The eBox is a new electric car
from AC Propulsion. We designed it to meet the needs of urban and
suburban drivers who want smooth, quiet, powerful, efficient, clean,
convenient, and fun-to-drive transportation. The eBox will satisfy
those drivers because it is powered by AC Propulsion’s patented
drive system technology that delivers an unprecedented combination
of both power, at freeway speeds, and efficiency, when the going
gets slow. The eBox’s unique lithium ion battery, made from
5,088 small cells, stores more energy with less weight than other
EV batteries so the eBox is light, responsive, and well-balanced
even though the interior offers space for five comfortable people
or for the many other items that people need to move around town.
Well-built and fully-equipped, the eBox creates a serenity for its
passengers, a serenity borne of the many virtues of electric transportation.
At AC Propulsion, we can’t take credit for those virtues,
but we can take credit for putting them on the road in
the eBox. We are proud of the eBox. Since our founding in 1992,
it is the best EV we’ve built.
We build the eBox by converting a Scion xB 5-speed
to electric power. We chose the xB after looking at every small
car on the market. The gasoline Scion xB costs less than $15,000
well-equipped and weighs less than 2400 pounds. The xB is huge inside
so it meets the needs of a lot of people and it appeals to fleets.
Scion is a Toyota brand and the Scion xB is built with Toyota quality.
Not everyone likes the looks of the xB, but as the basis for a great
EV conversion, the xB has the look of a winner.
Planning for what would become the eBox started
in 2003 after the AC
Propulsion tzero demonstrated the potential of Li Ion
batteries by winning the 2003 Michelin Challenge Bibendum. In 2005,
we made the decision to go into limited production. The eBox is
built to order, starting with a customer-owned xB, and we are now
starting to build the first cars for customers. We are also planning
to display and demonstrate the eBox all around California as opportunities
arise. Please watch this space for more information about the
AC Propulsion eBox.
As a final note, in an unintended irony, the first eBox prototype
was driven for the first time on June 24, 2006. That was the opening
day for Chris Paine’s must-see documentary Who
Killed the Electric Car?
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