[1][failed verification] Since its inception in 1991, combined sales of the Kewet and Buddy had totaled about 1,500 vehicles through October 2013,[2] of which, 1,087 were registered in Norway.

[4] In 2010, Pure Mobility (former "Elbil Norge") launched a new version of the Buddy, initially marketed as "MetroBuddy", but the "Metro" prefix was removed due to negative or confusing associations with the term.

Buddy is a simple, functional, electric city car with a range of 20 to 60 km (12 to 37 mi) depending on the season, topography and driving style.

[citation needed] The Buddy consists of a strong, hot galvanized steel tube frame with safety cage, but with no proper deformation zones.

[citation needed] ElBil Norge has made a development fleet of Buddy vehicles equipped with various forms of Li-ion battery technology.

[citation needed] As of late 2008, plans were under way for an additional factory in Portugal, with projected production of 5000 cars per year.

[5][needs update] The Buddy ranked 29th in sales by automotive brands in Norway in 2006, ahead of Jaguar, Fiat, Smart and Porsche.

[6] While most other cars there are dark or muted colors, about 80% of Buddys are delivered in a multitude of strong, bright colours,[7] with many using bold decorative elements such as flowers, hearts, clouds, and flames.

Elbil Norge AS is owned by its original founders Jan-Petter Skram and Viggo Vargum, and external investors include Hafslund Venture AS, Gezina AS (Th.

Brøvig), members of the Selvaag family, Lychegaarden (Jens P. Heyerdahl) and Jan Chr G Sundt.