First ride in the ACM City One
Welt-Stromer
The cockpit is functional and clear
© press-inform – the press office
The ACM City One caused a sensation at the IAA. The electric city car should make electromobility a reality for everyone at a reasonable price in two years’ time.
Paul Leibold has global electromobility in mind. “Not all over the world there are enough quick-charging stations,” says the ACM boss and then adds another point that shoots through our heads at the same moment. “And neither does space.” The solution for both problems is next to the man who was already working as a manager for BMW, bears the name ACM City One and looks a bit like a mixture of a Honda e and a Fiat Panda. It is still a prototype, the production model will be 3.60 meters long, 1.65 meters wide and is therefore very tall. The longer suspension travel is a tribute to the often poor road quality in countries like India.
The name ACM stands for “Adaptive City Mobility” and already outlines the area of application for the Stromer, which is due to come onto the market at the end of 2023. Big cities in emerging countries like India and Asia. And anyone who has ever been to cities like Delhi knows why the team at Leibold opted for a more box-shaped design. We take a close look at the vehicle. We have comfortable space in the front at the back. Two battery packs are installed. In the front there is a permanently installed battery with a capacity of 16 kilowatt hours and in the underbody of the trunk there are four replaceable battery packs, as are known from electric scooters, each with a capacity of 2.5 kilowatt hours.
The exchangeable energy storage device looks a bit like a pilot’s case made of aluminum, which is particularly popular in Asia. Together with the built-in battery, this should be enough for a range of up to 240 kilometers. The interaction between the two energy sources is adapted to the future areas of application. The front battery is cooled, so the rear battery is used first. “For example in the morning in Mumbai, when it is not yet that warm. Alternatively, you can also pack a second 16 kilowatt hour battery in the rear, then it should go up to 300 kilometers with an average consumption of around 10 kWh / 100 km. Charging everywhere: at a Schuko socket in eight hours or at a speed of 11 kW. Then the energy storage is full after around 2.5 hours. Thanks to the exchangeable batteries, which can be exchanged in no time, there is also no fear of range. If necessary, these packages also feed the The batteries should last around 250,000 kilometers and can then be used as energy storage.
We’re going for a lap in the Welt-Stromer. An electric motor from the Renault Twizzy is still working, later it will be 25 kW / 34 PS with a weight of just 950 kilograms. The ACM City One will be fast up to 100 km / h. More than enough on overcrowded city highways. We take a relaxed lap and get on well with the service. The interior is reduced to the bare essentials, but even the prototype does not make an impression of being huddled together. The automatic stub lever and the display, everything is easy to understand and use. No wonder, after all, ACM has brought Magna on board. Not everything is perfect yet. “The chassis comfort will be better with the production model”; says Paul Leibold. In terms of safety, there is nothing to worry about either, because the ACM City One will even have side airbags and the vehicle should meet all crash test requirements for class M1 vehicles worldwide.
With the ACM City One, robustness and practicality are the trump cards. Because the electric cube should be used as a taxi and as a transport vehicle around the clock, if possible. We have already praised the airy feeling of space on the back seat. If you fold down the backrest of the back seat, the volume increases from 450 liters to 1,450 liters. “On the way there you can transport passengers and on the way back you can transport a pallet with goods,” explains Leibold. In order to keep the operating costs as low as possible, a digital 40 inch display is integrated in the tailgate, which can be used as advertising space.
The ACM City One is to be built in Asia, presumably at a Magna joint venture, and will cost around 10,000 euros there, in Europe it should be around 5,000 euros more. Initially, the Stromer is planned for business customers and later also for private individuals. To date, ACM has already received over 230,000 letters of intent for the purchase of a City One. The interest is particularly high in Asia, says Paul Leibold and refers to a study according to which the market for so-called “ride hailing” vehicles is expected to grow to 30 million. It is quite possible that the Praktiker cube will also find fans in Europe.