The car in question was the Super Light Sport Car Concept, an very small, very light electric two-seat "sports car". Weighing only 400kg, which for the record is 320kg less than a Lotus Elise S1, it has a 100 mile range which is much more impressive than the usual forty to fifty miles electric cars make do with. Unfortunately there were no performance figures for the car on the nearby information sheet.
I had a sit inside the car (when I finally got a chance, as the thing was surrounded by kids all day, the size of the thing making it look more like a toy than a car). It needs some work on ergonomics, as the driving position was a little... odd... for me (at around 170cm tall), my right leg being almost completely stretched to press the accelerator pedal all the way down and the steering wheel quite close by virtue of the cockpit being tiny. The seats aren't moveable, being simply strips of cushioned padding on the cockpit base. This might make it difficult for anyone under or over a certain size to get comfortable.
Apparently the production car would have fully electric controls, though the steering had a mechanical connection to the wheels so it's to be assumed that electric steering means electrically assisted.
I'd love a drive in one, and it did look like it'd be great fun. A 100 mile range would get you a very long way in town without having to be recharged. Performance wise I think that as little as 60-70mph would be enough, around the same as a small 125cc motorcycle or scooter. With an electric motor delivering instant torque and such light weight acceleration wouldn't be too bad either, which is important in the cut-and-thrust of inner-city driving.
The only problem might be the crowd of children you'd have to push through when you get back to the car park...
Images: Shane O' Donoghue @ The Car Enthusiast
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