Joule is an electric five seat passenger car that is to be mass produced from 2014 by Optimal Energy, a South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n company based in Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

. According to the company, it will have a nominal driving range of 300 km and a top speed of 135 km/h. Designed to achieve a Euro NCAP 4 star safety rating, it complies with the very stringent EU standards, and aims to offer an incredibly convenient ownership experience, from driving and owning, to after-sales and support.

Unveiling

The Joule was first unveiled to the general public at the 2008 Paris Motor Show

2008 Paris Motor Show

The 2008 Paris Motor Show took place from 4 October to 19 October 2008, in Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles.This edition of the Paris Motor Show featured a high number of hybrid and electric vehicles , a tectonic shift that led a New York Times blogger to ask, "Who killed the non-electric cars?".-...

 on October 2, 2008. It has since undergone some interior and exterior changes, most notably the change from a six-seater to a 5-seater vehicle, before being revealed to the public at the 2010 Geneva Motor show on 2 March 2010 in a form that is close to the final production version.

Optimal Energy

The Joule is the first electric car to be produced by Optimal Energy , the Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

 based company has been working on the concept since 2004. The design of the car was done by legendary Jaguar car designer Keith Helfet

Keith Helfet

Keith Helfet is a distinguished automotive designer.After demonstrating little academic promise in South Africa, Helfet turned to art. He had a natural affinity for automotive design and was accepted as a student into the most prestigious automotive styling programme in the world at the Royal...

. Keith is best known for the XJ220, and the F-type concept car. The Joule shows the same 'flowing lines' as his previous designs.

Kobus Meiring, Optimal Energy CEO suggests that sustainability

Sustainability

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...

 of the Internal Combustion Engine

Internal combustion engine

The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...

 vehicle

Vehicle

A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....

 has fuelled increasing need for sustainable vehicle propulsion systems. This, as well as increasing fuel prices and rising country taxes, caused Optimal Energy to embark on the production of a vehicle that could meet these needs.

Investment to Date

The funding up to this point has been through government investments, in particular, the South African Department of Science & Technology (DST) through the Innovation Fund, as well as other private investments. The Innovation Fund has invested up to US$5 million in the project so far. The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa is a major shareholder, with 22% of equity in Optimal Energy.

Specifications

• Length - 3.8 m (149.6 in)
• Turning Circle - 10.2 m (33.5 ft)
• Mass - 1200 kg (2,646 lb)
• Seats - Five
• Boot space - 700 l (24.7 cu ft)
• Top Speed - Governed at 135 kilometre per hour
• Acceleration - 0–60 km/h in less than 5 sec
• Range - 300 kilometres (186.4 mi)
• Charge time - The battery has a nominal recharge time of 8 hours

Future

A small pilot fleet of Joules was manufactured in conjunction with Hi-Tech Automotive

Hi-Tech Automotive

Hi-Tech Automotive is a low volume car builder and design house located in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Most of the vehicles produced are exported, notably to the US and UK. The main distributor of the cars built by Hi-Tech is Superformance...

in Port Elizabeth during 2010. The car is expected to be sold in South Africa as well as Europe from 2014.