Prodrive to build electric performance car
Carbon fibre 2-seater with 1,000 lb-ft of torque
Motorsport specialist Prodrive is to build fast, electric commuter cars for a new US-based company -- a story we reported on at the outset back in 2001. The deal, between Prodrive and Commuter Cars Corporation (CCC) of Spokane, Washington, will see the Banbury-based company managing the construction of up to 100 radical new electric commuter vehicles every year.
Prodrive has worked with CCC to take the Tango vehicle design from its prototype form and engineer it for efficient low volume production. It will use its 
extensive automotive technology and motorsport construction experience to manage the production of the Tango from its site in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, UK.
CCC describes the Tango electric commuter vehicle as a radical solution to the problem of transport in congested urban environments. Only 39 inches wide and eight and a half feet long, the Tango is as tall as a conventional car but takes up only half the road width. The 1,100lb battery pack in the vehicle’s floor keeps its centre of gravity low, allowing the Tango to achieve sports car levels of stability, despite its narrow track. Two high efficiency electric motors driving the rear wheels can produce a combined torque level of over 1,000 lb-ft to deliver levels of acceleration more commonly associated with supercars than eco-friendly transport.
CCC is run by Tango designer Rick Woodbury and his son Bryan. Their interest in alternative personal transportation goes back to the 1970s when Rick was researching hydrogen power. In the late 1990s, Rick and Bryan realised that the heavy weight of the hydrogen fuel cell and hydride storage could be used to give a significant stability advantage to a small narrow vehicle, allowing a single design to tackle the twin problems of pollution and congestion.
Over the next five years, the Woodburys worked on their design while they waited for fuel cell technology to catch up with their vision. “Then we realised that modern lead acid battery technology could deliver four times the range of the average daily commute. That gave us the level of performance we required to build a practical commuter vehicle,” explains Rick. “We built our first running prototype in 1998 and we’ve been refining the design ever since.”
Commuter Cars Corporation has chosen a route to production as radical as its vehicle design. Rather than going to the risk and expense of designing, tooling and testing for high volume production straight away, it chose to enter the market with a low-volume, high performance version of the vehicle built using motorsport technologies. Sales of the Tango 600 will be used to support the ongoing development of lower cost mass produced versions of the car.
“Prodrive has all the skills we need to bring the Tango 600 to market,” says Woodbury. “They have their own advanced composites design and manufacturing capabilities and have experience working with the type of racecar roll cages that form the basis of this high performance vehicle. At the same time, they are used to building, modifying and testing passenger cars to the highest OEM standards.”
“Prodrive is one very few organisations world wide that could actually do what we have done with the Tango,” says Geoff Bye, Prodrive project manager for the CCC project. “In less than three months we’ve been able to take the prototype vehicle, make over 100 engineering changes to ensure it is suitable for low volume manufacture, and make use of both racing car and passenger vehicle manufacturing capabilities to put it into production.”
Several customers, including Hollywood celebrities, have already placed $10,000 deposits on the initial Tango 600s. The first customer vehicle will be delivered before Christmas. The vehicles built by Prodrive will cost $85,000, although the target price for a mass-produced version of the Tango is set at less than $20,000.
More information on the Tango can be found at www.commutercars.com
Original story here: www.pistonheads.com/fastcars/default.asp?storyId=3468
Cynicism aside, a fascinating vehicle which could be a very interesting - also superior - alternative to the oft-maligned scooter!
>>> Edited by FesterNath on Monday 13th December 11:55
Having these interior dimensions and being forced to have a length of 8'5", in order to fit perpendicularly to the curb for parking 4 to a parking space, or between cars; added to the narrow requirement of having more space in a 6' half-lane than a lorry has in a standard 12' lane, had a very strong influence on the design. If anyone wants to furnish a design that meets these parameters and looks better, we'd be very interested in seeing the design. We might even pay for it.
Ugly it is. But who cares when it musters 1000ft/lb or torque.
If you can get the power down the acceleration will defeat all others.
