Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lightning GT.
This month will see the debut of the Lightning GT electric sports car at the British Motor Show on July 23. The nano-titanate battery pack will provide 740-HP and a 0-60 sprint in just four seconds. Those batteries have also been spaced around the car to give it a 48/52 weight balance, which could theoretically give it the kind of handling to match its looks.
The batteries power four permanent magnet brushless motors, one at each wheel, which negates the need for a gearbox, axles, and transmission -- or transmission troubles. Each wheel will also boast independent traction control and regenerative braking. Inside, the car gets all the mod-cons, including A/C, satnav, and leather.
The makers claim a 90-mile range on a ten-minute charge, and running costs will be at least five times less than a car that gets 50-mpg U.S. That is, of course, assuming the car actually makes it to market. If so, and it's priced somewhere close to the Tesla, it should do well.
[Source: Car Central]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
AC @ Jul 9th 2008 3:11PM
Infinitely more appealing than the Tesla, and more radical/advanced in its trasmission too. Tesla hasn't realised the full potential of an electric system (which this gets closer to doing), merely retro-fitted an IC architecture with electric power.
Chris @ Jul 9th 2008 3:32PM
electric power at all four wheels, slap on some guns and we have CAR WARS
(Steve Jackson games reference)
chrisdavis @ Jul 9th 2008 5:34PM
But the Tesla exists.
Cary @ Jul 10th 2008 12:01AM
Absolutely gorgeous. Brilliant design. Doesn't take too many styling cues from anyone in particular. If it made it to market, and it was reasonably priced [>$100k], I'd have my name on the list.
However, we live in a place commonly referred to as "reality." Thus, it will probably start around $150k. Atleast someone will get to enjoy it though, so that's good.
Jonathan @ Jul 9th 2008 3:11PM
First?
Looks like a cool car, just too bad there aren't more affordable practical electric cars.
Alex @ Jul 9th 2008 3:12PM
"90-mile range on a ten-minute charge"
110 volt? 220 volt? What about amps?
Thats an awful lot of run time for very little juice.
beautiful looking car but color me pessimistic.
Allan @ Jul 9th 2008 3:13PM
I like the wrap around black for the windshield. Looks like it's just a painted a-pillar, but still makes it look cool
Yar @ Jul 9th 2008 3:13PM
10 minute charge? How many freaking amps are you going to have to shove through your household electrical system to make that possible?
I'll wait for my Nuclear powered H1.
Paul @ Aug 15th 2008 1:43AM
Yar, the 10-minute charge will be at gas stations of the future (industrial-strength 3 phase power supply). People will use the 10-minute charge sometimes, and overnight with their regular power socket sometimes.
Shipey @ Jul 9th 2008 3:27PM
Motor-in-wheel is the hot ticket, IMO.
No parasitic losses, less weight, less heat, more reliablility, more space. It's a win-win on that front. Similar motors have proven themselves VERY powerful and lightweight in R/C vehicles over the last few years.
This is the future format of automotive power systems, IMO.
baffledu2 @ Jul 9th 2008 3:29PM
Agreed on the format .... but with hydrogen fueled fuel cells for onboard electric generation making the range enormous.
tom @ Jul 9th 2008 6:31PM
The only issue I see with it would be all the unsprung weight. Or maybe the motors aren't all that heavy?
mk @ Jul 9th 2008 4:03PM
good point on the unsprung weight...
I doubt a big magnet is that light... just a question about how much more it weighs than a big chunk of iron/steel that is a brake disc.
It is a tradeoff... Either in-wheel, where there is nice cylindrical space that is fairly well protected from debris, but open to airflow...
or inboard with short driveshafts to a more traditional driven hub... but the central area of the car is more vulnerable to debris, and crest-over clearances, but the weight of the motors are sprung weight.
OR do you rotate the motors 90 degrees to the axle line, nest them above the axle line, and drive them through some sort of gear arrangement into wheel hubs.
But the more moving parts, the more inertia, and the more wear, and breakability.
Then there is the issue of being surrounded by high voltage DC batteries, and high-current wiring... "distributed throughout the car" What sort of safety is going to be involved with preventing battery exposure in an accident, or high voltage DC wiring short-circuits.
There is a lot of complexity with this sort of system, but that doesn't mean these engineering problems can't be solved.
It will be interesting to see.
But after all of that, you still have to generate and transmit the electrical energy somewhere... Electricity is a transit medium, not an energy source.
brandon @ Jul 9th 2008 4:21PM
tesla didn't use in wheel motors in their roadster because of unsprung weight, or so they claim
Shipey @ Jul 9th 2008 3:57PM
Tom, they'll definitely be heavy... It'll be a lot of wire and magnets in each wheel, but overall it should be a lighter package.
Not sure how much of an affect the added unsprung mass will have on handling, but maybe having the extra weight right over the contact patch of the tire will help counter any negatives? Plus, it should help in the snow!
Injected @ Jul 9th 2008 3:58PM
I'm guessing the motors are mounted to the unibody and there is a traditional driveshaft.
Ian @ Jul 9th 2008 3:37PM
Where do we begin?
- nano-titanate battery pack
- 740-HP
- 90-mile range on a ten-minute charge
- motors at each wheel with independent traction control and regenerative braking
- running costs at least five times less than a car that gets 50-mpg
Fantastic claims from a tiny company which has yet to produce a vehicle. This is pure fiction, total vaporware.
DKB_SATX @ Jul 9th 2008 3:47PM
The "nano-titanate" batteries are probably coming from Altair Nano, they recently announced a successful test of batteries using that technology for a load-management storage system for utilities. Those particular batteries wouldn't have been suitable for automotive use, but they were taking big charge quickly. They also had their own AC system...
2004m3driver @ Jul 9th 2008 3:57PM
Yup, they had me till the 740hp, nano batteries part. Also Volvo was planning on doing something similar with the motors in each wheel for a concept car the planned on for like 2015. I doubt this car company has it already now.
Shipey @ Jul 9th 2008 4:03PM
Some of the claims seem iffy, but "740-HP" and
"motors at each wheel with independent traction control and regenerative braking" are totally plausible.
If you can build a 185hp motor into each wheel, mission accomplished. Each wheel motor would act as a generator under braking, and would be independenly controllable for traction control.
It may actually simplify the traction control system, because it eliminates the need for the physical brakes to be a part of the system.
The speed controller for each wheel could increase or decrease wheel speed on demand, with no need for physical braking.
I wonder if it would be possible to eliminate the physical brakes altogether. (Except for an emergency brake system.) That would eliminate even more weight and complexity.