Paris 2010: Seat Ibe Concept

Another Paris Auto Show post, another electric car.  Sigh. Why do they have to make them so pretty, but also make them filled with batteries?  I don't get it.  The Seat Ibe concept debuted at the 2010 Paris International Auto Show, and like a whole lot of other cars there, a gasoline engine is not included in the deal.

Although it looks big in pictures, the Ibe is actually pretty small - a total overall length of 13' puts it nearly two feet shorter than a modern Honda Accord.  Considering how heavy batteries and electric motors are, the overall vehicle weight of 2,425lbs is pretty impressive.

The Ibe (IB-e?) is powered by an 18kw/h Lithium-Ion battery, and the motor produces 102 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque - so the pokey 9.7 second 0-100km/h time isn't much of a surprise.  It's still about on par with Honda's CR-Z "sports hybrid," but it doesn't... you know... use any gas while it's being that slow.  It is interesting to consider that another of the VAG's concept cars at the Paris show was more than 100kg lighter than the Ibe... the 570 horsepower all-carbon Lamborghini Sesto Elemento.  Perhaps they're not aimed at the same clientele, but it is telling that a V10 supercar can weigh less than a compact all-electric coupe.

Positive aspects?  This is an extremely convincing styling exercise.  I see hints of VW Corrado in the roofline, some Alfa Brera in the rear end, a bit of Mazda's design language up front, and the typical glitzy show-circuit wheels to ice the cake.  The proportions are spot-on: short front to back and top to bottom, but nice and wide side to side give the Ibe a squat, muscular stance, with the four wheels pushed to the corners.

The inside is a glorious tech-fest for the urban hipsters the Ibe is aimed at.  It's all about connectivity - with a smart phone (of course it's an iPhone in the pictures.  I won't get into this because CT is a car blog, not a tech blog) docked in a cradle in the dash, you can do all sorts of things to the Ibe that you would've done with traditional buttons, switches, and other things designed to operate a car.  Wireless connectivity of the phone to the in-car audio is a nice touch, but not exactly new.  As is the on-phone diagnostics, which I believe you can do through OnStar to new GM vehicles.  Still, the interior is remarkable spacious for the car's small dimensions, and it looks pretty comfortable once you get past the show-car seats.

The Ibe isn't necessarily a pre-production vehicle (although it is pretty, Seat, and you should make it... with a real engine), but more a statement of intent for VAG's Spanish subsidiary.  They call it "electro-mobility" which sounds a lot like a techno song, but it's all about sustainability being integrated into the brand's philosophy.  Perhaps we could all get behind "electro-mobility" if it meant something more than 102 horsepower in a 2,500 pound package, Seat.  Just saying.