Uniti One EV for NZ?

The Uniti One electric car being built in the United Kingdom could be made in Australia as well and is likely to be available to Kiwis.

The three-seater city-style car is expected to be delivered in the UK and Sweden in mid-2020 and may be also manufactured in Australia, Mexico, the US, India, Dubai and Georgia under a franchise model.

Uniti One’s makers are considering a manufacturing facility in Australia, with Adelaide earlier floated as a possible location.

Autocar in the UK says the Uniti One it will have choice of battery capacities and prices, aiming to supply each market from within that market using automated production centres and digital twinning technology supplied by Siemens.

As customers deal directly through Uniti’s website, New Zealand – although not specifically mentioned – could have access to its EV range.

“The automotive world has always used franchise models, in the form of dealerships,” Uniti vehicle development director Sally Provoltsky told Autocar

.

“Uniti is an unbranded box, and we know all markets are different, so we can adapt to them instead of forcing everyone to conform.”

Assembly line schematics could be shared anywhere in the world, with plants established to fulfil the production demand of a particular market.

The production line would be automated, with staff mainly focused on quality control.

The proposed system would provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional manufacturing process, which relies heavily on transportation networks to distribute cars from a single central production facility.

Entry-grade 12kWh models are estimated to do nearly 150km on a single charge, while the optional 24kWh battery pack extends that to nearly 300km. The 24kWh battery can be charged from 20% to 80% in 17 minutes on a 50kW CCS charger, while the 12kWh model takes nine minutes.

The Uniti One has a 120km/h top speed, providing City and Boost drive modes.

A smartphone app locks and unlocks the car, while an electrochromic sunroof is standard and automatically darkens when parked to keep the cabin cool. It has LED daytime running lights and rear LEDs, with full LED headlights an option.

The 155 litres of luggage space can be extended to 760 litres with rear seats folded.

Uniti aims to be a “major player” in the British EV market, especially in the second family car market, and to establish a London office.

A four-seater is planned with a high number of parts interchangeable with the Uniti One.

Service inspections would be provided by mobile technicians.