La Bagnole is often translated as 'jalopy' or 'clunker' but the French makers of this audaciously conceived off-road electric microcar are no doubt much more alive to the nuances of the French language than the author of this article. Perhaps it is meant to convey the idea of a trusty old car that has uncomplainingly suffered all the abuse it's been subjected to over the years. Something has clearly got lost in translation as images of La Bagnole reveal something that looks like the product of a meeting between the legendarily tough WWII Willys Jeep and a highy imaginitive CAD expert.
In hard numbers La Bagnole is pretty impressive too. It has two rear wheel electric motors claiming up to 480Nm of torque (compared to the range topping 90Nm of Bosch's range-topping e-bike motors). The vehicle's quoted weight is 290kg and its range from 45 to 90 miles on a single charge. Its dimensions are also not far off the aforementioned Willys Jeep at just over 2.8m long and 1.5m wide. Makers Kilow quote the minimum 0 to 25mph acceleration time as four seconds.
Kilow is also offering what is being described as a 'toy car-inspired box in which it can ship'. Once delivered this can serve as a storage crate and it even has an integrated solar system for recharging the La Bagnole battery off-grid.
There are two versions of La Bagnole available: a 28mph limited version (so-called L6e class) and a 50mph L7e variant. Prices start at €9,990 with delivery touted for the second half of this year.
La Bagnole is produced by Kilow who themselves are part of a four-company consortium known as We Shift. They are based in France's Arvre valley in the rich and rarified Alpine atmosphere of France's border area with Switzerland. Kilow is a new spinoff of France's Savoy Group and its KG Auto brand.
