US startup Wink Motors has announced a new line of vehicles, some of which support solar charging, as per New Atlas.
Wink Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs)
According to the company, all four Wink Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs) are fully street-legal throughout the US and are manufactured to surpass safety requirements in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. With a government-limited top speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h), they can operate on roads with speed limits of over 35 mph (56 km/h).
They’re all completely enclosed, seat four passengers, and offer car-like features like air conditioners, backup cameras, electric windows, electric door locks, glove boxes, heaters, infotainment screens, USB chargers, trunks, and folding rear seats for additional cargo space unlike some golf-cart-like” NEVs.
They are also equipped with an electric motor with 3 kW of steady power (7 kW peak), powered by a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO 4) battery pack, which can be charged from a regular 120-volt household outlet.
“We started with two existing body designs to avoid reinventing the wheel and reduce tooling costs,” said Wink CEO Mark Dweck.
“Then we had to develop them for the US market, which meant designing the interior, controls, safety mechanism, motor, batteries and other key components along with NHTSA [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] guidelines for US motor vehicles. So while parts like the body panels, door handles and others are existing materials, the guts and resulting vehicles are all unique to Wink.”
Wink products: Sprout model, Mark 1 model, & Mark 2 solar
At the bottom of the Wink pack is the $8,995 two-door Sprout model. One 6-hour charge of the 60V/60-Ah battery is stated to be suitable for 40 miles (64 km) range. The vehicle is also said to be 761 lb (345 kg).
Next up is the $9,995, 798 lb (362 kg) Sprout Solar, equipped with a removable rooftop solar panel that” provides over 15 miles (24 km) of additional range per day – although that depends on factors such as geographical location and usage.”
In addition, the vehicle also has a higher-capacity 80 Ah battery, and one 8-hour charge should be enough for about 60 miles (97 km) range.
Meanwhile, the $10,995 Mark 1 model drops the solar panel but gets a rear hatchback, a larger rear cargo section and more interior space. It keeps the Sprout Solar’s battery, which offers the same 60-mile range, and weighs over 1,190 lb (540 kg).
Furthermore, the 1,250 lb (567 kg) Wink Mark 2 Solar puts the solar panel back in. While other specs are similar to the Mark 1, it does have four doors alongside the rear hatch with a price of $11,995.
Wink deliveries are to start later this month
All the quoted prices are part of an introductory offer until November 30, 2022. Wink products can be ordered via the company website. Wink’s CEO said that deliveries should begin later this month.
