The Solectria Force is a

Geo Metro The Geo Metro is a marketing and manufacturing variation of the Suzuki Cultus available in North America from 1989 through 2001 as a joint effort of General Motors (GM) and Suzuki. In the US, the Metro carried a Geo nameplate from 1989 through ...

, professionally converted from a new, motorless chassis (known in the industry as a glider) by

Solectria Corporation The Solectria Sunrise was an innovative electric passenger car, designed to be as efficient as possible to produce long range from available battery technology. Created by Solectria Corporation of Woburn, Massachusetts (since acquired by Azure D ...

of Wilmington, Massachusetts, starting in 1991, becoming a

battery electric vehicle A battery electric vehicle (BEV), pure electric vehicle, only-electric vehicle, fully electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that exclusively uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, wi ...

. Solectria subsequently was acquired by

Azure Dynamics Azure Dynamics Corporation is incorporated under the laws of Alberta, Canada having been spun out of BC Research Inc. Azure now is headquartered in Oak Park, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The company's principal business is in the development a ...

Corporation in 2004, it is no longer in production. Approximately 400 vehicles were converted in total.

History

The Force was introduced in March 1991, and the first nine were delivered by October to

Arizona Public Service Arizona Public Service (APS) is the largest electric utility in Arizona, United States. Since 1985, it has been the principal subsidiary of publicly traded S&P 500 member Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, known as AZP Group until 1987. Pinnacl ...

Sacramento Municipal Utility District The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is a community-owned electric utility serving Sacramento County and parts of Placer County. It is one of the ten largest publicly owned utilities in the United States, generating the bulk of its po ...

, and

Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp), the largest subsidiary of Edison International, is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California. It provides 15 million people with electricity across a service territory of app ...

. The North Jersey District Water Supply Commission procured a 1996 Solectria Force that is still in service today. The original thirteen 12 volt lead–acid gel cell batteries lasted until April 2011, when they were replaced with nearly 10,000 miles. In 1997, the base price of the car was $33,995 with

lead acid batteries Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cut, le ...

which gave it a range of 50 miles at 45 miles per hour and a top speed of 70 miles per hour. Solectria also offered the Force with a nickel-metal hydride battery pack with an MSRP $88,895. This battery pack gave the Force a range of 100 miles at 45 miles per hour, and the same top speed as the lead acid model at 70 miles per hour. The city of Morristown, NJ used Solectria "Force" models as "station cars" in a three-year pilot program ending in 2001.

Technical

For the display card on the example shown below: *Base vehicle: 1996 Geo Metro *Top speed *Range - *Three phase AC motor *Single speed gearbox *156

volt The volt (symbol: V) is the unit of electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force in the International System of Units (SI). It is named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827). Defi ...

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

pack (thirteen 12 volt lead–acid gel cells) *Zero emissions at the

tailpipe An exhaust system is used to guide reaction exhaust gases away from a controlled combustion inside an engine or stove. The entire system conveys burnt gases from the engine and includes one or more exhaust pipes. Depending on the overall system ...

In 1994, the Force was available as a four-seat or two-seat model, with the two-seat model gaining additional range. The standard storage battery used lead-acid chemistry, and a nickel-cadmium battery was optional. The base price of the four-seat, lead-acid Force was , rising to for the two-seat, lead-acid version and for the two-seat, NiCd battery. Rated range varied from . By 1998, the NiCd battery option had been dropped in favor of the NiMH battery. The traction motor had an output that varied by the battery pack fitted; at 156 V, output was , increasing to at 180 V. The observed energy consumption was at a steady . Image:SolectriaForceFrontCompartment.JPG, Image:SolectriaForceRearCompartment.JPG,

References

External links

Solectria Owner's Website

Solectria Force at a Glance

Electric car likely cause of garage fire
Electric cars Cars of the United States Production electric cars Electric car models {{Azure Dynamics

History

Technical

See also

References

External links