Micro-Vett’s Electric Fiat Fiorino travels 586 km in 12 hours

  Stavanger (Norway), 13 may 2009
When speaking about electric vehicles, critics have always highlighted their lack of range.
Micro-Vett has now proven that this is no longer an issue. The solution lies in a charging system capable of re-energizing a vehicle’s batteries in the time it takes to have a coffee.
The desire was to demonstrate that existing technology could allow electric vehicles to enjoy the freedom of travel without limits, by depending on an accessible service network just like normal combustion engine vehicles.

In light of EVS24, the world’s most prestigious conference on electric mobility, Micro-Vett went to Norway, and together with local importer Go Green Holding carried out an important demonstration of this newly available technology by driving almost 600km in half a day with a fully electric vehicle.
The trial took them from Oslo to Stavanger (Norway), along the newly constructed roadway that connects the two major cities, and simulated a network of service stations every 120-130 km that quickly recharged the batteries of their Fiat Fiorino Electric.

The regular production Fiorino Electric, modified only with special data gathering equipment, left Oslo on May 13.  Accompanying it was a Bi-Power Iveco Daily with a special high-current battery charger on board.  Included in the team of drivers was a journalist from AUTOFIL, Norway’s most important auto magazine.  With the support and agreement of local electric companies that supplied a series of high power connecting points, the Micro-Vett team was able to make quick stops to charge the batteries along the way, simulating a future network of recharging stations and enabling the Fiorino Electric to reach its destination in little more than 12 hours.

To avoid final destination rush hour traffic, the team left Oslo at 3.30 in the morning.  It made four stops of 40 to 45 minutes each, using the supplied 400V, 125A connections to power the special charging unit.  Faster charging times would have been possible with higher energy connections, but they were not fully available at the time of the trial.  The Fiorino Electric arrived in Stavanger at 15.57 that evening, after 586 km of winding highways, bridges, and tunnels along the Norwegian coastline.

Micro-Vett has been a major European producer of electric vehicles for over 20 years, whose strength is a versatile range of products and a commercial partnership with Fiat. Micro-Vett has an expanding presence in most European countries through a dedicated and modern distribution network.

While the Fiorino Electric is derived from the regular production Fiat model, it leaves the external characteristics of the vehicle unchanged.  This little newcomer with large capabilities is powered by a 20 kW motor and an advanced group of Lithium-Polymer batteries.

Source: Micro-Vett