GM’s XP 512E Was A Wonderfully Weird Electric Bubble Car

General Motors is gearing up to launch an assortment of electric vehicles including the Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EV. However, they’ve been experimenting with electric vehicles for decades.

One of the weirdest was introduced in 1969 at GM’s “Progress of Power” event in Warren, Michigan. We’re talking about the XP 512E which was a bizarre electric bubble car.

Also Read: Remember When Dodge Pulled A Tesla And Made A Lotus-Based EV?

Billed as an urban EV, the XP 512E was a two seater with a wraparound glass canopy which opened upwards to reveal the cabin. If that wasn’t interesting enough, the front fascia opened outward to ease entry and egress.

Given its job as an urban commuter, the XP 512E was downright tiny. The model measured 86.3 inches (2,192 mm) long, 56 inches (1,422 mm) wide and had a wheelbase of just 52 inches (1,321 mm). That makes the model 19.9 inches (503 mm) shorter and 9.4 inches (241 mm) narrower than the Smart ForTwo EQ. The ForTwo’s wheelbase is also 21.7 inches (552 mm) longer.

Thanks to its small size and fiberglass body, the XP 512E was extremely lightweight. It tipped the scales at 1,250 lbs (567 kg) despite having a 84-volt lead­ acid battery pack and an additional 12-volt battery for powering accessories.

Like many other early electric vehicles, the performance specifications weren’t mind blowing. When traveling at 25 mph (40 km/h), the XP 512E had a range of 58 miles (93 km). At the car’s top speed of approximately 30 mph (48 km/h), the range dropped to 47 miles (76 km).

If the XP 512E would have gone into production, recharging would have been a frequent occurrence. Unfortunately, that took approximately 7 hours using a 115-volt household outlet.