Lightning GT - 700 hp electric car

[edkwon]

I find it weird nobody has posted anything about this car yet:

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=567196&topart=newcarresearch

Well here's a shock: a good looking British sports car (sorry Lotus). This is the Lightning GT, and instead of guzzling super unleaded it creates 700 horsepower using batteries.

Or so the Lightning Car Company claims. But we'll leave off being cynical for a moment (don't worry, it is only for a moment) and continue telling you just how good this thing looks. It is all classic GT: long hood, low curving roofline, and massive multi-spoke alloy wheels, complete with a major surprise.

Those blue discs? They ain't the brakes ? at least not in the traditional sense. The Lightning GT uses four hub-mounted electric motors, providing direct drive to the wheels. Combined with just 30 battery packs, these deliver the electric equivalent of "700 horsepower+" and each motor can be individually controlled.

This means the car can modify the speed of the wheels depending on steering angle and velocity, and presumably any other parameter the team can program into the system ? suspension load, for example. This should lead to exceptionally dynamic handling ? assuming all the computers are talking to each other.

Zero to 60 mph will, apparently, take less than four seconds ? "when it's fully developed." This leads us to the more eyebrow-raising areas of the Lightning?s specifications. Having just 30 batteries is surprising enough (most electric supercars use far more than that), but the claim is these give the car a 300-km [186-mile] range ? on just a 10-minute charge.

 

[torqueless]

neat.

 

[Brother Michael]

I'm thinking the same thing as in the article: I'm holding my judgement until I see it actually working, properly working and not just rolling on a runway 10mph....

But my good just look at it !!! It looks absolutely gorgeous !! I approve. Very much. I really want that.....with a 'Vette/AMG V8 shoved in to it. Those looks alone are to die for.

 

[NooDle]

arent those 700 hp estimated? as in, calculated from what the electric engine can do, and then converted in hp?

Because the Prius'seseses electric engine supposedly gives you 68 hp, which it doesn't.

 

[smib]

1 hp (English horse power) = 745.7 W = 0.746 kW
So the Prius motor must be ~51kW and the Lightning's is apparently over 520kW.

 

[Karoug]

It needs a V8..

 

[NooDle]

1 hp (English horse power) = 745.7 W = 0.746 kW
So the Prius motor must be ~51kW and the Lightning's is apparently over 520kW.

that's not what I meant. The Prius's REAL engine has 76 hp, and they rate the electric one at "equivalent to 68 hp". By my very stupid calculations that means it has a total output of 144hp, which would mean it isn't slow.

But it SO is. The 68 "electric" horsepowers is just a burst of extra torque I guess, they don't really equate to 68 hp

 

[The Fishman]

Looks better than a Prius.

 

[the Interceptor]

that's not what I meant. The Prius's REAL engine has 76 hp, and they rate the electric one at "equivalent to 68 hp". By my very stupid calculations that means it has a total output of 144hp, which would mean it isn't slow.

But it SO is. The 68 "electric" horsepowers is just a burst of extra torque I guess, they don't really equate to 68 hp

68 hp are 68 hp, there's no unreal 68 electric hp. The Prius just isn't set up to feel like having an engine with 144 hp, the electric one mostly supports acceleration at low revs.

 

[smib]

that's not what I meant. The Prius's REAL engine has 76 hp, and they rate the electric one at "equivalent to 68 hp". By my very stupid calculations that means it has a total output of 144hp, which would mean it isn't slow.

But it SO is. The 68 "electric" horsepowers is just a burst of extra torque I guess, they don't really equate to 68 hp

Exactly, the car is designed to rely on the electric motor as much as possible, meaning it's never really going to use the full power of both it and the engine, and even if it does, that'd be about 100hp/tonne. Not sure, but I think that seems about right in line with their performance. The Prius isn't really hugely slow, it's just driven that way. As a matter of fact, its 0-60 time is apparently a bit better than my car's.

 

[GraemeH]

Well if i want a 'vette, AM DB7, Marcos TSO, Ferrari 599, Bristol Fighter T clone that doesn't exist and wont ever exist with those stats, I know who to call now.

