eRUF Greenster Revealed at Geneva

eRUF Greenster

By Thami Masemola
March 5, 2009 3:52 PM
Filed Under: Electric Vehicle, Geneva Motor Show, German, Porsche, Tuners

Going green means different things to different people. For tuner RUF it means cleaner cars and in this case, cars also painted in green. RUF has developed the eRUF Greenster with Siemens Corporate Technology. The eRUF explores many of the themes being investigated by automakers such as fewer C02 emissions and electric propulsion.

Going further than that the eRUF does something quite new in that it is fitted with a bi-directional network connection that not only allows its battery to be recharged in less than an hour on a 400-volt power outlet but also lets the car return energy back into the power network if needed. The system is called eDrive.

The Greenster has a motor that pushes out 270kW (362hp) and stomping torque of 950Nm. This propels the 1,695kg (3,737 lbs) car from 0 - 100km/h in about 5 seconds reaching a top speed of 250km/h. RUF says using a bigger battery block top speed can be increased to 320km/h. When it is time to stop the 19-inch five-spoke wheels large ceramic brakes are on call.

RUF will start producing the eRUF in small series by 2010. The Greenster can be seen live at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show which is currently open until March 15, 2009.

 

Press Release

The Evolution of the eRUF in Collaboration with our Technology Partner Siemens Corporate Technology

software and sensor technology and of course electric drive train systems, and the The research organization of Siemens (Corporate Technology) is working intensively on the topic of electro mobility, which could become part of its environment portfolio, with 19 billion Euros already contributing a mere 25% of total revenue. The demands made on the electric vehicle and the design of the power network infrastructure play a decisive role. Topics being investigated include, among others, energy generation and distribution, traffic and energy management, smart metering, power electronics, recovery and storage of energy. Within the scope of this research, Siemens Corporate Technology has developed an integrated system consisting of a motor/generator, power electronics and an interface with a battery connection for electrically powered cars.

The fundamental ideas that led RUF Automobile GmbH to develop an electrically driven vehicle came from Alois Ruf. The head of the automobile manufacturer from the Bavarian town of Pfaffenhausen had a vision of a simple energy transfer concept: his hydroelectric power plants, which feed 35 million kW hours of electricity per annum into the Germany electrical network, could also propel the eRUF. The symbiosis of two leading companies - Siemens as a leader in the electric industry and RUF in the automobile industry - will leverage the best possible synergies for the future of electro mobility.

Siemens Corporate Technology has developed an adapted power train for the eRuf "Greenster". Thus, a preliminary version of the concept for the innovative eDrive from Siemens will already be on display in Geneva. While the vehicle to be presented in Geneva is still equipped with a central motor with a power output of 270 kW and 950 Nm [Wort gelöscht] torque, the following version will be produced as a small series with Ruf as a double-motor concept with the innovative integral eDrive. As such, the eRUF will be the world's first electric vehicle fitted with a bi-directional network connection, which without the otherwise necessary additional recharging electronics - is capable to be recharged in less than an hour at a 400-volt power outlet - and can use the same power outlet to feed energy back into the power network if required. The small series planned on the basis of this concept by RUF Automobile is expected to hit the streets in 2010.

Technical data of the eRUF Greenster - status as of March 2009