If they can guarantee that power for £25k I would buy one just to be different. If one of thos sailed past your Griff at the ton you'd me mighty pissed. You have to see the funny side of it - its a motoring abnormality and it shouldn't do well at all - but I bet it does
It adds a whole new meaning to the phrase "You know when you've been Tango'd"
Its not everyday that you get a manufacturer posting on the site
How is the development for the 200 amp fast charger going and will this require a 3-phase supply?
As you might have gathered I am and have always been very interested in the Tango. In the past manufacturers have only really been interested in making electric vehicles as slow urban syle econo boxes which are dull and non inspiring compared to the Tango. I will watch this thread with interest and see what other think. An elctric powered supercar, now that's different.
Do you have a UK dealer yet and are there any demonstraters over here? Have you thought about disabled drivers using it. Will your car be eligible for disabled use and maybe Motability packages, as the design looks like it could carry a wheelchair behind the driver?
Lots of questions !
ultimasimon said:
Ugly it is. But who cares when it musters 1000ft/lb or torque.
If you can get the power down the acceleration will defeat all others.
1000 lbft of electric torque doesn't necessarily imply the sort of performance you'd associate with a similarly torquey ic engine, because the torque characteristics are so different. Presumably this is the stall torque and will drop off with speed. I think you would need to know the *power* output to make a meaningful comparision.
Its not everyday that you get a manufacturer posting on the site
How is the development for the 200 amp fast charger going and will this require a 3-phase supply?
A 200 amp charger that can charge the pack to 80% in 10 minutes is too bulky, heavy, and expensive to put on-board. It could be single or 3-phase. The European style connection that we use on the UK Tango is capable of 200 amps, meaning that you can charge that way with an off-board charger. For charging at home, the 40 amp on-board charger is more than sufficient for most people. It will charge almost completely in 1 hour and completely in 2. The high-amperage would be most useful at filling stations. Prodrive has designed the battery pack to be removable so that it could be swapped in minutes. This is another possible way to refuel at a filling stations, or home for that matter, if you have an extra pack.
Do you have a UK dealer yet and are there any demonstrators over here?
We will soon. At present we are just filling existing orders. The Tango is SVA certified for the UK. It can be purchased turnkey for 47,000 quid.
Have you thought about disabled drivers using it. Will your car be eligible for disabled use and maybe Motability packages, as the design looks like it could carry a wheelchair behind the driver?
If you remove the rear seat there is 10 cubic feet of storage. I think a wheelchair would fit, but I'm not sure.
Lots of questions !
No problem. I'm here to answer them.
Cheers,
Rick
Most commuter cars spend their day lounging in a carpark doing nothing. Has anyone thought about a solar cell array on the roof? It would have to at least partially (50%?) charge in a working day (8 hours) so it need only be a trickle charge compared to the other options mentioned.
This would cut down a lot of the pollution associated with charging the thing up from the national grid, and satisfy a few environmental concerns of electric vehicles.
and don't mean to be rude but why not make it look good? EV's or HEV's always seem to have at least one compromise whether it be performance, range, looks etc. and there seems to be an implied answer "well, it is an electric / hybrid vehicle' but surely it doesn't have to be that way?
Hi All,
I think that you all missing what is the most fundamental issue, i.e. that it looks ridiculous. I don't mean to be mean (!) but buyers look at a car first and foremost. It doesn't matter if it does 150mph and out handles a Ferrari. Look at the Smart, after countless small cars it only really succeeded because it looked like a good quality product and they had the styling just about as good as they could get it given the dimensions. A friend has a Brabus Smart ForTwo and is still baraged by people making fun of him. Public perception is going to be a huge task. However, all this said, good luck to the manufacturers!
ultimasimon said:
Have you thought about disabled drivers using it. Will your car be eligible for disabled use and maybe Motability packages, as the design looks like it could carry a wheelchair behind the driver?
Lots of questions !
I drive a Transit from my electric wheelchair, using a lift to get in. It's not a bad solution, but I'm driving around in something which weighs about 2 tonnes too much, and takes a lot of space and fuel unnecessarily.
While a Tango would be too small for all my vehicle needs, it would be fantastic for many journeys I do. Especially those where I could indulge in some traffic light Grand Prix
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