Amitron Electric Car

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31564, 29 December 1967, Page 5

Amitron Electric Car

AMERICAN Motors anc “■ Gulton Industries have an nounced a joint venture foi development of an electric car. The prototype, a small three-passenger commuter cat called the "Amitron,” and the newly-developed long-life lightweight Gulton lithium battery system to be used tc power it are shown above. An operational model of an electric car was expected tc be on the road for extensive testing within a year, said Mr R D. Chapin, chairman of the board of American Motors. “This joint project is the result of the development of this new power system," Mr Chapin said. “It could eliminate many problems which to this point have made electrictype cars impractical.” Dr L. K. Gulton, president of the electronics company, said the new system will give a compact car a range of 150 miles without recharging, compared with 40 to 80-odd miles for other research ears. It will provide a cruising speed of up to 50 m.p.h., he said. The new* lithium-nickel fluoride battery’ system is more compact and lighter in weight than batteries used in other experimental cars. Dr Gulton said. The system has two lithium units, each of which weighs 75 pounds. Each is 13 inches wide, 124 inches high and 234 inches long. Lithium batteries store 10 times as much energy as con-

I ventional lead-acid batteries • of the same size. ’! The electronic system also ' includes two 25-pound bipolar batteries of nickel cadmium and a solid state control system. Each bipolar unit is 18 i inches long, 10 inches high and 2j inches thick. The lithium battery is designed to provide extensive cruising at moderate output. The bipolar units have a rapid ■ energy output which is expecj ted to provide acceleration j from 0-50 m.p.h. in 20 seconds. ! The system provides for the recharging of the bipolar i units from the lithium bat-1 I teries while the car is cruis- . ing. Additional efficiency is achieved from regenerative braking, in which energy nor- ! mally lost in slowing and stopi ping the vehicle will be used ito recharge the battery sys- | tern. The special energy-re- : generative brake device proj vides the same brake pedal I “feel” as a conventional car. It can add up to 25 per cent' to the range of the car. I Dr Gulton said the complete ! ,system can be fully recharged! approximately a thousand i times over a period of three : , years. The batteries can be, recharged in four hours. The | capacity to drive about 20, miles can be recharged in 30 ! ; minutes on ordinary house • i current or in 10 minutes I with a special outlet.

“A car of this type would provide many benefits, especially for city use, where short trips are most common. The apparent efficiencies of an electronic-system, combined with quietness of operation and the absence of exhaust, offers obvious advantages for heavily congested urban areas,” Mr Chapin said.

“We envisage electronic cars as not replacing but supplementing conventional petrol-powered vehicles in the future."

The prototype Amitron has an overall length of 85 inches, a width of 69| inches and a height of 46 inches. It has a wheelbase of 60 inches. Plans call for air-filled seats which could be deflated and lowered to floor level to provide a large cargo-carrying area. The electronic system will be behind the seats with the top of the compartment serving as a luggage carrier. Instrumentation will be mounted helicopter-style below the steering wheel. Dials and instruments will be larger than on conventional cars to permit maximum ease of viewing.

The car will have a clam-shell-type opening to permit ease of entry and exit. Hinged at the rear of the car, the entire roof would swing back on counterbalanced hinges. It will be opened from either side of the car.