Montréal - 1996-11-21
Bombardier is proud to announce its decision to proceed with the production and marketing of its Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV), a project which required more than two years of intense research and development.
Unveiled to the media last July, the Bombardier NEV is a stylish, two-seat electric vehicle designed for short-distance residential travel. Studies reveal that 87% of North American drivers travel less than 15 kilometres per day in their car.
"The NEV constitutes a new category of vehicle that offers innovative solutions to contemporary challenges and opens up a whole new era in personal transportation," affirms Mr. Pierre Beaudoin, President, Bombardier Motorized Consumer Products Group.
Initial Market: Southern United States
The NEV was developed first and foremost for sale in the southern U.S. where the climate and lifestyle create a market ripe with potential. Marketing of the NEV will begin in Arizona, California and Florida. In fact, Bombardier is launching the NEV today in Phoenix, Arizona.
The NEV is manufactured in Sherbrooke (Quebec) where a team of 70 people is assigned to the project. Marcel Boutin, Vice-President, Development, Motorized Consumer Products Group, is very optimistic about the NEVs success. He also believes that it is too early to attempt to quantify the demand, especially given the fact that this is a brand new product.
Two Target Markets The NEV is sure to capture the interest of golf-cart users. More than 100,000 golf carts are purchased every year in the southern U.S. for use on roads. "Weve designed our NEV with the special needs of these buyers in mind and were convinced that the vehicle were offering them has everything to satisfy their needs," states Mr. Boutin.
Bombardiers NEV could also easily be used as a second family vehicle by people living in residential areas or suburbs to drive their children to school, run errands, go to the gym, etc.
Conclusive Tests
The decision to launch the NEV is supported by the conclusive results of a series of laboratory experiments, road tests, and market studies.
Eighteen couples were given a NEV to drive for two weeks. All of them were very impressed by the quality of the vehicle. Their feedback was also used to make minor adjustment to the vehicles ergonomics.
"Over the past few months, explains Mr. Boutin, our test vehicles were driven more than 35,000 kilometres - the equivalent to once around the world - on our test courses and Phoenix roads. In the laboratory, the braking system was tested 115,000 times, the steering was put through 56,000 rotations, collisions were simulated, in addition to many other experiments. No stone was left unturned to ensure we were putting the most reliable vehicle possible on the market."
Unique Feature
Equipped with lead batteries that can be recharged using a standard household 110-volt outlet, Bombardiers NEV has a range of about 50 kilometres and a maximum speed of 40 km/h. Standard equipment includes four-wheel independent suspension, seat belts, and a lockable rear trunk. The suggested U.S. retail price is US$6,699 (C$9,350).
A NEV with a golf option package is designed specifically for golfers is also available. Differences include a reduced speed feature in accordance with most national golf cart standards.
Bombardier at a Glance
The Bombardier Motorized Consumer Products Group manufactures and markets a variety of recreational products including Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Sea-Doo personal watercraft, Sea-Doo jet boats and the Celebrity line of traditional boats. The Group recorded sales of $1.6 billion for fiscal year ended January 31, 1996.
Bombardier is a Canadian corporation engaged in design, development, manufacturing and marketing activities in the fields of transportation equipment, civil and military aerospace, motorized consumer products and services related to its core competencies. The Montreal-based corporation operates plants in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany and the United Kingdom, employing 40,000 people. Bombardiers business volume totals C$7.1 billion, and more than 85 percent of the Corporations revenues are made in markets outside Canada.