Enfield Automotive

Enfield Automotive was an electric car manufacturer founded in the United Kingdom and moved to the Greek isle of Syros during the oil crisis of 1973.

History

During the 1960s, following its founding, Enfield Automotive developed an electric passenger vehicle. Previous to the model E8000ECC, Enfield developed a fiberglass and ABS plastic bodied electric passenger vehicle that was of unacceptable performance according to the Electricity Counsel. [cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Histoire du véhicule électrique: 1960-1979 | date= | publisher= | url =http://www.kartelec.com/f/mob/historique2.htm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-08-06 | language = French ] Following that, Enfield developed the model E8000ECC and subsequently was relocated to the Greek Island of Syros.

Models

Enfield 8000

The Enfield 8000 was the predecessor to the E8000ECC. It was a 2 + 2 seater electric car with bucket seats in the front and bench seats in the back. The various versions of the E8000ECC were based on the Enfield's 8000 chasis, components and systems.

E8000ECC

Based on the Enfield 8000, the E8000ECC had passed all the necessary tests for production in the United Kingdom and was on its way to be produced in the United States of America. Then Governor of California Ronald Reagan sent a cargo plane to have three E8000ECCs moved to California in support of his Clean Air legislation.Fact|date=September 2007 However, the E8000ECC was never produced in the United States. The unique aerodynamics of the E8000ECC were not based on traditional industry principles and ideas. They were based on designs made by Konstantine Adraktas the Chairman and Managing Technical Director of Enfield, who was a graduate of the Aerospace department at MIT [ [http://vads.ahds.ac.uk/diad/article.php?title=303&year=1974&article=d.303.34 Visual Arts Data Service: Design Journal 1974] ] and the creator of the mathematical equation for the trajectory of the Apollo flights to the moon.Fact|date=September 2007The car was eventually produced in Greece after the company was acquired by Neorion.

Key Characteristics

*The range of the E8000ECC was convert|50|mi|km|0 to convert|90|mi|km|0, depending on driving conditions.
*The top speed of the E8000ECC was Auto mph|70|0 to Auto mph|80|0, depending on driving conditions.
*It had an aluminum body to guard against corrosion.cite web|url=http://www.imps4ever.info/specials/enfield/index.html |title=Overview of Enfield Automotive |accessdate=2007-08-06 ]
*It was available in a "Bikini" version which had a body composed of simple flat panels and was never crash tested.
*A leather interior was available.
*Its turning radius was comparable to a traditional London cab.
*It had no gear lever, reverse was entered with the use of switch.
*It was based on widely available components and parts for easy maintenance and worldwide replacement part availability.
*It had an on-board charger.

References