Range extenders can extend the driving range for an electric vehicle ...

innovation
Leading the way
in going green
Finnish company Valmet Automotive is soldering
together a number of key partnerships to fasttrack
the rollout of electric vehicles.
Valmet Automotive is a forerunner in engineering
and manufacturing electric vehicles.
Already last year the company started the
series production of one of the world’s
first urban electric vehicles, the THINK
City, as well as the luxury Golf Car Garia.
Valmet Automotive is also the engineering
and manufacturing partner of
the world’s first premium plug-in hybrid
electric vehicle Fisker Karma.
The Karma uses Q-DRIVE plug-in
hybrid technology, developed exclusively
for Fisker Automotive in partnership
with Quantum Technologies. Production
is scheduled to begin in late 2010. A fullycharged
Karma will not burn fuel for the first
50 miles (80 km) of driving. After the battery
SOC reaches a certain level, the gasoline engine
turns a generator to provide power to the car’s two
electric motors. This balance of electric and gas range
makes it possible for Karma drivers to achieve an average
fuel economy of 100 mpg (2.4L/100km) per year. The
CO2 emissions are only 83g/km.
Valmet Automotive’s other exciting projects include the
production of Garia luxury golf cars in partnership with the Danish
firm, Garia A/S. The series production of the Garia golf car began
at the end of 2009. The car is manufactured at Valmet Automotive
on a new separate body and assembly line.
Valmet Automotive also inked an agreement with Norwegian
firm, THINK Global AS in August 2009 to manufacture the THINK
City electric city car. Under the agreement, Valmet Automotive
is responsible for the manufacturing engineering, production
By: Steve Barclay
and participates in the further product
development of the THINK City.
“The partnership with THINK Global AS
supports our know-how in the manufacturing and development
of electric cars,” says Ilpo Korhonen, president of Valmet
Automotive. “We are the engineering and manufacturing partner
of three different electric vehicles: the THINK City electric car, the
Fisker Karma premium plug-in hybrid and the Garia golf car. The
expertise gained from these projects furthers the development of
our electric vehicle business alongside conventional vehicles.”
Valmet Automotive was founded in 1968 as a joint venture
between Saab-Scania and Valmet. Today it is owned by the Metso
Corporation. Metso is a global supplier of sustainable technology
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Valmet Automotive’s electric
concept vehicle “Eva”.