Saab EV-1, or Saab 900 Turbo EV-1, was developed by Saab in 1985 as a fully functional and roadworthy future concept car, EV-1 stands for ´Experimental Vehicle One´.
Unlike the name might suggest, the EV-1 was not an electric vehicle, but was based on the then new 16 valve 900 Turbo, with some performance upgrades that gave the car a power figure of 285 hp.
The body was steel and the roof all glass. The design was made by Björn Envall and the metal work was done by Leif Mellberg included such features as a solar powered interior cooling fan with 66 solar cells mounted in the glass roof. This device cooled the car when parked in sunlight. The front and rear bumpers (fenders) were designed to absorb impacts and revert to their original shape. They were made of Aramid fibre (Twaron or Kevlar) reinforced composites. The side doors featured carbon-fibre side impact protection. The speedometer lights only illuminate the area around the current speed; a modified version of this feature has been incorporated as standard on later production Saab models.
Thanks to the power and the aerodynamic shape of the 2+2 coupe body, the car was able to reach the top speed of 270 km/h. Under the glass roof there were solar cells that powered a fan that cooled the interior on sunny days. One remarkable thing about it was that it has seats from Chevrolet Corvette despite the fact GM hadn't yet bought the automobile division of Saab when it was made.
Just wish Saab actually could make this. But GM thought otherwise. Just wish they gave Saab the founds to make this futuristic and enjoyable pieces of engineering come into production.
