Kewet

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For the district in Ethiopia, see Kewet (woreda).

Kewet was the brand name of an battery electric vehicle. Since 2007, it has been manufactured under the name Buddy by ElbilNorge AS in Oslo, Norway.

[edit] History

In 1971 Knud Erik Westergaard started KEW Industries in Hadsund, Denmark. The company produced industrial washing equipment and high pressure cleaners. I 1988 this company was sold, and Westergaard founded Kewet to produce electric cars. I 1991 the first cars emerged from the production facilities. In 1995 production was moved to Nordhausen in the former East Germany. But this move was unsuccessful. Kewet went bankrupt in 1998. In August 1998 Kewet International was formed. Shortly thereafter, rights to the Kewet vehicle were transferred to the Norwegian company, Kollega Bil A/S, which changed its name to Elbil Norge AS. Currently, Kewet Service provides spare parts and repairs Kewet vehicles in Denmark, while Consys develops various systems for electric vehicles.

[edit] Models

Six generations of the Kewet have been produced. Models 1 and 2 used 48 volt systems, 5 kW motors equipped with a four-speed manual transmission. Model 3 was equipped with a 48 volt system, a 7.5 kW motor and an automatic transmission. Model 4 used 60 volt systems and a 10 kW motor. Model 5 used 72 volt systems with a 12 kW motor. It was also available as a van. Model 6 (Buddy) uses 72 volt systems with a 13 kW motor.

The car seats three, has a range of typically 50 to 80 km (~31 to 50 mi) between charges (150 km/~93 mi with Li-Ion), with a top speed of 80 km/h (~49.7 MPH), and features a 1.6 KW electric heater or an optional paraffin heater. The chassis is made of galvanized steel and the shell is made of GRP. At the present time, it is only being offered for sale in Norway.

Current website: [1]