The smoky, four-wheel icon of the former GDR might soon rise from the ashes. Two German companies are indeed planning to launch a new generation of the Trabant (a.k.a. Trabi) by 2012.
Ironically, while the original car was infamously dirty and environmentally-unfriendly – remember the clouds of black smoke coming from the little two-stroke engine and the synthetic body panels that could hardly be recycled – the proposed new model would be greener than ever thanks to an electric motor!
First, a miniature car…
In 2007, a year which marked the 50th anniversary of Trabi, German toy maker Herpa decided to create a miniature replica using a fresh new design.
Called "Initiative newTrabi," this unique small-scale model turned heads at the Frankfurt Auto Show. In fact, reactions from the public were so positive that the company went ahead with an actual car project.
… and then a full-scale Trabant nT
Two years later, a fully-operational Trabant nT Concept (as in "new Trabi") made its debut at Frankfurt. Herpa had teamed up with IndiKar, a subsidiary of US-based Farmington, which specializes in the development of bulletproof vehicles.
The subcompact hatchback is motivated by a 45-kW asynchronous electric motor that drives the front wheels and allows a top speed of 130 km/h. Fed by a lithium-ion battery, it also offers a range of up to 160 kilometres depending on road conditions. For the record, most German drivers average less than the third of that distance (about 50 km) on a daily basis.
The Trabant nT can be fully recharged overnight using the regular power network for about €1 ($1.50) in electricity costs.
An IndiKar spokesperson told the media that a gasoline-powered variant could also be designed on the heels of the electric model.
Ironically, while the original car was infamously dirty and environmentally-unfriendly – remember the clouds of black smoke coming from the little two-stroke engine and the synthetic body panels that could hardly be recycled – the proposed new model would be greener than ever thanks to an electric motor!
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| The Trabant nT Concept stands beside the now classic Trabant 601. |
First, a miniature car…
In 2007, a year which marked the 50th anniversary of Trabi, German toy maker Herpa decided to create a miniature replica using a fresh new design.
Called "Initiative newTrabi," this unique small-scale model turned heads at the Frankfurt Auto Show. In fact, reactions from the public were so positive that the company went ahead with an actual car project.
… and then a full-scale Trabant nT
Two years later, a fully-operational Trabant nT Concept (as in "new Trabi") made its debut at Frankfurt. Herpa had teamed up with IndiKar, a subsidiary of US-based Farmington, which specializes in the development of bulletproof vehicles.
The subcompact hatchback is motivated by a 45-kW asynchronous electric motor that drives the front wheels and allows a top speed of 130 km/h. Fed by a lithium-ion battery, it also offers a range of up to 160 kilometres depending on road conditions. For the record, most German drivers average less than the third of that distance (about 50 km) on a daily basis.
The Trabant nT can be fully recharged overnight using the regular power network for about €1 ($1.50) in electricity costs.
An IndiKar spokesperson told the media that a gasoline-powered variant could also be designed on the heels of the electric model.
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| According to Herpa manager Klaus Schindler, a production Trabant nT would be devoid of fancy or unnecessary gadgets and priced around $30,000. |