Swiss automotive firm Protoscar introduced an all-electric sports coup called the LAMPO at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. The firm is looking to build on this demonstration vehicle with the LAMPO2 prototype at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. Both versions of the LAMPO sports car are currently being tested at Grand Prix courses throughout Europe. Protoscar is also interested in sending out both prototypes for public demonstrations, thus showing the potential for stylish EVs.
Protoscar cited promising statistics for the LAMPO2 EV in order to appease sports car traditionalists. This second-generation prototype is capable of reaching 60 miles per hour from a dead stop in five seconds. The Protoscar LAMPO2 EV can reach a top speed of 120 miles per hour though this speed is limited to ensure a longer range. This version of the LAMPO is capable of traveling 120 miles per charge, which should be enough for both commuters and casual drivers.
The Protoscar presentation at Geneva will focus as much on charging infrastructure as this latest prototype. The LAMPO2 is designed with four charging options depending on the type of charge required by the driver. The standard charge using the 3.3 kW on-board charger is used when charging the battery through the night. Additional charging options allow the LAMPO2 to be replenished at public charging points, fleet charging stations and fast-charging units. Protoscar is also introducing a full line of charging devices to accompany the LAMPO2. These devices include an intuitive home charger, a quick-charge station and the E-TOTEM public charging station.
The LAMPO2 EV is Protoscar’s next step toward introducing electric sports cars to consumers throughout Europe. The Swiss company already works with BRUSA for its batteries and electrical components and ALPIQ for its charging equipment. The LAMPO2 EV is intended for public demonstration as well as evaluations that will be used to convince additional partners to sign on with Protoscar. We should hope for the success of a production version of the LAMPO2 EV in order to create a more robust electric vehicle market. At present, the electric vehicle market remains fairly dormant with Tesla offering the only option in electric-powered sports cars. If Protoscar can find partners to produce something like the LAMPO2 EV, we may see major automakers push their electric models to the market with more urgency.
