Wheego Whip
| Wheego Whip LiFe | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer |
Shuanghuan Automobile and Wheego Electric Cars Inc. |
| Production | 2011– |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door hatchback |
| Related | Shuanghuan Noble |
| Powertrain | |
| Electric motor | 45 kW (60 hp) |
| Battery | 30 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery |
| Range | 100 mi (160 km) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,025 mm (79.7 in) |
| Length | 3,010 mm (118.5 in) |
| Width | 1,605 mm (63.2 in) |
| Height | 1,600 mm (63.0 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,210 kg (2,667 lb) |
The Wheego Whip was an all-electric city car originally developed as the electric version of the Chinese Noble by Shuanghuan Automobile and RTEV (Ruff & Tuff Electric Vehicles).[1] The production version, called Wheego LiFe, was presented at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show and was sold in the United States at a price of US$32,995 before any applicable tax credits and other incentives.[2][3] The Wheego LiFe was built with a 30 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack and has an all-electric range of 100 miles (161 km).[4] The first delivery took place on April 2011 to a customer in Atlanta.[5]
History
Wheego Electric Cars Inc. was formed as a spin out from RTEV (Ruff & Tuff Electric Vehicles) in June 2009 and its first automobile was a two-seat compact car under the Wheego Whip name in North America and marketed by Shuanghuan Automobile in China as the E-Noble, its brand name for the rest of the world. The car is capable of speeds of 95 km/h (59 mph). In the U.S. it was to be launched in August 2009 as a low-speed vehicle with a top speed of 25 mph (40 km/h) or as a Medium Speed Vehicle with a maximum speed of 35 mph (56 km/h), depending on local state regulations.[1] These versions used dry cell sealed AGM lead–acid batteries, with an all-electric range of 80 kilometres (50 mi) on a single charge, and capable of recharging on any standard household 110 or 220-volt electrical outlet.[1]
Specifications
The 2011 Wheego Whip LiFe has the following specifications:[6]
- Battery: 30 kWh (36 3.2V cells at 260 Ah) lithium iron phosphate battery pack.
- Motor: Nominal 15 kW (20 hp), peak horsepower 45 kW (60 hp)
- Range: 100 mi (160 km)
- Torque: 95 lb·ft (129 N·m)
- Charge capable: 120V and 240V
- Charging time: From 50% SoC to 100% Soc 5 hours with Level 2 charging system
- On board charge port: J1772 compliant
- Top speed: 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) at 8,500 rpm
Production
The 2011 Wheego LiFe production model uses a 30 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack, can reach speeds up to 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) and Wheego Electric Cars claims that it has an all-electric range of 100 miles (161 km).[4] The chassis is the same as the Shuanghuan Noble, which once imported from China is reinforced for safety in the U.S. assembly plant to pass U.S. crash-testing.[4] Final assembly takes place in Corona, California. Around 73% of the vehicle is composed of American products giving it a high domestic content rating.
As of March 2012, the company has manufactured 36 cars since April 2011, and only two cars are left in inventory. Wheego's business strategy is to build the cars only when the company gets money from sales or through venture capital.[7] It's no longer in production.[3]
Sales
The first Wheego LiFe was delivered to a customer in Atlanta, Georgia on April 22 (Earth Day), 2011.[5][8][9] Cumulative sales since its launch reached 34 units by March 2012.[7]
See also
- List of modern production plug-in electric vehicles
- List of production battery electric vehicles
- Government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles
- Zero-emissions vehicle
References
- 1 2 3 "RTEV and Shuanghuan Automobile Form EV Partnership". Green Car Congress. 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ↑ "Wheego Debuts $32,995 Whip LiFe EV, Says Customer Deliveries to Start in Weeks". Edmunds.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
- 1 2 Voelcker, John. "Wheego Electric Cars Fade From Market; China Is The Future, Company Says". Green Car Reports. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Wheego now accepting pre-orders for $32,995 LiFe electric car". AutoblogGreen. 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
- 1 2 Blanco, Sebastian. "Wheego delivers first LiFe vehicle in time for Earth Day". AutoblogGreen. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ↑ Wheego. "2011 Wheego LiFe Technical Specifications". Wheego.net. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
- 1 2 Jim Motavalli (2012-03-14). "Can The Tiny Wheego Win The Electric Car Race?". Forbes. Retrieved 2012-03-22.
- ↑ Wirth, Michelle. "Reporter". WABE/PBA. publicbroadcasting.net. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
- ↑ Woodyard, Chris (2011-04-22). "Atlanta couple buys first Wheego electric car". USA Today (USA Today). Retrieved 2011-06-25.
External links
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