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IAA Mobility 2021: VM Test Drive XEV YOYO - Micro-EV with Swappable Battery

Cars are getting bigger and bigger, that's a fact. We will probably never again see truly tiny cars like the Fiat 500 (1960s) rolling off the production line. But as a small consolation, we are seeing more and more truly small cars at the IAA. In addition to the star of the show, the Microlino, there is also a very different concept: the YOYO from XEV.

Small, but impressive: The concept of the XEV operates with a battery-swapping system. | Photo: R. Lang
Small, but impressive: The concept of the XEV operates with a battery-swapping system. | Photo: R. Lang
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YOYO from XEV: No, that's not a typo, but the name of an Italian company that, together with Chinese suppliers, has built a small electric car with hand-swappable batteries. The body of the YOYO, according to XEV, comes entirely from a 3D printer. Thus, the small car has a metal skeleton similar to the LEVC VN5 and a plastic body, which, unlike the English model, fits quite poorly. Panel gaps are probably not a concept at XEV, and I think they are just glad if body parts do not stick out too much... This is not important, of course. What is much more important is the space where you spend the most time: the driver's cabin. Luxury features are fortunately not found in the YOYO, otherwise the car would not be so delightfully light with 450 kilos.

Instead, you have to be content with a plastic steering wheel without power steering, questionable ergonomics, and similarly poor build quality as the exterior. But is that really important? Well, no, because the 2.53-meter short and 1.50-meter wide helmet on four wheels impresses with other attributes. The rear axle is driven by a 10 hp permanent-synchronous motor, with a peak output of up to 20 hp.

That doesn’t sound like much and, admittedly, it is a bit slow - one can't talk about punch here. In the base model, it feels more like the motor is just about capable of rolling the weight with acceptable acceleration. Nevertheless, the YOYO is fun to drive: Due to the lack of power steering, it is very direct, almost sporty. The digital speedometer and the infotainment system do what they are supposed to do during the drive, but will likely not be able to do much more even in the final production vehicle.

Circular economy: The batteries are swapped

What makes the XEV YOYO truly unique are its removable batteries and the concept behind it. According to XEV, the goal is to create a genuine network of batteries. Every YOYO is supposed to be able to exchange its three batteries, which offer up to 180 realistic km of range, at a TOTAL gas station in just 10 minutes or at stations the size of a vending machine. This means that an XEV YOYO driver will purchase their car with a set of batteries, but likely won't keep them for long before swapping them for "foreign" full batteries or having them swapped overnight by a service! This way, the batteries are always in circulation, the vehicle owner doesn't have to worry about the battery's lifespan, and the problem with charging is also solved.

The vehicle can of course still be charged via a Type 2 plug, which will charge the battery from 30 to 100 percent in a sluggish 4 hours. Then it's better to go for a battery swap. With a top speed of 80 km/h, the normal version of the YOYO is also highway capable, although there will probably be a limited version that can be registered as an L7e vehicle. The Italian is expected to cost from €13,900 minus environmental bonus.

Translated automatically from German.
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