Softcar presents four-seater electric car L7e

The Swiss company Softcar has unveiled a lightweight L7e electric car with four seats. The electric car weighs 640 kilograms, including the battery, and is said to have a range of 200 kilometres. Prices start from from 23,000 euros.

Four seats for the lightweight L7e class are an absolute speciality: until now, only two-seaters were common in this category, such as the Topolino cabin scooter, the Silence Nanocar 04 recently launched by Nissan or the Ari Motors 902. All vehicles in the L7e class also have one thing in common: they are allowed to travel at a maximum speed of 90 kph, which is also the maximum speed for the Softcar.

The Softcar is powered by an electric motor that generates 15 kW continuous power and 30 kW peak power. Consumption is said to be around 8 kWh per 100 kilometres. With the 15 kWh battery, a range of just under 200 kilometres is possible. Softcar also plans to offer a gas-powered range extender as an additional option, which should double the range to 400 kilometres.

The Softcar runs on an autonomous ‘skateboard’ platform designed for durability, on which a recyclable, easily replaceable body can be mounted. This innovation is made possible by the use of state-of-the-art materials, including the latest generation of low-carbon composite materials for the body. One special feature is the low number of components: While normal cars require an average of 45,000 components, the Softcar gets by with 1,800. The vehicle is to be built from 2025 in a ‘micro-factory’, which is intended to be the opposite of the gigantism of the car industry and the trend towards gigafactories. Softcar is planning to produce 5,000 units per year, with the company aiming to operate profitably from just 2,000 units.

According to the company, Softcar was created in response to the four major challenges facing the automotive industry: weight, recyclability, high safety and affordability. “Innovation is at the heart of our DNA: At Softcar, we believe the automotive industry needs a complete rethinking. Our vehicles are the result of rigorous eco-design, using recyclable materials and decentralized manufacturing. Thanks to our innovative business model based on local micro-factories, we reduce pollution and CO2 emissions while creating local jobs and boosting the circular economy,” said Jean-Luc Thuliez, CEO and founder of Softcar.

In addition to the four-seater with gullwing doors presented, Softcar also intends to realise a van, a convertible and a two-seater on the same ‘skateboard’ chassis in the future.

softcar.com, softcar.com (product page), welt.de (in German)