car, and it's also why you hardly ever see them in fixed PV installations. The tech has been around for ages. It works fine, it's just that the economics are against it in most applications.
@@luisvelasco316 For golf carts, and maybe for your vehicle too, there are drop-in lithium replacements for lead-acid batteries. Might rejuvenate your vehicle!
This is perfect in all the old towns and villages all over Europe because of the narrow streets. It’s going to sell like hotcakes. Do a cargo version and it will become the de-facto way to deliver goods as well.
I love this car already. There should be an option to have cameras instead of side mirrors. The side mirrors make the vehicle much wider, losing a good bit of the micro-car advantage. The passenger seat could fold back instead of forward, potentially making a very flat surface for loading large boxes and musical instruments
If you want the same field of view, cameras would have to stick out just as far as side mirrors. They still make sense when you are trying to improve aerodynamics, but this thing is shaped like a box so that wouldn’t make much difference.
@@Sashazur Perhaps you are right, about sticking out, but the positioning of cameras/mirrors needs a rethink anyway now that rear-view cameras can show so much more than a rear-view mirror.
Good to see/hear from this concept again after Lightyear and Sono Motors recently filed for bancruptcy. I feared that here too because Squad´s website is only updated sporadically. Here in Germany there are some similar (Chinese) microcars available that can be updated with solar roofs, but Squad with its removeable battery packs and other amazing features is way ahead. I cannot wait to drive my own!
12 miles / kWh is absolutely amazing. One and a half batteries would absolutely do me for my day to day commute, or more so my "two days a week" commute. I could leave the car to just charge the batteries by itself for most of the week, and then use my regular solar panels at home for any additional capacity. Four batteries would do me to go from my house to my parent's house
Brilliant! This is motoring in the right direction - the trend towards minimalism. Please don't forget South Africa when you start exporting this beautiful little car. Exactly what the doctor ordered. BMW, Tesla, Audi, Jaguar, Mercedes and Porsche please take note or you risk your brands becoming obsolete.
What an awesome report. I can see these used in so many major cities instead of normal cars and 4WDs which use them now. The air would be cleaner, it would be safer, and much quieter.
I want one of these now. Totally 100 per cent in every way. Wow - and Jack's a fab presenter. I was entranced right the way through his presentation. All questions answered. Except one - or maybe I missed it - when I can I buy one in the UK? Thank, Joanna
End of this year to q1 of 2025 we will see them actually shipping orders. Low volume at first so go to the website and preorder (free) I'm so excited to buy one with 4 batteries !!!
One good use when the 4 seater version hits the USA is in places like the retirement villages in Florida etc. They use golf buggies to get around already but they obviously need charging every so often.
not gona lie, i kinda love it! the carsharing in my city is just teslas atm. they are just so big that they are kind of a pain to just make a quick hop across the city. i hope they get a boatload of those little guys for those solo A to B trips.
I bought a Jinma J2 slow moving micro electric, but the squad solar looks very worthy styling and very practical too and seems to have good visibility with the window design of no blind spots. Mine is about 100 or so pounds more in weight, however i can add probably upto 3kw of battery, and i opted for a actual trailer tow hitch to offset the limits of interior space when needed. They should offer a choice of audio from basic to hifi, choice of interior materials from basic plastic upto choices of upholstery, and insulation inside the panels is something i plan on installing, but these should really be factory options. Bring on the slow moving electric solutions!
Thanks for the honest review. Looks like great entry for economical transport. Brave engineers get high praise for offering a wonderful solar car in a high latitude country. Wishing the best of success.
What makes you think they ever will? They’re toys and look extremely dangerous for the US roads. There’s absolutely no way this cart could be legally driving in the American roads. There are thousands of electric tiny cars that are better than this and would never make it to the American market.
I was gutted when they announced that Sono Sion will never happen. Sad that no one bought them up and started production, it had everything the common citizen needed. Cheap, lots of storage and free charging when parked 90% of the time.
The Sion kept getting additions that were rediculous. Who needs a door to door video screen? Make it simple and drop the price. Shell, wheels, motor, brakes, solar. Simple.
Well done. Coming from a country with a limited history in the auto manufacturing industry. Which means it doesn't have a history of bad thinking to overcome. The swappable batteries is nothing short of brilliant. And the Collin Chapman design (light and simple) is bullet proof for city mover. This one must have a future especially if the price remains in the stated range. Something to be said about fresh thinking and tidy design.
That price is fire! And swapable batteries make it much more versatile and open more use cases. Makes me wonder though if the price in the video is with the four battery packs included.
probably not, but such teeny-winsy batteries are usually affordable, or nicely monthly rentable. Makes more sense when you have to pay zilch for electricity or petrol!
@@pogo1140 I'm wondering if they're selling a home charger for the batteries: that would solve the problem for flat dwellers like myself who don't have a long enough power lead to charge a car on the street
1.6kWh is going to be quite a heavy briefcase to move about. Would be worth testing that before committing. A nice feature of the battery swopping will be the ability to leave batteries at home and charge them with home solar - assuming that´s possible. To match demand with solar supply, it needs either a)a timer so if you leave the house at 7am you can program it to come on at 10am when there´s more solar OR b) to have the option to charge at a slow rate. You don´t want to leave home at 7am and it is fully charged by 9am which won´t match well with solar.
I think every time a micro car review lands on the Fully Charged desk, the producer get's Jack to do it. "It'll be hilarious - 7ft man in a 6ftmicrocar..."😅
What I want to know is how it is at climbing steep hills. Is it able to be used on a hilly commute in some place like San Francisco or Seattle? I’ve got a driveway that’s about a 25 degree climb.
With a trend towards ever larger and heavier SUVs (what Christian Brand of the University of Oxford dubs the "mobesity" epidemic) I am always glad to see reviews of new micro cars, and with its solar panel and removable batteries the Squad looks ideal for people who lack off-street parking.
