A number of automotive startups — including Momenta, Faraday Future, SF Motors and LeEco — are on the path to raising billions of dollars in funding to get their ideas for the next generation of electric cars off the ground.
Swedish startup Uniti is taking a different approach, reaching out to potential investors and buyers through crowdfunding to have an active role in the development and production of its first electric car, dubbed the Uniti One.
Uniti plans to begin production of its electric car this year with roll out in 2020. Source: UnitiUniti One is a two-seat, fully electric car — designed for use in cities for daily commuters — that won’t contribute to traffic problems or contribute to climate change, the company said. Because of the car’s mobility, Uniti sees it as potentially becoming a leader in mobility-as-a-service, in which the Uniti One is used by multiple commuters headed to different parts of a city or town.
Uniti unveiled a prototype of the vehicle in 2017 and plans to begin production toward the end of 2019, launching in the Nordic region and the U.K. in 2020. Production will take place at Uniti’s plant in Silverstone Park in the U.K.
Uniti One’s target specifications include a 155-mile range, a top speed of 80 mph and dual motor output of 120 kW. The vehicle will feature a 26 kWh battery pack with DC fast charging, allowing it to charge from about 20% to 80% in around 25 minutes.
So far, Uniti has raised more than $1.26 million, attracting more than 1,500 investors. Uniti plans to raise a total of $37.9 million in the coming months.
Uniti’s crowdfunding effort is ongoing on the Crowdcube platform.
