Spanish Startup Unveils Prototype EV Sports Cars

MADRID – Velantur Cars announces completion of the first two prototypes of its Art-Tech luxury electric vehicle and says production and sales will begin next year.

“Now, the two prototypes are being tested in real conditions,” a spokesperson for the startup company says.

Slightly more than 13 ft. (4 m) long with a range of more than 250 miles (400 km), the first version of the Art-Tech will be a 3-door 4-seater with performance comparable with a vehicle powered by a 180-hp internal-combustion engine, Velantur says. The EV is said to go from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in less than 8 seconds.

Pricing tentatively is set at €60,000 ($67,000). The Art-Tech will be marketed through a limited number of stores owned by Velantur Cars.

Two battery chargers will be available, one capable of fully restoring power overnight and the other in 30 minutes. The spokesperson specifies neither the voltage level nor the type of connector that will be needed, although the latter likely will be determined by the owner’s country of residence.

The Art-Tech will be assembled in a plant in Linares, 180 miles (300 km) south of Madrid, that for a number of years assembled Land Rover 88 and 109 models. The plant closed in February 2011 after Italian automaker Iveco discontinued production of the Iveco Massif 4x4.

“There is a non-formalized pre-agreement with IDEA, an agency of the autonomous government of Andalucia – a region at the south of Spain – for the use of the old Land Rover plant,” the spokesperson says, adding Velantur initially will use about 53,800 sq.-ft. (5,000 sq.-m) of the more than 96,900 sq.-ft. (9,000 sq.-m) of floor space and expand as needed.

Total investment in the Art-Tech project is estimated at €20 million ($22.3 million). The spokesperson does not comment on the result of Velantur co-founder Miguel A. Carrero’s effort to recruit new partners and increase the startup’s capitalization another  €10 million ($11.2 million).