On-demand carpooling service Spiri reveals first prototype vehicle: A 320-km range electric supercar for the city.

Copenhagen, September 20, 2016. Today at 16.00 CET the first Spiri vehicle prototype is revealed live on stage at the Copenhagen Opera House as part of the TechBBQ conference and livestreamed on Spiri’s Facebook page.

Former VP of Supply Chain at Tesla and a Board Member at Spiri, Peter Carlsson, says: “Today we’re showing our first vehicle prototype, which is basically a lab on wheels. It allows us to perfect the handling, legroom, battery range and safety before we decide on the final design. The Spiri weighs an incredible 450 kgs without the battery, while still comfortably seating four people with more legroom than a Mercedes S-Class. We think that’s pretty amazing. Thanks to its ultra-lightweight construction, the Spiri offers a whopping 320-km range with only a 36.5 kWh battery. That’s almost twice the efficiency of the Tesla Model S.”

Formula 1 technology for everyone

The engineering team behind Spiri has worked on supercars such as the Aston Martin DB9, Tesla Model S, and the all-electric hyper car Rimac. Now, they’re building the most radical city vehicle the world has ever seen. Spiri CEO and Former Senior Aston Martin Engineer, Stefan Holm Nielsen points out: “We’ve cut out all the features of a traditional car that add zero value to a person’s daily commute and travel. No interior panels, no paint, and 1/4 the parts of a traditional car. Additionally, the entire body of the vehicle is built from carbon fibre. This way we reduce the weight and cost, while dramatically increasing the safety and range of the vehicle.”

A connected vehicle for the digital sharing age
Through its vehicle operating system, the Spiri is always connected to the cloud. The benefits for the users are multiple: All passengers are registered through the Spiri app for safety; vehicles are monitored live 24/7; and drivers and passengers are matched by advanced algorithms, making sure that carpooling detours are as small as possible. Spiri Co-Founder and Board Member, Søren Halskov Nissen says: “Drivers can drive Spiri for free from our designated parking hubs. Passengers going the same way join the trip at the cost of a bus ticket. The points where drivers and passengers meet are virtual bus stops. They are placed dynamically along the route to make sure that pickups add only minutes to the driver’s and the passengers’ journeys.”

Drive for free or be a passenger at public transport prices
The first five launch countries are the UK, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden with the first city launch in 2017, where people can drive for free or be passengers at public transport prices. Users can sign-up to get early access to drive for free on www.spiri.io.