Introducing the Brabus High Voltage Car

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Ultimate High Voltage Concept electric car has been unveiled by Brabus at the Frankfurt Motor show in Germany. The sporty little car is a new model incorporating the Brabus Smart ED (Electric Drive) concept.

The Smart Fortwo car features lithium ion batteries and a rear electric motor, both of which were developed by Tesla Motors, a partner of Daimler. The state of the batteries is displayed on a monitor mounted in the center of the console. The batteries are recharged from a standard power outlet and are 80% recharged after three hours and fully recharged after eight.

The car can reach 60 mph (100 kmh) in under 10 seconds. It delivers 82 horsepower and 207 pound-feet (280 Nm) of torque, and is a near-production development of the Electric Drive concept that the tuning company Brabus introduced at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year.

The car's features include aerodynamic wheels with clear plexiglass covers, and wide side skirts and wheel arches. The interior of the model unveiled at the show had white leather seats, and the car is convertible, with a white soft top.

Other features are LED running lights for increased visibility in the daytime, and a sound generator that allows the driver to make the silent electric motor sound like a V8 car. This feature may be a response to complaints of blind people that they cannot hear silent electric cars coming, but the fact that it can mimic the noise made by a racing car or even a space ship suggests it's really there for the fun of it.

The car is still in the concept stage and its release depends on when the consumer version of the Smart ED is released. It is not clear when that will be, but it may not be too far away.

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