A Swiss company named Kyburz has introduced a light, all-electric roadster designed for high-performance driving.
Called eRod, the roadster is reminiscent of the Ariel Atom because it features a tubular frame, composite body panels, a pair of bucket seats, and not a lot else. An electric motor located right behind the seats spins the rear wheels, and the battery pack runs down the center of the car. While the eRod looks like it’s designed exclusively for the track, it’s fully street legal — at least in Switzerland.
Want one? There are three models to choose from, called eRod Basic, eRod Fun, and eRod Race. The basic model uses a 10kWh battery pack that takes approximately six hours to recharge. It offers a range of just 40 miles, and it zaps a 60-horsepower electric motor. The Basic reaches a top speed of 75 mph.
The eRod Fun retains the 60-horsepower motor, but it receives a 17.3kWh pack that bumps driving range up to about 70 miles. Top speed remains pegged at 75 mph, and recharging the pack takes a whopping 10 hours. Finally, the 85-mph eRod Race receives a 39kWh battery pack and a bigger motor that generates nearly 200 horsepower. The extra juice allows the Race to travel 136 miles on a single charge, while recharging takes roughly four hours.
The Kyburz eRod is on sale now in Switzerland. Prices start at $36,000 for the Basic model, according to Australian website Motoring, and go up to $108,000 for the top-of-the-line Race version. It’s worth noting that buyers can save a substantial amount of money on any variant by ordering the car in pieces and assembling it themselves. We’ve reached out to the company to ask if there are plans to sell the eRod in the United States, and we’ll update this article as soon as we hear back.
