Dutch venture investor ND Industrial Investments invests in e.GO Mobile. German electric car manufacturer makes relaunch.
This reports e.GO in a press release. German media report that ND Industrial Investments is putting tens of millions of euros into e.GO. This electric car manufacturer is said to be putting its first models into production this year. However, the COVID-19 pandemic put the company in dire straits, forcing it to file for bankruptcy in April.
Founded in 2015 by Prof Dr Günther Schuh, e.GO focuses on the production of electric vehicles. The company has about 450 employees. e.GO aims to market cost-effective, practical and sustainable electric vehicles focused on short trips. To this end, the company cooperates with a network of research facilities and over 400 technology companies through the RWTH Aachen Campus.
e.GO Life
Since 2018, the company has focused on the development and production of the e.GO Life, a small electric car about 3.3 metres long, 1.7 metres wide and 1.6 metres high. The car weighs 1,490 kg.
The vehicle is available in two versions: the e.GO Life 40+ and e.GO Life 60, which feature a 41 kW or 57 kW electric motor from Bosch, respectively. This gives the e.GO Life 40+ a top speed of 120 km/h, while it reaches 130 km/h in its bigger brother. The vehicles accelerate to 50 km/h in 5.1 and 4.3 seconds respectively. The models both feature a 21.5 kWh lithium-ion battery, giving a WLTP range of 122 and 139 km, respectively.
The e.GO Life can be charged via the regular power network. Through this charging method, a completely empty battery can be charged to 95% capacity in 9.6 hours. Via a type 2 connector and single-phase connection, this is possible in about 6 hours. Users can read the status of the charging process remotely via an app. This app also provides insight into the vehicle's consumption. According to the manufacturer, this consumption is 18.7 kWh per 100 km for the e.GO Life 40+ and 15.5 kWh per 100 km for the e.GO Life 60.
With sustainability in mind, the lithium-ion battery will be reused once it no longer meets requirements. For example, for storing solar energy. An aluminium chassis was also chosen with a view to weight, among other things. The polymeric bodywork is unpainted and recyclable. The unpainted bodywork has the added advantage that scratches are not noticeable, according to e.GO.
e.GO Life Concept Cross and Life Sport
Besides the e.GO Life, the prototypes e.GO Life Concept Cross and Life Sport have also been presented. The e.GO Life Concept Cross is a crossover based on e.GO Life. The vehicle features include wider tyres, different bumpers and round fog lights. In addition, the prototype has more ground clearance than the e.GO Life.
The e.GO Life Sport features, among other things, an 80 kW electric motor, compared to the 57 kW electric motor of the 'standard' e.GO Life. This more powerful motor is powered by a larger 30 kWh battery.
Both models are not yet in production and not yet for sale. However, interested parties can leave their contact details via e.GO's website to be informed about production.
Ulrich Hermann appointed CEO
ND Industrial Investments is taking a majority stake in e.GO. As part of the investment, founder Günther Schuh is stepping down as CEO. Schuh remains a member of the management team and a shareholder in the company. He will be succeeded by Ulrich Hermann, former board member of Heidelberg Druckmaschinen. Once contracts with suppliers are renewed, among other things, the company plans to restart production at its Aachen Rothe Erde plant. Service to and sales of the e.GO Life have already resumed in the meantime.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