I really love the idea of micro vehicles and the utility of this one in particular but one thing that's usually not discussed is how the vehicle will handle a hill with the boot loaded up with shopping. Dublin( my home town)is pretty flat, but for instance i have a friend who lives just outside the city up a steep hill heading into the mountains, I wonder would it handle a decent incline fully loaded. Of course there are also plenty of cities with hills all over them too
I asked that question to Robert Hoevers at Squad Mobility given I also was concerned about the hill climbing ability and he kindly answered as follows - "Yes 20% with full load is possible as we use high torque in-wheel motors". I am sure he won't mind such info to be passed on.
Suggestion. Put an additional solar panel/strip on the instrument binnacle facing the window (obviously) and another long single cell one at the base of the windscreen (say 4” high) all the way along… add to the solar footprint 😊
The extra power that would generate (relative to the cost of the increase in production complexity) probably isn't worth it - the entire roof panel only makes ~1kW, based on what Jack said... that's a ~6ft panel (60"), so a 4" panel would - perhaps - generate another 60w (presuming they can achieve the same efficiency in such a small panel, which is unlikely)
@@logicalChimp I wasn’t thinking about speed of charge … you can very flexible little solar panels too. Just thinking aloud. That real estate addition would be an increase of roughly 15-20%
I can imagine that base price is with one battery pack of 1.6KwHrs. That would still give a decent 19 mile range with the efficiency figure quoted plus whatever you can add from solar charging. The car can take up to 4 packs.
@@gustaveliasson5395 Yes, you are right. Made the assumption that a base model would only have the minimum number of batteries. Makes the little car even more good value.
As a Dutchman I am astonished: this car is actually practical! Kudos to the people who designed it. Probably limited to 50 km/h, not ok on 80 km/h roads, but allowed on all bike lanes. Battery prices and solar panel prices will come down in the next 5 years, it will be a hit! People don't even need a charger or charging stations/points. Serious product this.
@@FabriSlv Yes, good point, bicycles, walking, public transport, then these. It is just crazy that we devote massive amounts of public space for big SUVs that most of the time they are not parked are carrying a single person, a little sanity would be nice.
Would love to see these in the US, these would be a great replacement for mopeds, scooters, some motorcycles and golf carts people drive around in. Great commuter car, will be an absolute hit.
It's not legal in America with its European specs.... It would have to be limited to NEV specifications, which limit It to roads with a 25 mile an hour speed limit and most roads have a speed limit above that, so it would not be practical in most places.... Except for places like retirement communities.... Three wheelers make more sense in America, which are classified as motorcycles... We really need to change the laws in America, to allow micro cars on a broader basis....
This is so great. Every planned community in the US would have these at the community center if it could drive itself to your house:) but even now it would be so useful in some many communities in the US
55+ communities in the US and golf courses could easily make use of this vehicle. Might have to get clever with how clubs are accessed. A hit in Florida and Arizona for sure.
PLEASE god I hope this car makes it to the US and does NOT become double the price because of import taxes and shit. Better yet if they'd get these made on at least one factory in the US that'd be awesome. I need one but also need the affordability.
I play hockey 2-4 times a week at a couple of rinks about 10-15 miles away. I can see folding down the passenger seat (or maybe even removing the passenger seat altogether), putting my bags in, and using this car just for getting to the rink and back, and NEVER having to charge it. Worth the $7K. I'd probably have to add exterior storage for my sticks, but heck, I've done that on my motorcycle. No problem. GET THIS THING TO THE US!
I like these, the slightly faster L7 category would be very popular if they kept the price down, be interesting to see final pricing on them, not everyone has 30 grand for a car just to commute and go to asda in
Basically it would compete with Wulling MINI EV - if GM ever decide to get it out of China - which is slightly larger and better equipped… That said, while it costs ~$5000 in China, price will probably +50-100% for the rest of the world. So they need to aim for maximum ~$5-7k in EU if they want to be successful.
@@FalkonNightsdale That one doesn't have the solar panel, that makes quite a bit of difference, not only does it save money, but you can even use it without access to electricity or for camping letting it charge while you camp for a few days.
@@znail4675 Sure I did seen the whole advertisement… So what…? You know, that if there is any particular moment in video, that allegedly contradicts me, you cant timestamp it, right…?
This would be a perfect car for me in the UK. Used maybe three times a week, charging on the drive, great. I would like a tailgate and a little more length for taking a month's worth of shopping, although a three week shop would probably become the norm. If carrying a few swap-able charged batteries could give a range of 45 miles that would be the icing for the once every two months to the next city that we keep the Peugeot 4007 for.
The base price I believe comes with just the 1 battery. The car can carry up to 4 so 6.4 KwHrs total possible onboard. Given the efficiency figure they quote that then gives 76.8 miles plus on a full charge and whatever you can harvest from the sun. I believe it also makes use of regenerative braking.
Not gonna lie, this vehicle has great price to features and actually looks like something that would be useful in a real city centre. I hope to see them soon!
@@varunemani Unfortunately, our green party here in Switzerland doesn't want that. They love to reroute transit traffic through the cities and object to any infrastructure project that would reduce inner city traffic (from sufficient parking to more motorway exits). It's a political nightmare.
