Paris reveal for South African Joule

Before you yawn and click on another link, consider this: the Joule -- to be revealed at the Paris Show -- was designed by the same man as sundry Jaguars, including the XJ220 Supercar and the XK180 and F-Type concept cars: Keith Helfet -- who was born in South Africa and spent two years of an abortive engineering degree surfing and drinking in Cape Town, before attending a car design course at the Royal College of Art in London.

The Joule may very well be the world's most practical electric car to date, as well as one of the more stylish. Although it has been shown to a handful of journalists in Cape Town, photos are embargoed until the reveal in Paris -- although the compact six-seater has been described as "an uncluttered mix of a Renault Scenic and a Citroen Picasso". A three-seater commercial van will also be offered.

The South African Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena, drove the silent car at Cape Town's Killarney race-track and called it "simply gorgeous".

As with all electric cars, the range is of utmost importance and the head of the manufacturing company Optimal Energy, Kobus Meiring, has said that two China-sourced lithium ion battery packs will move the Joule for 400km.

Plugged into a 220 volt power source, a full charge is achievable in seven hours, using low-demand overnight rates. In addition, most of the roof is given over to a solar panel, and a regenerative braking system is used.

The body, a mix of plastic and composites, sits on a steel spaceframe and is described as spacious and versatile. No details about crash-testing have thus far been revealed.

Optimal Energy has spent over two years developing the Joule, with the help of a $7.6m grant from South Africa's National Research Foundation's Innovation Fund and hopes to begin production by the end of 2010 with a target retail price of around $30,000.

An amount of $45 million is needed to build a factory to produce the vehicles. Initially, they will be produced for the government fleet, an arrangement that provides backers of the project with an entry point to the local car market.

Further sales would depend on demand and whether investors could be found.

Visit the Carsales Network again for our news coverage from this year's Paris Mondial de L'Automobile.

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