Question 1

How can the KEW Little Car Company claim that their vehicle can have a range of over 40 miles from 20kg of batteries, with 3.0kW/h of capacity, when other similar sized quadricycles need significantly heavier and more power dense batteries?

Accepted Answer

The KEW little car (including battery) has a target weight of under 400 kg, whereas the competitors weigh around 530kg. This is a 20% reduction in mass from the average. The XEV Yoyo has a kerb weight of 850kg.The range offered by quadricycles such as the Microlino, Silence and XEV Yoyo are significantly greater – and much more than is needed for most daily commutes. To achieve this, they carry much larger and heavier batteries. They need those larger batteries, in part, to carry the additional mass of the larger batteries!We strongly believe that, by limiting the range and holding to our target weight, we can achieve an optimum balance between total battery mass and practical usable range.That is why we feel confident in our claim that our figures stack up.

Question 2

What is the state of the market in the UK for quadricycles and microcars?

Accepted Answer

The variety of new microcars in recent years show that the state of the market is robust and growing. It has been widely reported in recent months that major automotive OEMs are rapidly concluding that cars in general need to get much smaller and cheaper. The fashion for ever bigger cars is over.

Question 3

But how will we charge all of them?

Accepted Answer

Most EVs, including the latest generation of microcar quadricycles, are designed to charge exclusively at roadside chargers. This will put a significant strain on the electricity grid. Some quadricycles have batteries that can be charged from a domestic supply – but must be removed on trolley wheels because they are too big and heavy to carry. The KEW little car will have the unique feature of 2 truly portable batteries specifically designed for indoor charging – even if the owner lives in a top floor flat. However, for even greater convenience, it can be charged from a roadside charger, if necessary.

Question 4

What about the perceived fire risk for battery charging indoors?

Accepted Answer

Batteries for the KEW little car will be manufactured by approved suppliers, selected for their reputation for quality, reliability and safety. Mobile phone and laptop manufacturers cured this problem with their products long ago. We are now quite happy to have them in our homes. The risk of battery fires is restricted entirely to those supplied by low quality manufacturers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can the KEW Little Car Company claim that their vehicle can have a range of over 40 miles from 20kg of batteries, with 3.0kW/h of capacity, when other similar sized quadricycles need significantly heavier and more power dense batteries?

What is the state of the market in the UK for quadricycles and microcars?

But how will we charge all of them?

What about the perceived fire risk for battery charging indoors?