RE: Wiesmann details Project Thunderball battery specs
Thursday 24th November 2022
Wiesmann details Project Thunderball battery specs
Order books are filling up as the electric sports car edges closer to reality
Wiesmann is back. The German company is ditching piston power for its upcoming Project Thunderball sports car, instead going all-in on electric power to show that you can still go sideways in complete silence. And if that sounds familiar (cough, TVR, cough), rest assured that Wiesmann is taking its revival seriously - apparently that deliveries will get underway next year. Ahead of the car’s launch, the company has announced a host of new technical details to whet your appetite.
The big news here is that Project Thunderball will feature some seriously clever battery tech. We already knew that the silent sports car comes with a bespoke 92kWh (of which 82kWh is useable) lithium-ion pack, but Wiesmann has confirmed that its battery boffins have developed a proprietary cooling system to get the most out of the cells. A water-glycol mix is used to extract heat right to the base of the battery module as fast as possible, with a trick bit of software that helps regulate the temperature on the go. With the battery’s temperature in check, you’ll be able to get closer to the claimed 310-mile range and make the most of the EV’s punchy 670hp output.
Batteries aren’t light, though, which is why we often see SUVs getting the EV treatment and an absence of electric sports cars. In Project Thunderball, the battery weighs in at 500kg. Not far off half the weight of a Mazda MX-5. However, the batteries have been arranged in a T-shape, running along the centre of the car and over the front axle, which, in conjunction with the rear-mounted electric motors, evenly spreads the weight across the roadster. Besides, each exterior panel is made of carbon fibre, resulting in a kerb weight of around 1,700kg. Which doesn't seem that much when an M4 Competition weighs a similar amount.
“Thanks to endless research and testing, the roadster will blend our bespoke cutting-edge powertrain technology with Wiesmann’s trademark German engineering excellence”, said company chief Roheen Barry. “We are putting the emotion back into EVs. Which is why technology has been a key part of this project, creating a vehicle that not only has the stunning looks of a true Wiesmann, but also drives like a world-class sports car.”
Barry also confirmed that orders books are filling up nicely, with three quarters of allocation slots for the first year of production already spoken for. Each one carries a €300,000 (or £260,000) price tag, which should be a decent bit of income to power up the production line.
Discussion
NDNDNDND said:
I wonder what the average mileage of a Wiesmann is?
It'll be decades before the embodied CO2 in that massive battery is paid back.
Love how the old chestnut of CO2 is always the first kick into the groin of any EV. No-one gave a sIt'll be decades before the embodied CO2 in that massive battery is paid back.
t about CO2 when running 12mpg V8s - now its the mainstay of every anti-evolution luddite's argument.Julian Scott said:
NDNDNDND said:
I wonder what the average mileage of a Wiesmann is?
It'll be decades before the embodied CO2 in that massive battery is paid back.
Love how the old chestnut of CO2 is always the first kick into the groin of any EV. No-one gave a sIt'll be decades before the embodied CO2 in that massive battery is paid back.
t about CO2 when running 12mpg V8s - now its the mainstay of every anti-evolution luddite's argument.This should be called out for what it is: potentially more damaging in terms of CO2 output than the ICE equivalent.
Batteries should be kept for higher mileage vehicles.
NDNDNDND said:
Julian Scott said:
NDNDNDND said:
I wonder what the average mileage of a Wiesmann is?
It'll be decades before the embodied CO2 in that massive battery is paid back.
Love how the old chestnut of CO2 is always the first kick into the groin of any EV. No-one gave a sIt'll be decades before the embodied CO2 in that massive battery is paid back.
t about CO2 when running 12mpg V8s - now its the mainstay of every anti-evolution luddite's argument.This should be called out for what it is: potentially more damaging in terms of CO2 output than the ICE equivalent.
Batteries should be kept for higher mileage vehicles.
MountainsofSussex said:
NDNDNDND said:
Julian Scott said:
NDNDNDND said:
I wonder what the average mileage of a Wiesmann is?
It'll be decades before the embodied CO2 in that massive battery is paid back.
Love how the old chestnut of CO2 is always the first kick into the groin of any EV. No-one gave a sIt'll be decades before the embodied CO2 in that massive battery is paid back.
t about CO2 when running 12mpg V8s - now its the mainstay of every anti-evolution luddite's argument.This should be called out for what it is: potentially more damaging in terms of CO2 output than the ICE equivalent.
Batteries should be kept for higher mileage vehicles.
Strangely, by this backwards maths, maybe low use EV's should have higher tax applied...
NDNDNDND said:
Julian Scott said:
NDNDNDND said:
I wonder what the average mileage of a Wiesmann is?
It'll be decades before the embodied CO2 in that massive battery is paid back.
