Kewet buddy EV

Kewet buddy EV Continues Production in Norway
by Bruce Meland

The following photos of the new production facility and buddy were recently sent to Electrifying Times on Jan. 18, 2006

With all the disappointments in Norway surrounding Ford shutting down their Th!nk City production Plant near Oslo, and selling out to a company that is taking too much time to come up with an alternate EV to the Th!nk City, a shining EV star still shines in Oslo.

A new EV production facility was recently built in Oslo to accommodate the many orders of the new Kewet buddy EV. elbil NORGE AS Ltd. has 13 years of experience in manufacturing, marketing, and maintaining electric vehicles.

Their latest model, the Kewet buddy, was launched at EVS-21 in Monaco in April 2005. It is small but roomy EV that can seat 3 adults. With a beefed up frame and doors, this makes their latest EV safer than previous models.

The luggage compartment is designed around 2 cases of beer or 6 large bags of groceries. The buddy allows for the flexibility of various battery and electric drive train technologies, both where electronics and drive train space is concerned.

Hans Håvard Kvisle, managing director, indicated they have no plans at the present to market the buddy in the US, only Northern Europe, and especially Norway where authorities have ambitious policies for the increased use of electric vehicles. The big incentive includes no taxes.

Norwegians pay 100% taxes when they purchase a gas or diesel powered vehicle. Also EV's pay no tolls on major highways, get free parking and free use of the bus lanes. Just filling the orders in Norway may take a year or so.

(Bruce Meland, Electrifying Times publisher & editor-in-chief, visited the earlier production facility in Oslo back in the Spring of 2005.)