| Make
|
Trabant |
| Model |
nT |
| Concept
year |
2009 |
| Production
year |
2012
? |
| Engine |
electric |
Presented at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show the Trabant
nT revives one of the most famous, or infamous, automobile
manufacturers of East Germany.
The retro-themed styling of the Trabant nT was penned
by Nils Poschwatta (the same guy developed the new Scirocco's
interior, the Golf W12 650 concept, the IROC and the VW
Eco Racer). The exterior design of the nT takes its inspiration
from the original Trabants.
Thankfully however, aside from the styling the nT concept
shares little in common with the communist-designed original
Trabant. This was a car which had all sorts of hateful
features like a 15 year waiting list(!), refueling cap
under the hood, smoky and underpowered two-stroke engine,
poor safety standards, and unchanged styling which lasted
over 30 years.
The Trabant nT concept is a fully electric vehicle which
uses a 60 horsepower electric motor for propulsion. Fed
by a lithium-ion battery pack mounted low-down in the
center of the vehicle, the electric drivetrain allows
for an 80 mph (130 km/h) top speed. Not a record breaker
but as a daily commuter the Trabant nT has space, interior
versatility, and adequate pace to keep up with traffic
in the city. Maximum range for the Trabant nT after a
full charge is 100 miles (160 km). The car can be fully
recharged overnight using any standard electricity outlet.
The makers of the new Trabant nT concept are Herpa, a
company more accustomed to making vehicles a touch smaller
than the nT - they make car, truck and airplane miniatures
usually.
After the showing at Frankfurt, Herpa are evaluating feedback
to see if a production run is viable for the Trabant nT.
If all goes well the car could be on the streets by 2012. |
|
