What is Volpe
What is Volpe
With the idea of eliminating stress caused by congestion and lack of parking spaces, the Volpe vehicle was also created to drastically reduce costs and pollution while offering great safety and comfort, with a fresh style and captivating look.
Volpe in Italian means fox, but it is also the acronym for original emission-free light vehicles.
Volpe S.p.A. is an Italian company that relies on more than 280 engineers, designers and specialists from automotive research centres and renown universities. This team has been brought together to develop vehicles that are innovative, intelligent and that respond to the needs of urban dwellers. Established in 2006, today Volpe S.p.A. is ready to launch its first 2-seater, available in four models: Globo, Goal, Graffio and Guru. They are all super compact urban vehicles that are small enough to weave through traffic and park in the space of a scooter, and yet large enough for two people to sit tandem in all comfort.
Precision engineering and state of the art technology are packed into the high elastic steel monocoque chassis of a vehicle which occupies only 2.2 m2 of road surface.
It is the vehicle that combines the safety and comfort of a car with the agility and dimensions of a scooter, with all the advantages of being electric but without range limitations.
Volpe represents the future of urban mobility.
Perfect for Parking
No more time wasted searching for parking spaces or money spent on expensive car parks.
The Volpe car can park in a scooter slot; four Volpe can park side-by-side in a standard car parking space.
The Volpe can access all restricted city areas and low emission zones. It can park conveniently and free of charge in the city centre, as well as in all areas reserved for electric vehicles.
Lambo doors open skywards to ease getting in and out of the vehicle, even in the tightest parking spaces. The tandem arrangement for two occupants and the central seating position means that passengers can always get in and out safely, away from on-coming traffic.
Unbeatable in congested traffic
The compact and lightweight design by the famous car designer Zagato, contribute towards extremely low fuel consumption.
On-board technology controls and innovative electric motors, recover energy during breaking to recharge the batteries, thus using electric power in an extremely efficient way. This means that the Volpe needs much less energy to zip around town than other vehicles.
In pure electric mode, running emissions are zero. When the bi-fuel range extender runs on natural gas or petrol, CO2 emissions are below 35g/km, that is, well below the EU 2020 target of 95 g/km for cars.
Drastically reduced fuel consumption and no/ultra low emissions are not just better for the environment, they are also kinder to your wallet.
The Volpe is economical to run: it costs less than € 2.50 to cover 100 kms.
Furthermore with the price tag of a maxi-scooter Volpe is the most affordable city car for whoever wants to live the city in a more intelligent, comfortable and safer way.
Clever and designed for everyday use, the Volpe car is the result of innovative ideas and advanced technological solutions, proving that the two can coexist without being necessarily expensive.
Electric, with no limitations
Able to take you right to the heart of the city, the Volpe makes you truly mobile. This electric city car can freely access low emissions and restricted traffic zones 24/7.
Volpe is also equipped with a range extending system so you only stop where and when you desire, with no restrictions given by battery consumption.
When a plug-socket for fast charge is not available or convenient, the onboard generator efficiently converts natural gas (the cleanest fuel after hydrogen) or petrol (the most readily available fuel on the market) into electricity to recharge the batteries and never leave you stranded.
With an optional rooftop solar panel and the energy recovery braking system, all the available energy is recuperated and added to the other onboard energy sources, to give a freedom of a range in excess of 500 km.
Range and Safety
It is important to know that the Volpe never leaves you stranded.
Covering longer distances than expected or forgetting to recharge the car, will no longer be a problem: before the batteries run out, the generator starts converting natural gas or petrol into electricity, in a clean way.
Volpe cars keep you moving, anywhere, anytime.
Personal safety is an integral part of the Volpe’s design and engineering, whether when driving, parking or getting in and out of the vehicle.
Whilst having all the advantages of a two-wheeler, passengers are fully protected in the comfort of a sturdy, steel frame chassis and the stability of four wheels.
Straightforward intuitive controls, user-friendly interfaces and automatic gearshift, make Volpe fun and easy to drive so that you can concentrate on the traffic on the busy city roads.
Extra miles or reaching a “plug-in” power point will no longer be a problem: when the battery charge is run down, the range extender (a power generator) cleanly converts natural gas and/or petrol into electricity.
Though not required by law for lightweight and heavyweight quadricycles, the Volpe vehicle has successfully passed all crash tests. Passive and active onboard safety systems - including the optional ABS and ESP systems - work to get you from A to B in a safe and enjoyable way.