Wheego LiFe

Wheego LiFe
Wheego LiFe
Overview
Manufacturer	Wheego Technologies; Shuanghuan Auto;
Production	2011–2013
Assembly	Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China; Corona, California, United States;
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door hatchback
Platform	Shuanghuan Noble
Powertrain
Electric motor	Electric motor (45 kW (60 hp))
Battery	Battery (30 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery)
Range	100 mi (160 km)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,025 mm (79.7 in)
Length	3,010 mm (119 in)
Width	1,605 mm (63.2 in)
Height	1,600 mm (63 in)
Curb weight	1,210 kg (2,670 lb)

The Wheego LiFe was an electric city car produced by American automobile manufacturer Wheego Technologies.

The LiFe was based on the bodyshell of the Shuanghuan Noble produced in China with its electric drivetrain assembled in the United States.^[1] The Wheego LiFe was unveiled at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show and was sold in the United States at a price of US$32,995 before any applicable tax credits and other incentives.^[2]^[3] The Wheego LiFe was built with a 30 kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery pack and had an all-electric range of 100 miles (160 km).^[4] The first delivery took place in April 2011 to a customer in Atlanta.^[5] A total of approximately 100 LiFes and 300 Whips were sold through 2013, when production ceased.^[6]

History

Wheego Electric Cars Inc. was formed as a spin out from RTEV (Ruff & Tuff Electric Vehicles) in June 2009 and its first automobile was a two-seat compact car under the Wheego Whip name in North America and marketed by Shuanghuan Auto in China as the E-Noble, its brand name for the rest of the world. In the U.S. it was to be launched in August 2009 as a low-speed vehicle with a top speed of 25 mph (40 km/h) or as a Medium Speed Vehicle with a maximum speed of 35 mph (56 km/h), depending on local state regulations. These versions used dry cell sealed AGM lead–acid batteries, with an all-electric range of 50 miles (80 km) on a single charge, and capable of recharging on any standard household 110 or 220-volt electrical outlet.

Production and sales

The 2011 Wheego LiFe production model used a 30 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery pack, could reach speeds up to 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) and Wheego Electric Cars claimed that it had an all-electric range of 100 miles (160 km). The chassis was the same as the Shuanghuan Noble, which once imported from China was reinforced for safety in the U.S. assembly plant to pass U.S. crash-testing. Final assembly took place in Corona, California. Around 73% of the vehicle was composed of American products giving it a high domestic content rating.

The first Wheego LiFe was delivered to a customer in Atlanta, Georgia on April 22 (Earth Day), 2011. As of March 2012, the company had manufactured 36 cars since April 2011, and only two cars were left in inventory. Wheego's business strategy was to build the cars only when the company gets money from sales or through venture capital. About 400 units were sold through 2013, when production ended.

Specifications

The 2011 Wheego LiFe had the following specifications:^[7]

Battery: 30 kWh (36 3.2 V cells at 260 Ah) lithium iron phosphate battery pack.
Motor: Nominal 15 kW (20 hp), peak horsepower 45 kW (60 hp)
Range: 100 mi (160 km)
Torque: 95 lb⋅ft (129 N⋅m)
Charge capable: 120 V and 240 V
Charging time: From 50% SoC to 100% Soc 5 hours with Level 2 charging system
On-board charge port: J1772 compliant
Top speed: 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) at 8,500 rpm

Reception

References

^ "RTEV and Shuanghuan Automobile Form EV Partnership" Archived 2022-05-04 at the Wayback Machine. Green Car Congress. 2008-11-20.
^ "Wheego Debuts $32,995 Whip LiFe EV, Says Customer Deliveries to Start in Weeks" Archived 2022-03-02 at the Wayback Machine. Edmunds.com. 2010-11-18.
^ Voelcker, John. "Wheego Electric Cars Fade From Market; China Is The Future, Company Says Archived 2022-09-26 at the Wayback Machine". Green Car Reports.
^ "Wheego now accepting pre-orders for $32,995 LiFe electric car" Archived 2020-10-27 at the Wayback Machine. AutoblogGreen. 2010-06-15.
^ Blanco, Sebastian. "Wheego delivers first LiFe vehicle in time for Earth Day Archived 2020-10-30 at the Wayback Machine". AutoblogGreen.
^ LeSage, Jon (2016-10-24). "Wheego Now Autonomous Electric Tech Company, Not An Automaker Archived 2021-03-01 at the Wayback Machine". HybridCARS.
^ Wheego. "2011 Wheego LiFe Technical Specifications Archived 2021-05-17 at the Wayback Machine". Wheego.net.