We’ve covered Russia’s CNG/electric hybrid YoMobile before (here, and here) but now the cars are getting really – well, REAL. To show off just how real things are getting, the keys to a fully functional “pre-production” model were recently haded over to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (the World’s Craziest Bad***) for a quick spin around the bloc.
As before, the cars are expected to weigh about 1,500 lbs and achieve about 100 km (62 mi) per gallon of gas. Russian bajillionaire (and YoMobile’s primary backer) Mikhail Prokhorov’s claims the CNG-powered cars now reach speeds of up to 130 kmh (up from the original “target” of 120) and will sell for the equivalent of just 15,000 USD … which is none-too-shabby for an innovative little alt-car that features full GPS and a touchscreen in-dash computer.
Putin’s quick drive and first impressions of the nearly-ready-for-prime-time YoMobile (dubbed into English) is below. Enjoy!
Source: Motorpasion.