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Range anxiety has been a huge hurdle for electric cars, as buyers worry about running out of charge mid-journey.
But that concern could fade into the past if the technology of a Danish-designed car is an indicator of future range potential.
The Qbeak's promised range of 800km far outstrips the coming Holden Volt's 600km (with the petrol engine kicking in to keep the battery pack charged) or plug-ins like the Nisssan Leaf at a claimed range of 170km.
On the other hand, the Volt and Leaf look like a normal current-model car, while the Qbeak's futuristic styling might startle conservative buyers.
The Danish car uses a battery bank with charge extended by a bio-ethanol fuel cell to go the distance, driving in-wheel electric motors to get to a 120km/h top speed.
The fuel cell converts the bio-methanol to charge the battery bank, and waste heat from the process is used to power Qbeak’s heating and cooling systems.
The ultra-lightweight (425kg) little car was created as part of a Modular Energy Carrier concept program by three Danish companies. They plan to launch the battery-fuel cell Qbeak in 2013, but say they will have a battery-only version on the market later this year with a 300km range.
