Environment: Swiss hybrid hatch for launch next year?

MIT E-Motion

Swiss firm Mindset has revealed a scale model of a hybrid hot-rod shooting-brake.

The MIT E-Motion, featured in German magazine Auto Motor Und Sport this week, is a low-slung gullwinged two-door with a chopped-off rear end and upright tailgate, apparently created by former Volkswagen designer Murat Guenak.

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Built around an aluminium spaceframe with plastic body panels, the E-Motion weighs just 800kg despite a length of 4.2m. It has a similar powertrain system to GM's E-Flex (Chevy Volt), with a tiny petrol engine (24bhp) serving only to supplement the drive from the lithium-ion batteries which power the motors under most conditions. The range between refuelling and recharging is said to be 100km, with a roof-mounted solar panel topping up the electrical energy sources.

Mindset is said to be planning production of up to 10,000 cars a year, and says it could start building them to order as early as next year. Projected price for an E-Motion is €50,000.