Mad we care more about what strangers think than the usefulness of the vehicles we own. Our streets are clogged with cars because everyone needs one for an >5-mile journey and not just a car, usually an SUV. The amount of people that pay for this privilege is mental, like 500 quid a month for a giant, heavy fashion accessory. Everything about this from the visibility to the footprint shows how far car design has fallen in place of margins. There's so much room for these types of cars, esp in the UK, but ego's will fight their existence whilst complaing about potholes on Facebook. 12 miles is insane that's half the range of my e-bike but without the grid so after manufacture and if I wasn't a PAS user this could be arguably greener
These will be great for the elderly, for whom a full size car is a little dangerous, overwhelming. One of these would still allow the elderly to go get there shopping.
what id love when this goes global is the possibility of modular add ons like a cargo tray for practical utility~ this would be a hit in the tropics! hope they release this in the philippines too specially in my area where parking space is a nightmare for bigger car~
Great video! I get Jack's point about town driving in a very small EV as this is my experience of driving a Fiat 500e in one pedal range mode, which is an entirely stress-free experience. Road works, traffic congestion, and aggressive drivers no longer phase me in the slightest since I bought this car.
I live in Texas and I would be interested in getting one of these. It sounds perfect for short distances, and cars are pretty much a necessity in the city because public transportation is nearly nonexistant. We{re always trying to find ways to cut costs on our cars.
Vehicles like this would be absolutely perfect in the Caribbean. So many islands there have to import fuel to get electricity and have an absolute abundance of sun all year round. To be practical there just need to be able to handle very steep hills.
Now there’s a video I’m fully prepared to make
@@JackScarlett1 yes, please do that!
A bit too low for the Caribbean roads it needs at least six inches clearance preferably eight.
@@JackScarlett1 Do you live in the Caribbean
@@Y2Kvids No he doesn't but his comment was a joke about how he'd love a free trip to such a nice holiday destination to make a video
Everyone wanting doors on a solar car makes sense. In theory, you'd want to store it outside to get the most sun so, the doors would keep the interior dry without having to worry about rain. Even if the interior is waterproof, no one wants to sit in a wet seat.
for a private car… yes
also it's going to keep your private stuff you left inside a little more "removed" from the other people. I'm not talking about "safe", but about the same safety I get when I leave stuff inside of my bike-bag. You can't just grab something walking by.
OTOH: for rental? Yeah, drop those doors! You actually want people to take a look around in your vehicle! Or take a seat and discover that it's actually nice - unlocking it while it rains? much better inside, under the roof!
- ha ha, well even the old clear vinyl flaps on the mini moke will keep the rain out - they were as simple as it can get ( and a basic early model for a lot of the more recent "skateboard"" chassis designs).
haha. I love that being thought of as an option in other countries. in the UK the doors or the car would be stolen within the day.
And the aero smoothing of having the doors on will help range, especially the higher speed model :D
It's that motorcycle style.
Thank you Jack and Fully Charged for this nice video!
We are working on this suspension issue, clearly the suspension is way too hard, (It seems the supplier made a mistake with the springs :-).
One thing we forgot to mention is why we use a full Aluminium chassis; yes it is light, therefore efficient, and very recyclable. But mainly because we have got quite a large interest from islands and seaside resorts, e.g. in the Caribbean. Actually one of the first decisions we have made is to make the full chassis in Aluminium because of the corrosive salty & humid air on Caribbean Islands. This was suggested by an early customer in St. Barths.
Any chance of it coming to India ? We can use it for personal car and Car rentals
This is very smart because the batteries are likely to improve (and/or get cheaper) in the next decade, while electric traction motors are already the result of 100 years of engineering effort. It would be a shame if the frame were to rust out about the time that batteries have improved two-fold. Now I feel like I want to invest in a Solar EV rental company in Costa Rica!
Interesting, but did you try stainless steel or other corrosive-resistant alloys? What about composites?
@@ЦзинКэ-ы5х Stainless steel is brittle and also expensive. I imagine composites are also costly.
@@djsbriscoe I'm pretty sure stainless steel could be described as a "brittle" material under certain circumstances, such as extreme cold, and that's not the normal environment for an ordinary car. Steel is definitely heavier than aluminum, but also much stronger. And the price highly depends on the place, weight vs volume, etc.
Lived in Southern CA a while, and it was not infrequent to see road-worthy (apparently, there were plenty around on the roads) open, golf cart-type vehicles as a “second car” (Or 3rd car). And often, these were charged off the house electricity supplemented by solar panels.
They just have bench seats and a flat roof, generally no doors or windows, and don’t look highway worthy, but are handy for short trips around town, taking kids to and from school, going to the local stores, and are pretty popular, including among teen drivers.
Got to love the Dutch - "The weather in our country is every bit as miserable as the UK" ...sucks on spliff... "Let's make a solar powered car!"
Joking aside:
Something like this would be ideal for someone like me who lives on a sunny if mountainous island, with a change or two: 1) Enough grunt to get up a steep incline at more than walking pace. 2) Reasonable range, not 'city only'. 3) Some foldable rear seats.
Swappable batteries? Affordable? Solar? Going to be available in the US? It's like these people have done something insane... listen to what people want. I need this adorable thing. I hope they are wildly successful.
We'll never see these in the US. The other car manufacturers and politicians won't let it happen. They can't make their money if someone else is.
@@cujoedamanI suspect you are right, but a man can dream. If we did, it would really be a huge deal I think. I fear that the safety regulations though would add so much cost it wouldn't be worth it anymore.
I’d buy a few for me and my family if they bring it to US
I hope it really happens
why not, Import it by yourself and establish a dealership. The US is the land of unlimited opportunities, or am I wrong?
I live in a small town. The main road has a 40kmph limit. Everything in the town only a 5 minute drive away. I think small places could use this as much as large cities.
