Search Car Reviews



See all makes

SEAT E-Altea

MPV prepares SEAT for an electric future - is it any good?

SEAT E-Altea

By James Foxall

November 2011

Recently we drove the plug-in hybrid Leon TwinDrive, but SEAT bosses are looking at making an all-electric vehicle, too. And this model – the e-Altea – gives us an idea of what to expect.

Under the bonnet is an 85kW electric motor – the equivalent of 114bhp. This draws power from lithium-ion batteries under the rear seats, so there’s no compromise on interior space. However, those batteries only provide about 84 miles of range.

SEAT has fitted the e-Altea with Normal, Eco and Range modes to help maximise mileage. Eco limits acceleration, top speed and climate control, while Range ups the regenerative braking.

The e-Altea’s 270Nm of torque is delivered from the off, so it feels swift from a standstill. As SEAT is keen to retain a sense of driver involvement, flicking the steering wheel-mounted paddles increases the brake regeneration, to give the feel of engine braking.

But the batteries add 300kg to the kerbweight, which means it feels far heavier than a standard Altea. It’s slightly more cumbersome in bends, and the brakes need to be worked harder.

As with most electric cars, the major drawback is the range. SEAT insists, though, that by the time its first electric vehicle goes on sale in 2016, this will no longer be an issue.

 

For an alternative review of the latest Seat Altea visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

What Next

For more breaking car news and reviews, subscribe to Auto Express magazine. We'll give you 6 issues for £1 and a free gift!

< Previous   Next >

Sponsored Results

3 Comments

New battery advances but charging?

I am not surprised that Seat say that battery technology will not be an issue by 2016. By then, other manufacturers will have their battery EVs on the market and the economy of scale will have started to take effect. Plus there are bound to be advances in development.

I recently heard about a discovery that making sub-microscopic holes in existing Li-ion cells enabled a mobile phone battery to be charged five times as quickly and hold five times the charge. A demonstration showed that it didn't need to be charged for a week, compared to the usual usage pattern being to connect it to the mains overnight.

This got me thinking, though. It needed five times the current to charge the telephone. That's fine: 1 amp at mains voltage is not a problem. But for a car?

The amound of energy a car needs to undertake a journey is not going to change. Currently charging with a car from a regular power socket - 10 to 13 amps - to fill its battery for a 100 mile range is several hours, limited by the capacity of the mains plug and socket. Unless you have an expensive 60A home charger, it's going to take days to charge a car that has a 500 mile range.

You are likely to use a car with a higher range more, increasing the need to charge it and at the same time reducing the opportunity to charge it. This starts to sound like you will need to leave it on charge all the time that you are not using it when at home.

Personally, I am really looking forward to battery EVs becoming available. But if you buy an early one and the technology quickly moves on it's going to be worthless!

By alan_jenney on 25 November, 2011, 11:01pm

New battery advances but charging?

I am not surprised that Seat say that battery technology will not be an issue by 2016. By then, other manufacturers will have their battery EVs on the market and the economy of scale will have started to take effect. Plus there are bound to be advances in development.

I recently heard about a discovery that making sub-microscopic holes in existing Li-ion cells enabled a mobile phone battery to be charged five times as quickly and hold five times the charge. A demonstration showed that it didn't need to be charged for a week, compared to the usual usage pattern being to connect it to the mains overnight.

This got me thinking, though. It needed five times the current to charge the telephone. That's fine: 1 amp at mains voltage is not a problem. But for a car?

The amound of energy a car needs to undertake a journey is not going to change. Currently charging with a car from a regular power socket - 10 to 13 amps - to fill its battery for a 100 mile range is several hours, limited by the capacity of the mains plug and socket. Unless you have an expensive 60A home charger, it's going to take days to charge a car that has a 500 mile range.

You are likely to use a car with a higher range more, increasing the need to charge it and at the same time reducing the opportunity to charge it. This starts to sound like you will need to leave it on charge all the time that you are not using it when at home.

Personally, I am really looking forward to battery EVs becoming available. But if you buy an early one and the technology quickly moves on it's going to be worthless!

By alan_jenney on 25 November, 2011, 11:12pm

Price before grant runs out

I made an observation about buying a battery EV too soon. The other thing to take into account is the government grant. This is a limited offer, so one would want to buy an e-car before the money runs out but after the technology and prices have stabilised. Tricky, no?

By alan_jenney on 25 November, 2011, 11:14pm

You need to register to post comments. Existing members can log in below to comment, otherwise click here to join.



Sponsored Results

- Advertisement -

Pictures

SEAT E-Altea
SEAT E-Altea
SEAT E-Altea
SEAT E-Altea

Sponsored Results

Find New Cars

Find your new Seat Altea with our new car search:

Find New Cars

FIRST OPINION

    The e-Altea demonstrates that SEAT has the technology to produce an electric vehicle, but there’s still plenty of work to be done. As far as the driving experience goes, the ride is overly firm to counteract the effects of the weight increase and the range is poor – even for an electric car. There are some interesting ideas here, though – in particular the paddles on the steering wheel, which can increase regenerative braking.

 

AT A GLANCE

    Price: £25,000 (est)
    Engine: 85kW AC electric motor
    Power/torque: 114bhp/270Nm
    Transmission: Single speed, front-wheel drive
    0-60mph: 16 seconds (est)
    Top speed: 84mph
    Range: 84 miles
    Equipment: Roof-mounted solar panels, power source monitor and controller with mobile phone app, electric windows, air-con, sat-nav
    On sale: 2016
     
    - Advertisement -