Engineering:Peugeot VLV
The Peugeot VLV was an electric microcar made by Peugeot in 1942. VLV stood for Voiture Légère de Ville ("Light City Car"). The car's announcement, on 1 May 1941, triggered some surprise, since Peugeot was the only one of France's large automakers to show interest in electric propulsion[1] at this time.
It was powered by four 12V batteries placed under the hood (bonnet) and a 2.5 kW (3.4 hp) Safi motor, giving it a claimed top speed of 36 km/h (22 mph) and a range of 80 kilometres (50 mi).[2][3] Charging was completed via a supplied charger that could plug into a standard socket.[4]
The car had two wheels at the front and two at the back. The rear track, however, was very narrow, thus dispensing with the need for a differential for the driving wheels and it utilized only one brake drum for both wheels.
The VLV was built during the war as a way to side-step fuel restrictions imposed on non-military users by the occupying German forces. Yet, it was banned after only 377 examples were built between 1941-1943 and the conventional pre-war Peugeot 202 began production again in 1946.[5]
References
- ↑ Musée de l'Aventure Peugeot.[circular reference] The exhibit label (2012) states:
- Pendant la deuxième guerre mondiale le rationnement d’essence incita les constructeurs à rechercher des sources d’énergie de remplacement.
- Peugeot fut le seul grand constructeur à s’intéresser a ce mode de propulsion et provoqua la surprise en annoncent le 1er mai 1941 la sortie de sa « VLV ». Présenté sous la forme d’un mini cabriolet, a deux places décollées, ce véhicule économique destinée a un usage urbain, fut plus particulièrement utilise par les postiers ou les médecins.
- 377 exemplaires furent produits de 1941 à 1945.
- Caractéristiques techniques :
- Moteur électrique, 3,3 ch., alimente par 4 batteries de 12 volts, autonomie de 75 a 80 km. Vitesse maximum 36 km/h.
- ↑ Ingram, Antony (2022-05-27). "The Peugeot VLV was the Twizy of the 1940s" (in en-US). https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/automotive-history/the-peugeot-vlv-was-the-twizy-of-the-1940s/.
- ↑ "VLV" (in en-US). https://laventure-association.com/en/modele/vlv/.
- ↑ Kierse, Matthias (2020-07-21). "Peugeot VLV" (in en-US). https://www.secret-classics.com/en/peugeot-vlv-2/.
- ↑ "Peugeot VLV Two-seater electric car provided zero-emissions transport during the war". Auto Express. 24 May 2010. https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-reviews/39584/peugeot-vlv.
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