The Thuringian Company Innovative Mobility Automobile GmbH (IMA) presents its new electric one-seater called Colibri at this years Geneva International Motor Show.

Following the motto “The weather in the city”, the Jena company shows how modern city mobility can look like. The efficient lightweight vehicle with its enclosed driver’s cabin and spacious trunk is fully suited for year-round everyday use and safe driving in any kind of weather. The Colibri impresses most on tight roads, cramped parking spaces and short door-to-door trips. Whether it be for municipalities, carsharing and delivery services, or as an economic electric vehicle for commuters, the Colibri is the intelligent mobility solution for urban areas. It is scheduled to enter serial production by late 2014.

During the world premiere of the street legal prototype, Thomas delos Santos, CEO of IMA told press representatives: “Our vision was to construct an electric vehicle suitable for daily urban use, one which is safe and also fun. It was to be economic, ecologic, and easy to combine with other modes of transportation. We succeeded in achieving this. And the market feedback shows: the Colibri strikes a nerve”.

Customized technology for modern mobility

In Geneva, IMA presents a compact one-person vehicle which provides generous interior space despite its minimal measures of 2.75m length, 1.18m width and 1.30m height. A specially designed lifting mechanism eases entering and exiting, while pedals and steering wheel can be adjusted to suit drivers between 1.58m and 1.98m. The trunk offers enough volume for two crates.

Lightweight frame

The construction highlight is the lightweight frame on a magnesium-steel basis, reducing vehicle weight and, hence, energy consumption costs. Vehicle developer B&W from Wolfsburg as well as developer Altair Engineering have proven that this lightweight construction does not affect safety. The Colibri will pass the Euro-NCAP crash test as the first vehicle of its class.

Zippy motorization

The powerful engine provides lots of driving pleasure and it consists of two CPM Twin engines which provide 24 kW peak power. The lightweight car reaches a top speed of 120 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds. Electricity for a range of 110 km is provided by a high- performance lithium-iron-phosphate battery from the company Axxellon. Its distinct features are a long lifecycle and short charging times.

Functional design

The vehicle design was carefully crafted right down to the finest detail by Christian Böhme. Intense development efforts were invested in the construction of the gull wing doors to balance ergonomics, water management as well as economy and design. The Colibri features a long-living quality exterior made of polyurethane in a low-emission spraying process.

A strong emphasis was put on the interior development. Vehicle control is achieved on the basis of a tablet solution, offering a flexible and secure interface. Thanks to which the Colibri can be incorporated with ease into existing carsharing concepts like remote maintenance, billing or fleet management software. It is also possible to access all functions of one’s own smartphone via the tablet and additionally, it allows the driver to control certain functions of the Colibri remotely, such as preheating it or checking on the charge status or vehicle location. Customers may access a carsharing vehicle directly and personalize its settings. For example, the driver is guided to the local station via a preset route where he will use a previously reserved parking space and transfer to his train. This shows how the Colibri can act as a central element for flexible mobility.

Market entry in late 2014

Together with an experienced contract manufacturer and other industry partners, the Colibri will enter serial production in late 2014 with a mid-term production volume of 17,000 vehicles per year. Its price will be under 10,000 Euro, with an additional monthly battery lease. Compared to conventional micro cars, the Colibri has one third less mobility costs.

Based on a current market study, IMA sees a market potential of 500,000 customers in the b2b market in Germany. Primary customers encompass carsharing providers, municipalities and delivery and mobile nursing services, for whom the Colibri is economically interesting.

Private customers as well are increasingly interested in intelligent traffic concepts which allow for a mix of different modes of transportation like private cars, carsharing, public transportation or rail. Within this mix, the Colibri can cover 80% of the private mobility demand.

Assisted Research Project

Prior to the development of the Colibri, extensive technical studies, scientific testing and material research have taken place. They were conducted by IMA in cooperation with six medium-sized research and industry partners. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (“BMBF”), among others, provides funds of 2.8 million Euros in assistance to the project.

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