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Gazelle, a French minimalist "2 cv" electric car (Bordeaux)

published: 16/02/22, 13:07
by Christophe


The linked article:

Automotive: it launches the "2 CV" of the 21st century, a low-tech and very energy-efficient electric car

It is a nugget born in Bordeaux in Gironde. The Gazelle is made from composite material in micro-factories, in no time. Very light, it consumes almost half as much as its competitors. Its designer wants to launch a new industrial model.

Is Gaël Lavaud a visionary? He has been thinking about changing manufacturing methods in the automotive industry for years. He is now very close to the goal.

A homemade car
Former of the prestigious Ecole Centrale de Lyon, ex of the direction of the development of the Renault group, he is convinced that the future will be in "low tech" at the exact opposite of high-tech.

Either a technology based on simplicity, durability, made locally and in an artisanal rather than industrial way.

This model, he took eight years to develop.

Micro factories

This Monday morning, he welcomes us to the very first "factory" he designed, installed in the premises of the Bordeaux Technowest startup incubator in Blanquefort, in the Bordeaux metropolis.

Four containers are joined, no big machine, no robot inside...

"It's really ultra basic with three containers dedicated to assembly and one at the bottom for storing spare parts. You have a concept in the logic of low tech where we are going to make vehicle assembly and maintenance as easy as possible. easy as possible".

Indeed. The chassis of the Gazelle is assembled in an hour, like a lego. And for good reason: there are only 10 elements to assemble compared to around 300 for a classic car.

The secret ? This is the material used. No steel, no expensive equipment.

"It's a chassis technology entirely made of composite material. With fiberglass associated with other inexpensive materials that allow extraordinary mechanical behavior in terms of energy absorption and rigidity" explains Gaël Lavaud who obtained maximum crash test score.

Its technology is patented and jealously guarded secret.

Ultra light, super economical
In addition to easy assembly, the composite material makes the car considerably lighter.

"It weighs about 900 kg, we could still drop to 800" assures the Girondin designer. While a classic city car weighs at least 1,2 tonnes.

"Lightness means less fuel consumption since three-quarters of a vehicle's fuel consumption is its weight. ".

"And then, one of the major costs of the electric vehicle is its battery. There, by reducing the battery, we obtain the same autonomy as the others. It is thanks to this that we manage to have a competitive vehicle in price . It will come out around 20 euros".

The battery can cover 180 kilometres. It recharges in 4 hours on a standard electrical outlet. "It's a car that does not exceed 100 km/h. The idea is to really have a simple and efficient vehicle for all daily journeys, it's a bit like the 2 CV of the 21st century “explains Gael.

Equipping communities and businesses
Its first objective is to equip local authorities and companies which will have to convert their fleets of vehicles to all-electric in the next few years.

But quickly, it is these micro factories that he wants to market. Sell ​​them, sell spare parts and training to dealers or others.

"They will provide assembly in addition to sales and maintenance. It will cost them very little in initial investment. A micro factory is around 250 euros".

Gaël Lavaud thus aims to create activity in all parts of the territory.

Before seeing the "Gazelle" rolling, an important step remains to be taken: obtaining official homologation. It is scheduled for fall 2022.


https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr ... 57796.html

The concept of turnkey micro factories vaguely reminds me of someone and something...it didn't end very well... : Mrgreen:

I wish them good luck to pass the certification... they talk about autumn in the video but they don't say which year! : Lol:

Re: Gazelle, a French minimalist electric "2 cv" car (Bordeaux)

published: 16/02/22, 14:30
by phil59
If it recharges in 4 hours on a normal socket, it's about 8 kWh of battery.

On a green up socket, it must be 14-15 kWh of battery.

The ion, the C0, the Imiev are about 1250 kg, all in place, with a battery in France of 14.5 or 16 kWh.

Initially, it was announced 140-160 km of autonomy.

In fact it was actually a good real 100 km.

10 years later, the kona is much more "frugal", with a greater mass, and I go from 65 hp to 204 hp ....

20€, it may be a bit expensive, to see if it takes into account the 000€ aid or not, but we arrive at the price of the spring...

The interest might be to see if it's "open source", or if everything is locked. Unlocked at least, it would indeed be durable.

I haven't watched everything yet, but you also have to like it, and that's the problem.

For me, the "trick", to be able to seduce the majority, would be for the cost price to be clearly mine at €10.

The bonus of 6000€, will not normally last.

My first VE, I had a total of €10 in aid, the second 000-8000, it seems to me, and the last, I had €8500 "thanks to covid", otherwise it was €9500.

I hope they will have put a fast charging system, like less than an hour, to make a longer route, in case, crazy people like me, decide to do a lot more km than the autonomy . Already done 400 km in the day with an ion (100 km of autonomy, and few charging plans B).

Now to see, if the model develops, the real cost price, if there is a craze for this EV.

L'Ami, at less than 7000€, did not have the expected success, although it was very good for the city. But it always comes back to the same pb, when you're in town, you don't necessarily have a socket to charge. There is the biggest pb.
If I say no nonsense, friend, for example, the left and right door is the same, the front and the back practically. Less different stock of parts...
Pb which is partly erased with large batteries, but I admit that the Kona charges more than 320 days a year at home!

The pb of the socket is what makes us have more EVs in the "countryside" than in the city!

Re: Gazelle, a French minimalist electric "2 cv" car (Bordeaux)

published: 16/02/22, 14:47
by Macro
phil59 wrote:
The ion, the C0, the Imiev are about 1250 kg, all in place, with a battery in France of 14.5 or 16 kWh.

Initially, it was announced 140-160 km of autonomy.

In fact it was actually a good real 100 km.



Never managed to do more than 90 without going home with everything flashing... : Mrgreen: : Mrgreen:

Re: Gazelle, a French minimalist electric "2 cv" car (Bordeaux)

published: 16/02/22, 14:54
by phil59
A 2018 thing about the gazelle

https://www.cargo.rent/blog/gazelle-tec ... francaise/

But what we also forget with that is the MIA.

Here, the concept would be that it is no longer "the worker" who goes to the factory, but the factory who comes to the worker.

Imagine enough to employ 4 people in a small village, where you will work on foot, without problems!

We forget a little about the storage of manufactured cars, but it can be done quite easily.

To see the "happiness" that it can generate.

The savings to go to work in his village, on foot.

If I saw correctly, it takes 2 people to make the car. You can almost do a la carte work, provided you "arrange" with your colleague!

In these times when a lot of people have been confined, this is an additional asset.

There remains the cost of storing the parts, for a real production, and their delivery everywhere...