Yes must reclaim the city, streets and towns, Truely felt better in the pandemic time in Seattle with lesser traffic obstruction.. 🍷👍
I am working on a vehicle for personal transportation. It's going to be very compact comfortable, safe and affordable to run, make the person using it healthy and pollute very little. I have posted a few videos on TH-cam if you want to see it
Will definitely keep an eye on this one. It ticks pretty much all the things I want from a micro car. Small but spacious, Safe, Practical, AC!, no extra tech that is unnecessary. The solar power is just the best dot on the i of the bunch. It makes so much sense and takes this one from "that's neat" to "I kinda want one yesterday"
Stunning micro-car. The savings on not having to buy fuel are going to be significant. I'm sure you could probably stick a Bluetti in and charge up the car if you really wanted (I saw another micro-car channel where they did just that and charge up their car from a solar-powered Bluetti). Ofc, this already has solar on the roof. Excellent presenter as well, and his mix of technical info and informal, chatty presenting style felt very natural. I felt he got the balance just right.
This is a game-changer for people especially in the cities in flats, where they can't run cables out to their vehicles and don't want to get ripped off with on-street chargers. Basically, the car is always charging 🙂
I live in the countryside in NE Thailand; a couple of years ago I bought an electric tuktuk, basically the front of a motorcycle and a cargo bed in the back with a windshield and roof. A year ago I had a solar panel and a new battery added. We get plenty of sun most of the year, even now during the rainy season.
A couple of weeks I drove at least 45 kilometers: it was a sunny day and the battery didn’t even drop to 80%. It is slow - a cruising speed of 40km/h on a good road - but we mostly use it as a neighborhood and garden vehicle to transport manure, biochar, tools, plants, harvests, straw, food from the market and such. Speed is not an issue.
If it had been done right from the start, it would have cost me an estimated $3,000, at most. Unfortunately it’s been a learning experience for everyone involved, but eventually I found a trustworthy mechanic and stuck with him through his learning process. By now - three battery changes later - it has cost me about $5,000, but it’s worth it.
The nearest gas station is 3.5 km from here, in a direction we usually don’t go. The solar tuktuk has replaced the need for a pickup truck, so we bought a small hatchback EV instead. It’s easy and cheap to get things like tires and brakes fixed. Why vehicles like this aren’t everywhere beats me.
These are going to be a MASSIVE hit in Rome. They love their microcars.
The older + more narrow the city streets, the more sense they make!
Would it get up the seven hills?
And Jack repeats several times, they're impossible to crash!
Look like the automated taxis they were gonna being to my hometown back in 2000, johnny cabs.
They got thousands in european grants for it. Then we got 200m of cycle path and a new road network we didnt need (cardiff council, wales...if your interested eu grant people. They ran off with the money)
@@nottooherbal - and regen back down, all the way. lol.
Great little car for city and towns, removable doors are a great idea as well, the price of this is very good, especially when you can pay more for a mountain bike. Great work Jack and team.
Let me know how you feel after destroying the car in a pot hole😅
The prices you see these days for electric bikes looks a bit suspicious. Way to high given the improvements in battery technology, both capacity and price.
@John Dance I think the idea then in Finland at -15 would be to leave the doors on and tick the "heater" optional extra box when ordering but clearly this is a product better suited for no worse than temperate latitudes.
I agree removable doors are a good idea. Arcimoto should make doors standard on the FUV, removable of course.
We do have to wonder what the eventual price will be when actually available and on sale.
Wouldn't be the first time a projected price will have been... "optimistic", shall we say.
This is exactly what a microcar should be..Very good presenter....Andre..
I am just now getting into the micro car fit. Always been more of a biker. Glad to know something like this will be a part of our transportation future. Would greatly reduce traffic, auto deaths and the carbon foot print here in the US. Jack does a great job introducing everyone to these commonsense vehicles (I've been binge watching His videos). His enthusiasm is contagious when he talks about the features. Also, He's definitely not bad to look at himself. Thank you Jack and Fully Charged Show for doing these vieos!
This was the coolest thing I saw at FCR Amsterdam back in 2022. So cool!
12miles/kwh. Bonkers. Now that would enable realistic transport for short distances. I’d certainly consider it for all my local stuff up to 20 miles. Swappable batteries mean you could nip into an ‘energy station’ and be on your way in no more than a couple of minutes. Space for shopping and the dog!👍
It’s a blummin winner!
It has 4 x 1.6 kWh swappable battery packs.... ~100 km of urban range.
@John Dance Fuck yeah - bring it to Australia already, I'd have one in a flash!
@@maximilianholland That's 6,4 kWh in bateries, while 12 m/kWh would equal 5,2 kWh/100 km, so it should be even little more than that…
@@FalkonNightsdale you never use 100% of a battery, once the volts drop to low it cant power the motors, think of it like shaking a coke bottle and undoing the lid, the liquid that squirts out of the top is your volts, whats left in the bottle is the energy that cant be used.
I like a lot about it, seems consumer friendly and built to be cheap, lets just hope it is!
Agreed!
@@JackScarlett1 mate it'll probably end up being something silly like £15k despite being so basic, nobody will buy it and the company will go under
Pushing those front and back tires slightly outwards is the most genius thing I've seen in a car. Imagine pushing them outward in all directions 🤯
Pushing the wheels out sideways would lead to more car rollovers. It's why they haven't done it.
@@----.__ Formula 1: Am I a joke to you.
Alec Issigonis was working towards that. 👍
@@----.__ you've never seen a mini have you? no not the one built by BMW
Illegal in the US
Looks great for short distances and,most important,not dependent by fuel,gas,diesel. Great job!
12 mi/kwh is about 404.4 MPGe per an MPGe calculator I found. By my math, it's about 214 MPG equivalent cost if gas is $2.5/gallon and electricity is $0.14/kwh.
I think this is the first micro-car I've seen where Jack actually has inches of extra space above his head.
A modern day miracle
What can I say, it's designed by Dutch people... :)
@@JackScarlett1
We know you are, but how about the car? 😉
Haha, Jack is tall, even for Dutch standards close to normal (his length that is..) One of our investors is over 2 meters and he fits reasonably well.
@@SquadMobility i love that.. reasonably well! that's a great mindset
Jack is going to be in so much trouble with his Mum! 🙂
Nice looking, practical little car. I can imagine that being really popular in urban areas and as 2nd family cars.
