Bubble electric style cars from the 1960s

US General Motors (GM) XP 512E has two seats, catch the cabin open up and only one door is located at the front of the car.

One of the strangest electric cars was introduced by General Motors (GM) in 1969 at an event in Warren, Michigan. Appearance is like an electric bubble car.

Special design of XP 512E with cabin lid opening up and front door opening. Photo: GM

As an urban electric vehicle, the XP 512E has only two seats, the cabin lid is mostly glass. The entrance and exit is located directly at the front of the vehicle and the door opens forward.

Modest vehicle with a length of 2,192 mm, 1,422 mm wide and the wheelbase is only 1,321 mm. Compared to the Smart ForTwo EQ, the XP 512E is shorter by 503 mm, 241 mm narrower and the base is 552 mm shorter.

But thanks to its small size and fiberglass bodywork, the XP 512E is exceptionally lightweight. Vehicle weight is only 567 kg. 84 V lead-acid battery and 12 V. auxiliary battery pack

The car has only two seats, with a length of less than 2.2 m. Photo: GM

Like many early electric cars, the performance of the XP 512E is not great. With a speed of 40 km / h, XP 512 E can run a distance of 93 km. If running at a maximum speed of about 48 km / h, the distance shortens to 76 km. With the 115 V power line, the car takes nearly seven hours to fully charge.

XP 512E is currently located at GM's Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, Michigan. It has a collection of about 200 vehicles in the history of American car manufacturers.