In 1970, Jean Albert Grégoire began designing a new electric car. Fulmen, a subsidiary of the Compagnie Generale d’Electricite (or CGE), was manufacturing batteries and funded this development. A Philippe Charbonneau designed fiberglass body was built by Chappe & Gessalin. The chassis is cast in aluminum (Alpax) and supports the mechanical, electrical components and the batteries. The 4-wheel Independent air suspension is a Grégoire patent. Eleven cars were made and for ten years they were driven and tested but no production was started. The maximum speed is 50 MPH, the “economy speed” is 40 MPH. The range at economy speed is about 80 miles, good enough for postal delivery. The weight of the car is 2,000 pounds, half for the chassis and body, half for the batteries. We have modified our CGE GRÉGOIRE to use a hydrogen fuel cell to keep the batteries charged. Hydrogen is stored in the black cylindrical tank behind the passenger seat. The fuel cell is in the stainless steel box behind the hydrogen tank and the fan at the rear vents the fuel cell. This was not Gregoire’s first shot at electric, in 1942, Gregoire’s small car, the “Tudor” had broken records for electric automobiles: 150 miles at an average speed of 27 miles per hour without recharging the batteries. During the war, when gasoline was not available, 150 cars were manufactured.
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