Soon the days of having to fill up your car with petrol will be gone with the launch of Joule, the electric car manufactured by the South African company Optimal Energy. The car was unveiled at a motor show in Paris last year, and will be available worldwide in 2010.
In South Africa, however, mass production of this electric car will only begin in 2013, according to
Wheels24.com. Diana Blake, the Executive Manager of Marketing at Optimal Energy, says that the car will only be produced more widely almost three years after the pilot cars have taken to the road, as demand grows. According to an article on
Fin24.com, the initial planned production of 4,000 vehicles per year will be increased to 50,000 in 2013. This will push Optimal Energy high up in the rankings of local car makers in a year or two of the car’s launch.
The development of the Joule has been financially supported by the Department of Science and Technology, and has also been funded by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the South African government's innovation fund. Kobus Meiring, CEO of Optimal Energy, was reported on
iafrica.com saying that he does not predict that the launch of Joule onto the vehicle market will be affected by the current economic crisis. He expects that the market will “be in a strong upward spring from 2012 onwards”.
The Joule was designed to address issues of energy wastage and climate-changing pollution. According to the
Optimal Energy website, the Joule is as green and clean as it is a quiet ride. It runs off a rechargeable battery (rechargeable from any electricity source) and is approximately five times more energy efficient and environment friendly than petrol or diesel cars.
The car is rather spacious – it seats six people, which makes it a perfect family car. Experts say that the Joule has smooth acceleration and is low on maintenance. This is due to the fact that the car has fewer parts than ordinary fuel-powered vehicles. So even though the cost of the car is high, approximately R200,000 according to
Fin24.com, one would be able to save on both petrol and maintenance costs.
Click here if you would to experience a virtual tour of the car and its parts.
