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South African Electric Car the Crown Joule of Paris Auto Show

On the 15th anniversary of Nelson Mandela receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, South Africa is gaining attention for another world-friendly achievement. This time, it's an electric car from Cape Town-based Optimal Energy that's grabbing headlines. The Joule has been the darling of the Paris Auto Show, and it's easy to see why. The six-passenger car has a purported range of 250 miles, a 0-60 time of 4.8 seconds, and an out-of-nowhere backstory worthy of a Greg Gumble voiceover. Edmunds Inside Linereports that cost estimates are between $22,000 and $28,000 with an all-too-familiar release date of "somewhere in 2010." Production will take place in South Africa and the finished product will consist of about 50 percent local content. A strong addition to the 70-strong staff at Optimal Energy is Keith Helfet. Helfet is most famous for his designs of Jaguar's F-type concept and XK220 and brings his expertise to South Africa's nascent domestic car industry. Optimal says the car has "simple, elegant lines and [a] self assured stance." We think it looks like a cross between a Nissan Murano and a guppy, and it's C-pillar is more of a C-wall, but we still want one. Video and more pictures after the jump. We're sure that the phrase "South African motoring" brings to mind mustached men in pith helmets crossing the Transvaal in their dusty beige Defenders. That will all change if Joule is a success and South Africa gains a reputation as a home for carbon-friendly car manufacturing. Optimal takes pride in their home-grown creation, which was partially funded by a $6 million grant from South Africa's National Research Foundation's innovation fund. According to Optimal, the Joule has a number of options including two potential drivetrains: an electric motor turning the front wheels, or individual electric motors turning the rear or all four wheels. Additionally, the car can be configured with either one or two removable lithium-ion battery packs for either a 125 or 250 mile range. Standard equipment includes regenerative brakes and "all modern safety features such as side impact protection, ABS and airbags." So far, the reaction in Paris has been quite favorable, even though the car will be unavailable for media drives until "sometime in 2009." Words like "practical," "stylish," and "real winner" appear in most reviews-- probably due to the car's relatively long range and six-passenger capacity. The hometown press lovesit. We can only foresee a few problems with Optimal's effort. First, we wonder whether all those options will drive up the cost. Joule says that the battery packs have seven year life spans and will be leased rather than sold, but we don't know whether that cost is included in the price of the car. Also, the car's top speed is only 83 mph. That's more than adequate for most commuters, but we imagine these won't fly off the lots in Big Sky Country. We also worry about any startup in the current credit climate, and hope the Joule is completed sooner than Cape Town's infamous highway system. Photos courtesy Optimal Energy, video courtesy YouTube user MotorCities.

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