Love how the old chestnut of CO2 is always the first kick into the groin of any EV. No-one gave a sIt'll be decades before the embodied CO2 in that massive battery is paid back.
t about CO2 when running 12mpg V8s - now its the mainstay of every anti-evolution luddite's argument.This should be called out for what it is: potentially more damaging in terms of CO2 output than the ICE equivalent.
Batteries should be kept for higher mileage vehicles.
MountainsofSussex said:
NDNDNDND said:
Julian Scott said:
NDNDNDND said:
I wonder what the average mileage of a Wiesmann is?
It'll be decades before the embodied CO2 in that massive battery is paid back.
Love how the old chestnut of CO2 is always the first kick into the groin of any EV. No-one gave a sIt'll be decades before the embodied CO2 in that massive battery is paid back.
t about CO2 when running 12mpg V8s - now its the mainstay of every anti-evolution luddite's argument.This should be called out for what it is: potentially more damaging in terms of CO2 output than the ICE equivalent.
Batteries should be kept for higher mileage vehicles.
964Cup said:
I wish these things weren't so hideous. It's the same problem as the 4C (coupe at least). The headlights are just yech. Shame when LED tech means you can be so creative now.
Fully agree, makes it look like a cheap kit car. In their defence, I think headlight tooling is particularly expensive but surely there was a better solution.You could make the same accusation about some McLaren cars as well.
David321 said:
964Cup said:
I wish these things weren't so hideous. It's the same problem as the 4C (coupe at least). The headlights are just yech. Shame when LED tech means you can be so creative now.
Fully agree, makes it look like a cheap kit car. In their defence, I think headlight tooling is particularly expensive but surely there was a better solution.You could make the same accusation about some McLaren cars as well.
Evil.soup said:
Nothing to do with EV's, but kind of relevant to this point. I did a bit of geek maths a number of years ago comparing the average CO2 I created over a year covering just a few thousand miles in my Impreza WRX compared to covering around 16k in the same time period in a 1.4 petrol Nissan Note, and the Impreza was far more environmentally friendly. It was quite frustrating coming to the payment of tax, it never felt a fair way to tax a car.
Strangely, by this backwards maths, maybe low use EV's should have higher tax applied...
You can question wether weekend toys need a 310 mile radius. I have an MX5 myself and if in the future I would have an electric one if it charges quick, I wouldn't mind a 150 mile radius with corresponding lower price, weight ánd production CO2 emission compared to a double size battery. But there is no objective measure to declare a car a weekend toy with according higher tax. So there is no way to prevent sales of battery powered garage queens. And when bought, it would make no sense to stimulate people driving more miles, especially when green energy is scarce, as it is now. Maybe it would make sense to financially stimulate faster charging and make bigger batteries financially less interesting. With the obvious neccessity of a decent charger network.Strangely, by this backwards maths, maybe low use EV's should have higher tax applied...
964Cup said:
I wish these things weren't so hideous. It's the same problem as the 4C (coupe at least). The headlights are just yech. Shame when LED tech means you can be so creative now.
LEDs are cheap. Not better. And it’s disappointing to see them in high end cars, whether it’s replacing dials and guages or proper headlights with bulbs which can be engineered to look amazing and work brilliantly. Of course I’m not even sure if it’s legal to use Xenon lamps anymore.Speedgirl said:
964Cup said:
I wish these things weren't so hideous. It's the same problem as the 4C (coupe at least). The headlights are just yech. Shame when LED tech means you can be so creative now.
LEDs are cheap. Not better. And it’s disappointing to see them in high end cars, whether it’s replacing dials and guages or proper headlights with bulbs which can be engineered to look amazing and work brilliantly. Of course I’m not even sure if it’s legal to use Xenon lamps anymore._ppan said:
Evil.soup said:
Nothing to do with EV's, but kind of relevant to this point. I did a bit of geek maths a number of years ago comparing the average CO2 I created over a year covering just a few thousand miles in my Impreza WRX compared to covering around 16k in the same time period in a 1.4 petrol Nissan Note, and the Impreza was far more environmentally friendly. It was quite frustrating coming to the payment of tax, it never felt a fair way to tax a car.
Strangely, by this backwards maths, maybe low use EV's should have higher tax applied...
You can question wether weekend toys need a 310 mile radius. I have an MX5 myself and if in the future I would have an electric one if it charges quick, I wouldn't mind a 150 mile radius with corresponding lower price, weight ánd production CO2 emission compared to a double size battery. But there is no objective measure to declare a car a weekend toy with according higher tax. So there is no way to prevent sales of battery powered garage queens. And when bought, it would make no sense to stimulate people driving more miles, especially when green energy is scarce, as it is now. Maybe it would make sense to financially stimulate faster charging and make bigger batteries financially less interesting. With the obvious neccessity of a decent charger network.Strangely, by this backwards maths, maybe low use EV's should have higher tax applied...
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