Kewet’s New Electric City Car

When it comes to promoting the use of battery electric vehicles, Norway is probably the world's leader. Helping are policies like exemption from road taxes, tolls, and parking fees as well as permitting EVs to drive in bus lanes. The result is that the Th!nk, once planned as a Ford product, is back in production. Now it has a competitor in the form of the Norwegian-built Buddy.

Like the Th!nk that was born in 1991 as the Pivco City Bee, the Buddy has a history that also dates back to that same year, when Knud Erik Westergaard founded Kewet in Denmark to produce the Kewet electric car. In 1995, production was transferred to Nordhausen in the former East Germany. By 1998, Kewet was bankrupt with over a thousand Kewet electric cars and vans built. Rights to the Kewet were acquired in 1999 by Kollega Bil A/S in Norway. With a name change to Elbil Norge AS, it is now offering the improved sixth generation of the model, now simply called the Buddy. It's aimed initially at the Norwegian market but plans are to distribute the car throughout Europe.

The revised Kewet Buddy can seat three adults with space for 6 to 8 bags of groceries or two cases of beer within its 8 foot length and 5 foot wheelbase. Its short length and 24 foot turning circle provide great urban maneuverability.

The Buddy has a range of about 30 to 60 miles with maintenance-free lead-acid batteries, depending on road conditions, temperature, and driving habits. Lithium-ion batteries increase this to 60 to 90 miles. With a top speed of about 50 mph, the Buddy can accelerate from 0 to 30 mph in around seven seconds and climb a 20 percent grade. It can be charged from 30- to 100-percent state-of-charge in three hours, and from complete discharge in six to eight hours. The batteries supply 72 volt power to a 13 kW electric motor driving the rear wheels via a fully automatic electric gear shift transmission. Regenerative helps increase range.

The Buddy uses a fiberglass reinforced polyester and ABS plastic body mounted on a welded tubular steel space frame. It weighs 1727 pounds including lead-acid batteries and carries just over 500 pounds. Passenger safety is enhanced by doors with crossbars and deformation zones in the front and rear.

Since the Kewet Buddy is designed for use in Norway, it is equipped with a 2.2 kW paraffin heater with a 1.6 kW electric heater available as an option. Other options include a radio/CD player, sunroof, ski rack, and bike rack. This Kewet can even tow 440 pounds. Besides the coupe, a BuddyCab cabriolet and BuddyVan city delivery truck are planned as well as both left- and right-hand drive versions.

According to the company, the Buddy is one of the cheapest EVs on the market, thanks to its off-the shelf components with 'little emphasis on additional equipment and fancy extras'. Fewer components mean fewer parts to break. Many customers have customized their cars with personalized paint jobs that refer to them as 'myBuddy.'