I also expect we'll be seeing some people saying how it is pointless because they have a daily commute that is a 100 miles in each direction. Heads up for them: we know this car isn't for you. Just move on.
Can confirm mum fuming
Yah, my Ma is the same. She's a a really good driver, for a person with no depth perception. Never an accident (touch wood) just a lifelong series of tiny scratches.
Ev rvs. Can do that
We need more of this, no idea why the big brands aren't making tiny simple electric cars! 🤷♂️
There's a lot more profit to be made on a car that costs 10 times as much.
In the UK they wouldn't sell any.
They're called Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEV), and are basically golf carts. No need to reinvent them.
Money lol
@@robinbennett5994 sure from a car manufacturer perspective it's all about that however I think these kind of micro cars are so much better mostly for electric. I don't they will ever replace the other models but complement them.
Glad they're willing to come to USA!! We desperately need affordable small cars for city travel. I live in TX where there's no short supply of sun pretty much year round. I would love this!
I really hope they succeed. Already reserved mine. This is everything I need for 90% of my driving. Plus our government has an incentive of 5000eu compensation for new electric cars. So lets say ~6000eu for all my city driving needs? Absolutely!
I live in a flat, so solar + removable batteries are perfect.
The only concerns are if I will have where to repair it since I doubt there will be any partners in my country. And how it will survive the winters here.
I want one and I want one right now! 😂 North America NEEDS these asap, once they're on the streets and around for a bit, I could see them taking off in popularity. Such a simple solution. Perfect as a second/ short-haul vehicle... or primary vehicle if your commute is reasonably short.
Finally the most common sense microcar. Not breaking the bank price, no-nonsense-just-useful features (solar roof and swappable battery) and decent looks too. The solar will definitely works best here too. Please come to 🇲🇾
We definitely will, most of our pre-orders are from the USA
@@SquadMobility Wow much appreciated for your response. But I just want to double confirm, the flag in my comment is Malaysia in case if you guys mistaken it for USA flag 😅
Anyway it's an honor. Congrats on the excellent product 👍🏼
@@obidean3964 If they do well so may you get your wish I bet, but it would be a mistake for them to over reach and try to be everywhere at once. So I think you would have to mail order one if you want one early.
The way this dude is communicating to the group he is targeting is so special helpful!
Smashing it
I definitely want to have one of those. That's an excellent addition to your main (far distance) car to go around a town. PERFETTO!
I'd like a micro off-roader....
Something this size, but solidly built with more suspension travel and 4WD.
50 mile winter range would plenty. Small pickup bed with enough room for a couple of dogs would be a bonus.
Somehow 100 ke off road. Winter range buy that
A cyber truck then…..
I absolutely bloody love this. Great show, great presenter, great little car.
Thank you Sam!
That headroom must be insane. Ive never seen Jack sit that upright
It might be the first time I ever have
Dutch people are tall, that's why ;)
I love the idea. A 4 seater L7 would sell insanely well
Agreed. Just going to try & place a pre-order request.
Working on this!
@@SquadMobility possible to order from India?
Look up the Xbus from electric Brands in Germany
Why would it sell insanely well? Because it's electric or because it's basic?
Tata released a 4 seat 700cc (I think) car in the UK because people said they wanted simple and cheap transport. It didn't have carpets, a radio, AC, it was really basic.
Guess what? Nobody bought it, seems like saying you want simple, basic and cheap, doesn't mean you buy simple, basic and cheap.
I think this is better than hiring a bicycle to get around the city, but a viable from of transport? Only if you don't really go anywhere, and €6,000 for not going anywhere feels expensive to me, nah I'll stick to my fossil fueled car.
But I genuinely hope this sells well across Europe.
I'm also hoping for a 50% reduction in the sale of fossil fuels in Europe, that'll mean a glut of fossil fuels on the market, fewer buyers and reduced prices and lower pump prices here in Asia.
I'd consider buying one, the fact that it has solar panels already installed is great!
Buy. It
I'd buy and drive that thing; fun little bugger. Also, superb editing as always, and +1 for pronouncing _kilometres_ properly. Good job all around! BTW, it's _fewer_ cars, not "less" cars.
I think it's brilliant, not just for cities but also for island communities that currently use golf buggies.
I am working on a vehicle for personal transportation. It's going to be very compact comfortable, safe and affordable to run, make the person using it healthy and pollute very little. I have posted a few videos on TH-cam if you want to see it
It IS a golf cart!
Frustrating that cars like these aren't more available in the US
As I found when I saw the Microlino at Farnborough, it's probably a lot bigger than Jack makes it look...
I would love to have one of these in Brazil, it's a bit too low to deal with potholes and speed bumps, but hey, if it gets stuck, it actually sounds feasible to get it out of any hole with one helping hand.
I bought similar three wheel electric vehicle that I am upgrading. One advantage of three wheels where I live is that you can park it at walking paths etc. I also like that it looks quite small but has very good interior space even for two adults and will fit and turn literally anywhere. Also for longer trips it is easier for cars to pass you because you aren't much wider than regular scooter.
Looking forward to the day London has lots of these microcars about. Would be good to do my weekly shopping and seeing family in.
London is screaming out for these
Electric cargo bike. And a raincoat.
Restricted to weekly shopping . . . Try once every three weeks home deliveries . . Let somebody else do the picking, packing and moving. . . You never get that time back !
@@cjeam9199 Of course! But why not have both!?!
Disruptive technology happens when already existing tech is creatively combined in useful new ways. This combination of microcar + battery + solar is surely on to a winner for local personal transport. Plus, connected and app-bookable for ride service, and monitoring. Wish it every success. The guys at Sion and Lightyear are probably kicking themselves for missing this more obvious and simple initial application for solar+EV.