 

[Steve Levin]

The "10 minute charge" they speak of is 400amps at 480 volts in three phase (180Hz). That's what large restaurants often run. It's about 10 times the maximum current a modern 1800 square foot home can draw (and about what 30 homes running a/c in the summer actually DO draw).

Not, I repeat, NOT, to be trifled with. Definitely don't short it to your belt buckle.

Steve

 

[blackman]

The Lightning GT includes a ?sound module? so the electric car will emit a throaty roar if the ego demands it.

Just put a nice piston engine in it, that would do the job

 

[Seasonone]

The "10 minute charge" they speak of is 400amps at 480 volts in three phase (180Hz). That's what large restaurants often run. It's about 10 times the maximum current a modern 1800 square foot home can draw (and about what 30 homes running a/c in the summer actually DO draw).

Not, I repeat, NOT, to be trifled with. Definitely don't short it to your belt buckle.

Steve

That's what I was wondering, I want to see how long it takes to charge with the standard plug in. If I were to go out and buy a Ferrari the only battery charger I would need is a trickle charger, unless it was drivin a lot. What am I going to need for this? Redo my wiring so I have a 220v connection in the garage along with a giant charger made for a forklift?

Also, how was that 186 miles tested? With the engines crawling and with the car on jack stands (so under no load)? Because if it's trying to be a super car it needs to be able to accelerate at WOT a lot. It needs to be able to keep up with a day of spirited driving.


I just don't see there being a big enough market for it. If I were looking to invest my money in a company I would help start the Michael Vick Doggie Day Care before I gave them a cent. Lots of claims, not a lot of facts behind the claims. And it's not like you DD a supercar. The amount of money spent on gas really isn't that much.

And am I the only one who thinks a fake V12 is just foolish? To me that's no different than somebody with a fake blow off valve to get people to think their car is turbo. It may have "700hp" but it's just not a V12 so don't try to be... also wouldn't something like that make the millage of the motor even less?

 

[Meio]

Well if i want a 'vette, AM DB7, Marcos TSO, Ferrari 599, Bristol Fighter T clone that doesn't exist and wont ever exist with those stats, I know who to call now.

As soon as I read the 'all British cars are ugly' sentiment at the start of the article I knew this car would be a slightly aggressively styled GT with a long nose.

 

[NooDle]

Exactly, the car is designed to rely on the electric motor as much as possible, meaning it's never really going to use the full power of both it and the engine, and even if it does, that'd be about 100hp/tonne. Not sure, but I think that seems about right in line with their performance. The Prius isn't really hugely slow, it's just driven that way. As a matter of fact, its 0-60 time is apparently a bit better than my car's.

so all these asses that are making me wait for them are just being asses and it's not due to their car? WTF?

If the 0-60 time is quicker than mine (9secs) I'm off to sell my car ASAP

 

[smib]

^ Yeah, I had some bad info before and it is slower than I had said.

Attached to a continuously variable transmission of sorts, the gas engine can sound a bit gnarly when pushed, as it's hardly a power champion with 76 horsepower and 82 pound-feet of torque. The electric motor's additional 67 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque pitches in, but the Prius is still only capable of a 0-60-mph sprint of 10.4 seconds.

 

[NooDle]

^ Yeah, I had some bad info before and it is slower than I had said.

Given those stats my assumption was correct that you can't just add those numbers up. Because that would mean a Prius would have 143 hp but more importantly 377 lb-ft of torque


...which it obviously hasn't since the acceleration is sloooooowwww

 

[ja404]

I think they should have called it a Corvastonerati. And saves you $40k a year on running cost? Puhleeease.

 

[Spectre]

so all these asses that are making me wait for them are just being asses and it's not due to their car? WTF?

If the 0-60 time is quicker than mine (9secs) I'm off to sell my car ASAP

Edmunds clocked their Prius at 10.4 seconds 0-60.

Meanwhile, my 55mpg vehicle does 0-60 in 3.5-3.6 seconds and blazes the quarter mile in the low 12s. You *won't* be waiting behind me.