In 2008 Ruf was unveiling the eRUF concept - a vehicle built under the "Emotion without Emission" logo. It the first prototype to lead the technical development away from the combustion engine. Actually, for the first time an electric motor is being used which comes to fitting into the Rufmodel range. But this was just an experimental vehicle, as one year later, at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show Ruf brought the eRUF Greenster - a model that will go on sale by the end of 2010.

The eRuf Greenster features an electric drive train systems developed by Siemens. It is a central motor with a power output of 270 kW and 950 Nm of torque, but the following version will be produced as a small series with Ruf as a double-motor concept with the innovative integral eDrive. As such, the eRUF will be the world's first electric vehicle fitted with a bi-directional network connection.

The eRUF Greenster has an autonomy of 250 kilometers (or 320 with an enlarged battery block). It sprints from 0 to 60 mph in approx. 5 seconds and can hit a top speed of 155 mph.

Press release after the jump.

2011 eRUF Greenster

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2011 eRUF Greenster

Press release

The Evolution of the eRUF in Collaboration with our Technology Partner Siemens Corporate Technology software and sensor technology and of course electric drive train systems, and the The research organization of Siemens (Corporate Technology) is working intensively on the topic of electro mobility, which could become part of its environment portfolio, with 19 billion Euros already contributing a mere 25% of total revenue. The demands made on the electric vehicle and the design of the power network infrastructure play a decisive role. Topics being investigated include, among others, energy generation and distribution, traffic and energy management, smart metering, power electronics, recovery and storage of energy. Within the scope of this research, Siemens Corporate Technology has developed an integrated system consisting of a motor/generator, power electronics and an interface with a battery connection for electrically powered cars.

The fundamental ideas that led RUF Automobile GmbH to develop an electrically driven vehicle came from Alois Ruf. The head of the automobile manufacturer from the Bavarian town of Pfaffenhausen had a vision of a simple energy transfer concept: his hydroelectric power plants, which feed 35 million kW hours of electricity per annum into the Germany electrical network, could also propel the eRUF. The symbiosis of two leading companies - Siemens as a leader in the electric industry and RUF in the automobile industry - will leverage the best possible synergies for the future of electro mobility.

Siemens Corporate Technology has developed an adapted power train for the eRuf "Greenster". Thus, a preliminary version of the concept for the innovative eDrive from Siemens will already be on display in Geneva. While the vehicle to be presented in Geneva is still equipped with a central motor with a power output of 270 kW and 950 Nm torque, the following version will be produced as a small series with Ruf as a double-motor concept with the innovative integral eDrive. As such, the eRUF will be the world's first electric vehicle fitted with a bi-directional network connection, which without the otherwise necessary additional recharging electronics - is capable to be recharged in less than an hour at a 400-volt power outlet - and can use the same power outlet to feed energy back into the power network if required. The small series planned on the basis of this concept by RUF Automobile is expected to hit the streets in 2010.

Technical data of the eRUF Greenster - status as of March 2009

  • open body version with removable roof and "soft" rear window and safety roll bar
  • forged 19" aluminium five-spoke wheels
  • brake system with ceramic brake disks in the front and the rear
  • drive train by Siemens AG
  • mid engine with an output of 270 kW and a torque of 950 Nm
  • reduction gear unit 2:1, full electronical forward and reverse gear selection
  • lithium-ion-accumulators of GAIA
  • weight: 1695 kg
  • performance:
  • 0 - 100 km/h: approx. 5 sec.
  • maximum speed: 250 km/h
  •  reach: 250 km; with enlarged battery block: 320 km