system would automatically switch the drive motors to generators as the car slowed so that the ni-cads could recharge; thus increasing the range of the car. The regenerative braking control was designed "to provide the same brake pedal "feel" as a conventional car. This was the first use of regenerative braking technology in the U.S. automobile industry. Altogether, the system provided the car with a range of when traveling at . Its total battery weight of only was also light for electric vehicles. The equivalent in lead-acid cells would weigh nearly a ton (907 kg). The entire system was controlled by a solid-state power management system. The first road tests of the batteries and powertrain were in 1968 using a converted conventional Rambler American sedan. At the time, AMC's vice president of design, Dick Teague, was working on a car called "the Voltswagon". The supporters of the Amitron were confident and stated that "We don't see a major obstacle in the technology. It's just a matter of time." Body The Amitron was designed to minimize power loss by keeping down rolling resistance, wind drag resistance, and vehicle weight. The prototype was a snub-snouted three-passenger urban area vehicle or city car with an overall length of only . Among its unique design features were passenger seats that had air-filled cushions, rather than conventional polyurethane (foam rubber). The car did not feature conventional bodyside doors, but the canopy of the vehicle was hinged up and backward ("clamshell-type" on rear-mounted pivots) for entry and egress. American Motors put more effort into making its prototype electric car attractive than its competitors. "The modern looking Amitron was one of the most promising electrics developed in the Sixties." During the December 1967 public introduction of the car, Roy D. Chapin Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of AMC, stated that the Amitron "could eliminate many problems that up to this point have made electric-type cars impractical". Potential market American Motors' original plans were to offer the Amitron for sale to commuters and urban shoppers in five years, and Chapin said AMC had discussed the venture with its bankers and creditors, and "they are about as enthusiastic about it". The Amitron was also well received by the public. The new technology was still in the infant stage and it was not expected to be popular "until the end of the decade." Competitors were also skeptical of AMC's