Trev the 100 mile two-seat electric car from Down Under

The Trev look might be a bit love-it-or-hate-it, but there's no arguing with the specs: 0 to 60 in about 10 seconds, top speed of 75 mph, and a range of 100 miles per charge. Trev is being built by staff and students at the University of South Australia, and costs less than an Australian dollar per 100km to run -- about 86 cents for every 62 miles. The car seats two comfortably in tandem, with room for a pair of overnight bags. No word on a production version.

[Via TreeHugger]

[KenGirard @ Jan 23rd 2008 1:56PM]

Most important part for you all to note: Not intended for production. It is a concept car built by a school... just like the 60 mpg bio-diesel sports car built by those high school kids for under $20,000 a couple of years ago using off the self equipment.

Real car makers don't think the US public wants a car that gets more then 20mpg. So be ready for even more 7 passanger 600hp 15mpg SUVs that will never go off road.

[Ty @ Jan 23rd 2008 2:19PM]

Sadly, the new fad is the abomination called: "Crossover SUV's."

[Frank Beck @ Jan 23rd 2008 7:07PM]

Check this monster!!!

http://acabion.com/
(hit the links: "acabion english", "future traffic", "GTBO")

100 mph at 1.7% throttle and 100 miles per gallon.
150 mph at 4.3% throttle and 62 miles per gallon.
250 mph at 17% throttle and 25 miles per gallon.

[Ben @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:46PM]

Bravo to the group for producing the car. If they are not going to put it into production, before some major car corporation buys out the rights to the vehicle design and prevents it from EVER being built...why doesn't the school simply sell plans for people interested in building their own? Even make it public domain... or write a book about the experience with plans? There are thousands of home built electric vehicles in the US, this is definitely an upgrade. Please? BTW you'd be amazed at the progress open source designing can do to advance technology faster than corporations! (See Linux)

[~blu~ @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:14PM]

why is everyone so exited about future cars that will take forever to get out. Woopie about smart cars that only give you 35 mpg. Why not everyone get a corbin this year...called the sparrow...60+ mpg. and 2 seater, and carpool....these concept cars look good but are too much into the future. Think about the present, and not roo much into the future. Engadget, why not talk about the corbin sparrow?

[derX @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:17PM]

Wow, now that's green.

[Alex Knutson @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:18PM]

very sexy indeed... state side plz

[Ignatius @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:25PM]

I honestly wouldn't mind an electric car. Come on... get cheaper...

[Brassen @ Jan 23rd 2008 8:24AM]

I'm with you in this

[Ty @ Jan 23rd 2008 2:11PM]

Electric cars are cool and all, but seriously, what happens when this bastard gets hit by an Escalade. Being crushed by a soccer mom driving a tank is NOT how I want to go out.

[Ignatius @ Jan 23rd 2008 2:52PM]

Which is why I wish we could redo the entire premise of a car. Lightweight, quiet and generally quick-on-their-toes vehicles rather than giant, tread-bearing death machines that won't dent even if you take down a semi truck.

[Simon @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:29PM]

Why do all electric cars have to look stupid??

[pji @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:59PM]

A bit love-it-or-hate-it and throw in some fire hazard as well. Unless that has an ejection mechanism like a fighter plane, you can keep it.

[abadtooth @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:50PM]

Thats gotta be the best looking electric car I've ever seen, just make it a single seater and I'm sold!

[Asha @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:39PM]

Because they are supposed to look futuristic. Yeah, many of them just look fugly.

[Taylor @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:30PM]

This is "good-looking" in the world of electric cars... apparently.

[Mike I @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:41PM]

lol It looks cool... In a fun kinda way... Like a bicycle kind of way.

But yeah... Electric cars do look pretty dumb most of the time.

The Tesla roadster is sweet, though. And Tesla's upcoming luxury sedan should also be good looking.

[karts41 @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:31PM]

Looking at it front on, it looks as if it might eat you.

[karts41 @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:31PM]

Looking at it front on, it looks as if it might eat you.

[karts41 @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:32PM]

i didnt do that.

[David @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:33PM]

No word on a production version. No word on a production version. No word on a production version. No word on a production version.

Why is there never, ever a production version?

[Mark @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:58PM]

Pressure/payoffs from oil companies, no doubt.

[tony @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:13PM]

Aptera. IF you live in CA you'll be able to buy one this year... allegedly.
300 MPG

[Kasona @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:33PM]

dude, if that could be manufactured at a reasonable price, I'd buy one up in a heartbeat!!

[Vodska @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:41PM]

This'll take ages to hit the states...given that it goes into production.

Remember the Tesla? Oh so promising, yet so out of reach.

[Jason @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:15PM]

Why are these cars always 3 wheelers?

[Thunderbuck @ Jan 23rd 2008 12:29AM]

There's a good reason for that, actually.