Wow, a new electric car that doesn't come from China - brilliant! Most of London is becoming a 20mph (32kph) zone so you could even get booked for speeding - sweet.
All nice and dandy. But my vote still goes to the Citroen Ami. 🙂
This look like a better finished, more posh small piece of transportation. But the other one touch the hearth on a jiffy!
BTW less glass might make for a more claustrophobic car. But it would save a lot of weight and money. 🙂I really love the solar option of this one. ;-)
So about £8k-ish once all the neccesary extras are in. For a car you'd rarely have to charge, that's amazing. As long as it can do 50mph for A-roads, I'm in like flynn!
The flat folding seat defo needs doing. And I love the wheels forward design for parking.
My first thought too whats the top speed.
I wonder how concentrator solar panels of the future (like they are working on at Stanford University) would be on this... if you could upgrade parts as tech improves, how fantastic. I really like this little thing. The price is fantastic. Where I live people buy golf carts to drive around the neighborhood... and they I think start around $13K!
I have a CitECar from 2016 which was designed and built in Charleston,SC and intended to be used in-town (SC allows low-speed vehicles/LSV on any road with a 35mph limit or less). Uses deep-cycle AGM lead-acid batteries which charge slowly and only limited range (especially at 6 years old!) but fine for local use. Can also use as a golf cart. The potential to get a solar-charged city vehicle at less than the cost of what I have is very attractive.
Concentrator solar cells a) need to be pointed at the sun to work and b) produce absolutely no energy when in diffuse light (=cloudy weather, have you been in the Netherlands? 😉). So they are definitely not a good fit for a solar car, and it's also why you hardly ever see them in fixed PV installations. The tech has been around for ages. It works fine, it's just that the economics are against it in most applications.
@@luisvelasco316 For golf carts, and maybe for your vehicle too, there are drop-in lithium replacements for lead-acid batteries. Might rejuvenate your vehicle!
I love this firecracker.
If it comes to Canada, I'll buy one immediately.
This is perfect in all the old towns and villages all over Europe because of the narrow streets. It’s going to sell like hotcakes. Do a cargo version and it will become the de-facto way to deliver goods as well.
I love this car already. There should be an option to have cameras instead of side mirrors. The side mirrors make the vehicle much wider, losing a good bit of the micro-car advantage. The passenger seat could fold back instead of forward, potentially making a very flat surface for loading large boxes and musical instruments
If you want the same field of view, cameras would have to stick out just as far as side mirrors. They still make sense when you are trying to improve aerodynamics, but this thing is shaped like a box so that wouldn’t make much difference.
@@Sashazur Perhaps you are right, about sticking out, but the positioning of cameras/mirrors needs a rethink anyway now that rear-view cameras can show so much more than a rear-view mirror.
Good to see/hear from this concept again after Lightyear and Sono Motors recently filed for bancruptcy. I feared that here too because Squad´s website is only updated sporadically. Here in Germany there are some similar (Chinese) microcars available that can be updated with solar roofs, but Squad with its removeable battery packs and other amazing features is way ahead. I cannot wait to drive my own!
12 miles / kWh is absolutely amazing. One and a half batteries would absolutely do me for my day to day commute, or more so my "two days a week" commute. I could leave the car to just charge the batteries by itself for most of the week, and then use my regular solar panels at home for any additional capacity.
Four batteries would do me to go from my house to my parent's house
Biyt it with 4 vmbateries
Love this! 3d printing has to be an enormous part of developing prototypes like this.
100%. Godsend for small new car brands like this
Brilliant! This is motoring in the right direction - the trend towards minimalism. Please don't forget South Africa when you start exporting this beautiful little car. Exactly what the doctor ordered. BMW, Tesla, Audi, Jaguar, Mercedes and Porsche please take note or you risk your brands becoming obsolete.
What an awesome report. I can see these used in so many major cities instead of normal cars and 4WDs which use them now. The air would be cleaner, it would be safer, and much quieter.
I want one of these now. Totally 100 per cent in every way. Wow - and Jack's a fab presenter. I was entranced right the way through his presentation. All questions answered. Except one - or maybe I missed it - when I can I buy one in the UK? Thank, Joanna
End of this year to q1 of 2025 we will see them actually shipping orders. Low volume at first so go to the website and preorder (free)
I'm so excited to buy one with 4 batteries !!!
One good use when the 4 seater version hits the USA is in places like the retirement villages in Florida etc.
They use golf buggies to get around already but they obviously need charging every so often.
Solar panels on a golf buggy she be very easy to fit
not gona lie, i kinda love it! the carsharing in my city is just teslas atm. they are just so big that they are kind of a pain to just make a quick hop across the city. i hope they get a boatload of those little guys for those solo A to B trips.
Totally agree 👍
I bought a Jinma J2 slow moving micro electric, but the squad solar looks very worthy styling and very practical too and seems to have good visibility with the window design of no blind spots.
Mine is about 100 or so pounds more in weight, however i can add probably upto 3kw of battery, and i opted for a actual trailer tow hitch to offset the limits of interior space when needed. They should offer a choice of audio from basic to hifi, choice of interior materials from basic plastic upto choices of upholstery, and insulation inside the panels is something i plan on installing, but these should really be factory options.
Bring on the slow moving electric solutions!
Amazing Amazing innovation. The strategy is remarkable. Thank you sooooo much fully changed ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
This would be brilliant for Australian cities
Thanks for the honest review. Looks like great entry for economical transport. Brave engineers get high praise for offering a wonderful solar car in a high latitude country. Wishing the best of success.
As soon as it hits the US I'll buy it. This is an amazing design!
I'm considering it myself too. 🥰
It will never hit America as our left wing socialist government won't allow it as the Dems are firmly in the pocket of Americas big 3 auto group.
