ECOmove QBEAK EV Promises 500-Mile Range

I'm not sure I'll ever understand why many makers of electric vehicles can't (or won't) design an attractive car. It's like if you're driving a green vehicle some manufacturers think it has to be quirky and odd to scream green. I'm always happy that at least Tesla makes its EVs attractive. The latest quirky and not so good-looking electric vehicle to cross my desk is the ECOmove QBEAK.

The QBEAK looks like some sort of riced out Smart Car with lots of curves and side fins. Odd looks aside, ECOmove promises an impressive driving range of 500 miles on a full charge at highway speeds when combined with a fuel cell. The car has a modular battery pack system allowing the driver to choose up to six battery modules to power the car.

The battery pack with six modules offers 180-mile range at up to 75 mph when the vehicle has dual 70 kw motors on electricity alone. The driver has to use a bio-methanol fuel cell when they want the longer driving range of up to 500 miles. The tiny car can hold up to six people, if you don't mind getting close. The interior of the car can be rearranged for different needs depending on if the driver is hauling people or cargo. The car is expected to go into production late in 2012.

[via Torque News]