The Milner Motors ElectriCar is a four-door, four-seat, plug-in hybrid electric car designed from the ground up to be safe, environmentally friendly, energy efficient, easy to use, stylish and affordable. We’ve accomplished this by using an aerodynamic design, light-weighting the vehicle, and optimizing mechanical efficiency with an electric propulsion system.

This prototype uses a fiberglass skin over a steel frame and weighs 1250 lbs. It is designed to drive 100 miles on battery power and at speeds up to 85 mph. Batteries are charged using 110- or 220-volt outlets. For trips greater than 100 miles, batteries are charged en route by a small gasoline-powered generator.

The front seat is as spacious as two first-class airline seats. The footprint (wider wheel base and tread width) provides a stable ride; having the wheels outside the body and having a longer wheelbase provides a smoother, quieter ride.

We are currently driving the ElectriCar prototype optimizing vehicle handling, efficiency and practicality.

We plan on initially developing for the kit-car market and are seeking interested customers and also manufacturing and distribution partners. If you are interested, please contact us.

We’ve designed the ElectriCar to be as energy efficient as possible while still maintaining the practicality and comfort that owners demand and deserve. You’ll tread lightly on the earth while experiencing the convenience & useability you have come to expect in an automobile, and while saving approximately 80% on your fuel bills.

We know that potential buyers have many questions about this new vehicle, so here are lots of answers to your questions.

We followed examples in nature to make this vehicle as aerodynamic as possible and comfortable for every-day use. This shape, similar to that of a dolphin, or peregrine falcon, or airplane, provides the lowest aero-dynamic resistance in a four-door, four-seat vehicle. CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) studies predict requiring 8 HP or less to drive 60 MPH on level ground.

The ElectriCar fuselage provides 54" front shoulder room, the same as two first-class airline seats, comparable to many smaller automobiles being currently produced. Four doors provide easy access for passengers and back seat storage.

Advanced-composite construction allows a 50% reduction in body structure weight while providing improved crash protection, improved stiffness, and less than half the number of body parts. Using the style of Indianapolis race cars allows optimum aerodynamic shape with a steel cage construction underneath the skin.

A vehicle curb weight of 1,250 lbs allows easy acceleration with minimal power. The vehicle length provides a high level of stability, and having the wheels outside the fuselage provides a quieter ride.

In addition to the vehicle’s aerodynamic and light-weight qualities, our motor unit is the heart of our efficient vehicle. It is comprised of motors, batteries, transmission, and a range-assist engine.

The ElectriCar is designed to run 100 miles on a full battery charge. If you need to drive more than that in a day, a small on-board engine automatically charges the batteries while driving en route. If close to your destination, you are able to minimize the amount of range-assist, to further decrease the use of gasoline. The vehicle is normally charged at night or at your preferred times.

Cost-Savings: 15 kWh of electricity delivered to a home or business costs about $1 (even less at night), about $20 less than it costs to use 7 gallons (at $3 per gallon) of gasoline in 3 hours of typical driving.

Batteries: The ElectriCar uses a 44-cell, 17 kWh Lithium (lithium iron phosphate LiFePO4) battery pack. A battery management system (BMS) protects the batteries from over and under voltage and temperature. To further protect the batteries, only about 75% (13 kWh) of the total energy is used before the batteries are recharged. Driving an average of 40 miles per day, you will most likely charge your batteries every other day, and doing so, your batteries are expected to last ten years.

Motors: We use two brushless three phase motors. Each is able to run continuously at 80 volts and 200 amps (16 kW or 21 HP). The two motors can handle a total of 400 amps and generate 80 HP for acceleration.

The primary motor runs the vehicle at all times, and the secondary motor is used when additional power is needed for acceleration. When the batteries near their low-charge state, the second motor is used as an electric generator by the range-assist engine to recharge the batteries.

Transmission: A 6:1 single ratio front wheel drive unit with the differential is located inside the custom-built aluminum transmission case. This setup provides a simple, lightweight, low-drag proven design.

Engine: The ElectriCar will use a 25 HP engine to provide charging en route when needed. This engine, even though rarely used, removes the need for using commercial charging stations, and the worry of being "out of electricity". We have yet to select the engine, but our selection will be based on cost, quietness and fuel efficiency.

Regenerative and Other Braking: When the brake pedal is pressed, a signal is sent to the electric motors to help slow the vehicle. This energy is fed back into the batteries to be reused, and to also decrease the usage of the mechanical brakes. It is generally agreed that regenerative braking increases fuel efficiency of a vehicle by about 10%. Additionally, we have installed traditional hydraulic disc brakes on all four wheels.

Running Gear: We utilize tried-and-true components for the wheels, tires, hubs, axles and brakes. These are selected from other vehicles that are heavier than the ElectriCar, have extensive engineering and millions of miles of operating history.

Charging the Batteries: The current prototype ElectriCar uses a plug-in battery charger, which plugs into a household outlet to be fully charged each morning. The cabin is heated or cooled to your desires, and batteries are kept at a proper temperature.

To remove the need of physically plugging and unplugging the charger, the production vehicle will have an inductive charger. This system has no metal-to-metal contact with the vehicle but inductively transfers energy to the vehicle. It sits on your garage floor underneath your parked vehicle, and charges your batteries at your preset time.

The ElectriCar’s Information System is the brains of this efficient vehicle. A Wi-Fi connection allows your vehicle to communicate with us for software updates and reminders when necessary.

Driver’s Instruments: The vehicle has two full-color monitors. The primary monitor provides a full-time 180 degree rear view mirror, eliminating the blind spot that exists in virtually every other automobile. Below the rear view mirror are the driving instruments (indicators for speed, shift, turn signals, odometer, temperature, electrical & fuel level, seat belt & door warnings and the current speed limit). The secondary touch screen monitor allows for user input with screens for Climate, Audio, and Power Usage & Range.

Intelligent Systems: While the vehicle is moving, the on-board computer uses input from the GPS receiver and keeps track of location, power used, and speed. It can even remind you of the current speed limit, if you wish. When the batteries need recharging the system can predict, based on your previous driving history, how much charging is needed to reach your normal recharging location at your home or business. This feature helps optimize the efficiency of, and decrease the use of, the range-assist engine.

Upholstery: You can select between easy-to-clean vinyl seats and cloth seats that feel cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Heating & Cooling: The ElectriCar has an electric heater and air conditioner. You can preheat or cool the vehicle at your preselected time. For other times, just click the key fob a few minutes prior to going to the vehicle. If the vehicle is parked at its charging place, it uses ground power to preheat or cool the vehicle.

Audio: As audio & other information systems evolve, our updateable software allows easy upgrades to be delivered to your vehicle.

Storage: A 10 cubic foot area of storage to handle everything from groceries to golf clubs is available behind the rear seat. Additionally, the rear seat back easily folds over to expand the storage area to 30 cubic feet (an area about 6 ft long by 3 ft wide by 2 ft high).

Our next step is to complete the first five vehicles, to be used for extensive road testing. We will then begin production of this vehicle for the kit-car market.