What makes you think they ever will? They’re toys and look extremely dangerous for the US roads. There’s absolutely no way this cart could be legally driving in the American roads. There are thousands of electric tiny cars that are better than this and would never make it to the American market.
I was gutted when they announced that Sono Sion will never happen. Sad that no one bought them up and started production, it had everything the common citizen needed. Cheap, lots of storage and free charging when parked 90% of the time.
The Sion kept getting additions that were rediculous. Who needs a door to door video screen? Make it simple and drop the price. Shell, wheels, motor, brakes, solar. Simple.
@@KesSharann This is mostly just that, instead of gold plated by extra features so is only what is needed, but doing those basics very well.
Well done. Coming from a country with a limited history in the auto manufacturing industry. Which means it doesn't have a history of bad thinking to overcome. The swappable batteries is nothing short of brilliant. And the Collin Chapman design (light and simple) is bullet proof for city mover. This one must have a future especially if the price remains in the stated range. Something to be said about fresh thinking and tidy design.
I think it's the perfect design of micro car by now
That price is fire! And swapable batteries make it much more versatile and open more use cases. Makes me wonder though if the price in the video is with the four battery packs included.
The Price is with two batteries included
probably not, but such teeny-winsy batteries are usually affordable, or nicely monthly rentable. Makes more sense when you have to pay zilch for electricity or petrol!
and where are you going to swap the batteries at?
@@pogo1140 a franchise system could be set up, easy. Kiosks for example.
@@pogo1140 I'm wondering if they're selling a home charger for the batteries: that would solve the problem for flat dwellers like myself who don't have a long enough power lead to charge a car on the street
Excited to see the range on the 4 seater.
50 mile range could handle 80% of my driving. 120 miles could handle 90%.
50 miles at 30 MPH would take awhile.
@@LaserFur The larger one will have a higher top-speed too (~75kph...45-50 mph?)
Neat to see one of these that's actually planned to come to the US. (It seems unlikely to *happen*, but kudos for them trying!)
They need to make these everywhere. I'd love to be involved in bringing these to Canada or building them here
00:23 I see what you did there 👍😉
This is cool - you have a car INSIDE your typical sports car roll bar 😀
1.6kWh is going to be quite a heavy briefcase to move about. Would be worth testing that before committing. A nice feature of the battery swopping will be the ability to leave batteries at home and charge them with home solar - assuming that´s possible. To match demand with solar supply, it needs either a)a timer so if you leave the house at 7am you can program it to come on at 10am when there´s more solar OR b) to have the option to charge at a slow rate. You don´t want to leave home at 7am and it is fully charged by 9am which won´t match well with solar.
The battery will be 10 kg, portable for short distances and swapping
I think every time a micro car review lands on the Fully Charged desk, the producer get's Jack to do it. "It'll be hilarious - 7ft man in a 6ftmicrocar..."😅
😆
Jack is 7ft? He doesn't look it to me.
@@user-gu9yq5sj7c He's shorter when he's sitting down...
6’5”
What I want to know is how it is at climbing steep hills. Is it able to be used on a hilly commute in some place like San Francisco or Seattle? I’ve got a driveway that’s about a 25 degree climb.
With a trend towards ever larger and heavier SUVs (what Christian Brand of the University of Oxford dubs the "mobesity" epidemic) I am always glad to see reviews of new micro cars, and with its solar panel and removable batteries the Squad looks ideal for people who lack off-street parking.
I really love the idea of micro vehicles and the utility of this one in particular but one thing that's usually not discussed is how the vehicle will handle a hill with the boot loaded up with shopping. Dublin( my home town)is pretty flat, but for instance i have a friend who lives just outside the city up a steep hill heading into the mountains, I wonder would it handle a decent incline fully loaded. Of course there are also plenty of cities with hills all over them too
Also, are they planning a solution for left-hand-drive??
I asked that question to Robert Hoevers at Squad Mobility given I also was concerned about the hill climbing ability and he kindly answered as follows - "Yes 20% with full load is possible as we use high torque in-wheel motors". I am sure he won't mind such info to be passed on.
Suggestion. Put an additional solar panel/strip on the instrument binnacle facing the window (obviously) and another long single cell one at the base of the windscreen (say 4” high) all the way along… add to the solar footprint 😊
The extra power that would generate (relative to the cost of the increase in production complexity) probably isn't worth it - the entire roof panel only makes ~1kW, based on what Jack said... that's a ~6ft panel (60"), so a 4" panel would - perhaps - generate another 60w (presuming they can achieve the same efficiency in such a small panel, which is unlikely)
@@logicalChimp I wasn’t thinking about speed of charge … you can very flexible little solar panels too. Just thinking aloud. That real estate addition would be an increase of roughly 15-20%
I can imagine that base price is with one battery pack of 1.6KwHrs. That would still give a decent 19 mile range with the efficiency figure quoted plus whatever you can add from solar charging. The car can take up to 4 packs.
The base model gets two battery packs, going by their website.
@@gustaveliasson5395 Yes, you are right. Made the assumption that a base model would only have the minimum number of batteries. Makes the little car even more good value.
As a Dutchman I am astonished: this car is actually practical! Kudos to the people who designed it. Probably limited to 50 km/h, not ok on 80 km/h roads, but allowed on all bike lanes. Battery prices and solar panel prices will come down in the next 5 years, it will be a hit! People don't even need a charger or charging stations/points. Serious product this.
Very cool, look forward to seeing the finished model, preferably the faster version one, may want to get one of these in the US
These should be the car norm for city transport, they would make cities so much more pleasant, I hope they're successful.
Yes must reclaim the city, streets and towns, Truely felt better in the pandemic time in Seattle with lesser traffic obstruction.. 🍷👍
The norm for city transport should be public transport. But yeah, more of these than SUVs
@@FabriSlv Yes, good point, bicycles, walking, public transport, then these. It is just crazy that we devote massive amounts of public space for big SUVs that most of the time they are not parked are carrying a single person, a little sanity would be nice.