In most places (including US and Canada), 3-wheelers are actually classed as motorcycles. That way they don't have to meet the same safety standards as real cars.

For the record, I'd drive one of these in a heartbeat.

[kal326 @ Jan 24th 2008 2:45PM]

@Thunderbuck
The only downside is that if you get hit by a larger vehicle, like a some a-hole on a cell phone driving an excursion you're gonna be a tri-patty.

[Ty @ Jan 23rd 2008 2:17PM]

Unless this fucker has an ejection seat I feel like I'd be safer on a motorcycle.

[Matt @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:47PM]

God damn that thing is horrid.

[Grim @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:57PM]

kk so u cant lower the windows and if someone breaks teh glass u gotta replace the whole thing? this thing needs more time to make.

[Mark @ Jan 22nd 2008 9:56PM]

Thanks, but no thanks. This makes the passenger look like a loner, instead of being beside the driver. And..what kind of romantic fun can you have in car designed like that?

[tony @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:12PM]

Reach around.

[zfurie @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:45PM]

The front seat folds down creating a long bed along with the rear seat.

Now that's backseat fun.

[Luke @ Jan 23rd 2008 4:13AM]

Tony, that is funny.

[brunettiv @ Jan 24th 2008 3:32AM]

Crikey!! That car looks so awesome. If I was a very rich individual i would buy that car! I love it!!

[john @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:12PM]

That would at least get you to work and back each day. But on longer hauls the hybrid car would be better. http://www.activehybrid.com

[Kenneth Arcieri @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:13PM]

This project has been completed since 2006. Soon it will be 2 years since movement has been seen in this project =\

[RijilV @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:31PM]

"about 86 cents for every 62 miles"

Like, come on!

86/62 = x/100
62x = 8600
x=138

So in other words, about $1.38 per 100 miles..

see math isn't that hard :)

[wayne @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:45PM]

I'm sorry, but you've got it just plain wrong there...

The article says $1AU per 100km, $1AU = roughly US 86 cents and 100km = 60miles, so i believe you are wrong my friend.

[kawaiipikachu @ Jan 22nd 2008 10:40PM]

You mean it's right here in adelaide

[Chris @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:23PM]

Jesus, the whole back seat is the "bitch" seat.

[Bart @ Jan 22nd 2008 11:41PM]

Oh my... the Sinclair C5 has risen from the grave...

[john @ Jan 23rd 2008 2:16AM]

I can see using that as a commuter car. I'd buy it if it's not terribly expensive.

[Shockgamer @ Jan 23rd 2008 5:47AM]

I have to wonder. Do these cars get designed with such a futuristic look because that's where the tastes of the world's drivers are headed? Or is it just that these car designers watched Back to the Future and Demolition Man, realized it was 2008 and decided to make the future futuristic come hell or high water?

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jan 23rd 2008 10:39AM]

That avatar is AWESOME. It took me a sec to figure out who that was, and then I laughed out loud. Good work.

[SuperDuckHellrazorhead @ Jan 23rd 2008 6:12AM]

This is quite an old article it seems .... Quote from bottom of article :

"In 2006, our aim is to get the prototype car registered and on the road."

[Ed @ Jan 23rd 2008 7:49AM]

All this electric car hoopla is BULLSHIT.

I'm a practical person when it comes to green technology. The energy comes from SOMEWHERE.

Sure, the car is not spewing noxious fumes into the atmosphere. Great.

It's not killing some green spotted super rare mini dwarf oh-so-cutesy desert owl being constructed, or driven. Sweeet. Super Sweeet.

However, you are pluggin that car into a wall outlet. I want to know:

EXACTLY how much electricity (in friendly units) it takes to charge up those batteries AND how many miles it gets on a single charge.

If that information is not so good..... then you may end up paying more money to operate it per mile then gasoline, and creating that electricity may cause more CO2 pollution, or other forms of indirect pollution.

I just don't see people thinking this through. E-Fuel, Flex-Fuel... These solutions SUCK. You do more damage to the environment trying to grow that much corn to create these bio fuels.

We just need to see the bottom line. So I am tired of seeing every new electric car coming out with no real specifications and analysis of the true environmental impact.

[USGS @ Jan 23rd 2008 8:54AM]

dude, chill.

You do know in some area's you can sign up for "green electricity". Supposedly it's clean too

[KenGirard @ Jan 23rd 2008 1:43PM]

This car is intended for Australia, where it is often sunny. They seem to think that covering a million acres of the Outback with solar panels could provide enough power to light up all of Autralia, as well as New Zealand, and a couple of other countries. And even more, they seem to think that such power might just be 'green'.

Of course you could also put solar panels on your roof and charge batteries all day, and then come home at night and hook into the batteries to charge your car.