Would love to see these in the US, these would be a great replacement for mopeds, scooters, some motorcycles and golf carts people drive around in.
Great commuter car, will be an absolute hit.
It's not legal in America with its European specs.... It would have to be limited to NEV specifications, which limit It to roads with a 25 mile an hour speed limit and most roads have a speed limit above that, so it would not be practical in most places.... Except for places like retirement communities....
Three wheelers make more sense in America, which are classified as motorcycles... We really need to change the laws in America, to allow micro cars on a broader basis....
@@nc3826 That wont happen, noway that US lawmakers would intentionally make a foreign car street legal if they can avoid it.
This is so great. Every planned community in the US would have these at the community center if it could drive itself to your house:) but even now it would be so useful in some many communities in the US
55+ communities in the US and golf courses could easily make use of this vehicle. Might have to get clever with how clubs are accessed. A hit in Florida and Arizona for sure.
PLEASE god I hope this car makes it to the US and does NOT become double the price because of import taxes and shit. Better yet if they'd get these made on at least one factory in the US that'd be awesome.
I need one but also need the affordability.
I play hockey 2-4 times a week at a couple of rinks about 10-15 miles away. I can see folding down the passenger seat (or maybe even removing the passenger seat altogether), putting my bags in, and using this car just for getting to the rink and back, and NEVER having to charge it. Worth the $7K. I'd probably have to add exterior storage for my sticks, but heck, I've done that on my motorcycle. No problem. GET THIS THING TO THE US!
I like these, the slightly faster L7 category would be very popular if they kept the price down, be interesting to see final pricing on them, not everyone has 30 grand for a car just to commute and go to asda in
Basically it would compete with Wulling MINI EV - if GM ever decide to get it out of China - which is slightly larger and better equipped…
That said, while it costs ~$5000 in China, price will probably +50-100% for the rest of the world.
So they need to aim for maximum ~$5-7k in EU if they want to be successful.
@@FalkonNightsdale That one doesn't have the solar panel, that makes quite a bit of difference, not only does it save money, but you can even use it without access to electricity or for camping letting it charge while you camp for a few days.
@@znail4675 Only on paper. In reality it wouln't be able to produce anything significant even if the panel was of superior type…
@@FalkonNightsdale Did you watch the video you are commenting on?
@@znail4675 Sure I did seen the whole advertisement… So what…?
You know, that if there is any particular moment in video, that allegedly contradicts me, you cant timestamp it, right…?
This would be a perfect car for me in the UK. Used maybe three times a week, charging on the drive, great. I would like a tailgate and a little more length for taking a month's worth of shopping, although a three week shop would probably become the norm. If carrying a few swap-able charged batteries could give a range of 45 miles that would be the icing for the once every two months to the next city that we keep the Peugeot 4007 for.
The base price I believe comes with just the 1 battery. The car can carry up to 4 so 6.4 KwHrs total possible onboard. Given the efficiency figure they quote that then gives 76.8 miles plus on a full charge and whatever you can harvest from the sun. I believe it also makes use of regenerative braking.
Comes with 2 batteries.
Not gonna lie, this vehicle has great price to features and actually looks like something that would be useful in a real city centre. I hope to see them soon!
Yes must reclaim the city, streets and towns, Truely felt better in the pandemic time in Seattle with lesser traffic obstruction.. 🍷👍
@@varunemani Unfortunately, our green party here in Switzerland doesn't want that. They love to reroute transit traffic through the cities and object to any infrastructure project that would reduce inner city traffic (from sufficient parking to more motorway exits). It's a political nightmare.
I
WANT
THIS!
This would make going to university much less annoying transportation wise.
Mad we care more about what strangers think than the usefulness of the vehicles we own. Our streets are clogged with cars because everyone needs one for an >5-mile journey and not just a car, usually an SUV. The amount of people that pay for this privilege is mental, like 500 quid a month for a giant, heavy fashion accessory. Everything about this from the visibility to the footprint shows how far car design has fallen in place of margins. There's so much room for these types of cars, esp in the UK, but ego's will fight their existence whilst complaing about potholes on Facebook.
12 miles is insane that's half the range of my e-bike but without the grid so after manufacture and if I wasn't a PAS user this could be arguably greener
These will be great for the elderly, for whom a full size car is a little dangerous, overwhelming. One of these would still allow the elderly to go get there shopping.
Great little runabout, if they can sell them for that price they will sell millions. Would love to see them in UK ❤😊😅
It never saw the light of day
A solar powered car - made me giggle
Yes please, be great in NZ, Lower Hutt look forward to them asap. When & where?❤
what id love when this goes global is the possibility of modular add ons like a cargo tray for practical utility~ this would be a hit in the tropics! hope they release this in the philippines too specially in my area where parking space is a nightmare for bigger car~
“You were only meant to take the bloody doors off” great concept, great presentation ❤
Great video!
I get Jack's point about town driving in a very small EV as this is my experience of driving a Fiat 500e in one pedal range mode, which is an entirely stress-free experience. Road works, traffic congestion, and aggressive drivers no longer phase me in the slightest since I bought this car.
Yes must reclaim the city, streets and towns, Truely felt better in the pandemic time in Seattle with lesser traffic obstruction.. 🍷👍
Master chef has fiat 500 e. New one 186 m I e range
The faster version would be nice to have in Thailand, where I live...lots of sunshine the whole year around.
Interesting concept, lot of potential.
I live in Texas and I would be interested in getting one of these. It sounds perfect for short distances, and cars are pretty much a necessity in the city because public transportation is nearly nonexistant. We{re always trying to find ways to cut costs on our cars.