Monday 26th January 2009

World's Fastest Electric Car

American firm SSC plans 1,000 bhp electric supercar

---

No one could have guessed that in the rush to produce viable electric cars, the supercar market would become the natural home for this 'green' technology.

But after the Tesla and Fisker Karma, and on the same day we are telling you about plans from an ex-McLaren designer to produce an electric supercar, we have also learned that American supercar company SSC (Shelby Supercars) claims to have created the world's fastest production electric car.

The Ultimate Aero EV is an electric version of the company's supercar, the Ultimate Aero, which currently holds the record for the world's fastest road car at 255mph. This electric version showcases a new electric powertrain that the company has developed, and apparently produces 1,000 bhp with a planet-moving 800 lb-ft of torque - available, of course, the whole way through the rev-range.

The resulting 0-60 time of 2.5 seconds and an estimated maximum speed of 208mph suggest a car that, at least on paper, offers a serious electric alternative to traditional petrol-powered supercars - though if it's as quiet as the Tesla, that colossal power will create a very strange sensation.

SSC has until now remained a small outfit on the fringes of the supercar world, but with this new piece of tech, the company seems to have its sights set on a much broader market.

They say that the AESP (All-Electric Scalable Powertrain) will be available with a range of power outputs for different applications, including a 200 bhp version for small to midsize cars, a 500 bhp version for SUVs and pickups, and up to 1,200 bhp for trucks, buses and military vehicles.

But probably the most remarkable claim coming from SSC is that the Ultimate Aero EV will be able to fully-charge in just 10 minutes from a 220v outlet - and with that tiny sip, the supercar will apparently be good for a range of 150-200 miles.

A pre-production version of the Ultimate Aero EV should be ready for the second-quarter of 2009, and according to SSC deliveries of full production versions could begin before the end of the year.

It all sounds far too good to be true, but SSC is promising a broad programme of demonstrations and media campaigns in the near-future, so keep an eye out to watch these incredible claims get tested. We'll certainly be watching very closely.

 

[brum]

If something sounds too good to be true, it always is.

[dkennedyvxt]

I'm no expert...but 10 mins for a charge of up to 200miles??? Seems a big ask....

Be great if they can prove that though....

[clonmult]

10 mins=200 mile range?

Are these the new "impossibilium" batteries? A previously unknown combination of chemicals'n'stuff?

[Driller]

dkennedyvxt said:

Seems a big ask

Ten minutes does seem too good to be true though.

Edited by Driller on Monday 26th January 12:46

[matmoxon]

10 minute charge, to get anywhere near that you would need a 3 phase 415V industrial power supply, not many people have those. and even then I think it would be an hour or so wide of the mark. I can't remember the exact figures but I think you can charge the Telsa in ~1 hour with a 3 phase supply, though I'm probably wrong and no doubt I'll be corrected.

Matt

[dkennedyvxt]

dkennedyvxt said:

I'm no expert...but 10 mins for a charge of up to 200miles??? Seems a big ask....

Be great if they can prove that though....

It was a PH mis-print...apparently it's no miles...it's centimeters

[eddie1980]

10min .....

@220V and 400A

[mrmr96]

Someone cleverer than me can run the maths, but here's a start:

Power (W) = Current (A) x Voltage (V)
Energy (J) = Power (W)x Time (s)

So Energy = Current (i.e. draw from socket) x Voltage (220V quoted) x Time (10min x 60 secs = 600 secs) and we can work out the energy taken on board during charging.

We can then use another forumla to work out how far the car (for a given weight and resistance) can be moved for this Energy.

I don't know the max current draw from a 220v outlet, or how to work out how far the resultant energy will drive the car. (Or even if my units are right) But I think you get the jist of it...

[GingerWizard]

I DO NOT BELIEVE! With all the biggest and brightest car companys and RD centers throwing gazillions at this sort of tech, these boys have just bent over and pulled one out of there backsides have they....? just summoned up some previously unexplored avenue and gone, yep that will work, and patted themselves on the back; job done. They are set to become the richest company the world has ever seen if it is true.

I hate being a hater.... but i would put big money on this being poppycock.

GingerWizard

[cvegas]

Colour: white, styling from the 1980s and powered by electricity. Could this be an updated version of Sinclair's C5?

[astrsxi77]

Is that a bandwagon rolling over the horizon?

[mdavison]

Electric power is not the way forward.

[boldek1]

errr 10 minute charge is not from flat i believe....its linked in to their charge on the run system ( kinda like a fast top up while making a long trip but battery must have power)..

Edited by boldek1 on Monday 26th January 13:26

[Bizzle]

Im really sorry, but all this electric "green" b***cks is really starting to get on my nerves. Are people REALLY stupid enough to believe that just because it's electric its clean energy? I mean FFS, do people really think that there are little "energy making fairies" inside everybody’s plug sockets?

Unless something dramatically changes over the next few years, electricity comes form the national grid, which means nuclear power and burning of fossil fuels with a MASSIVE amount of wastage and inefficiency.

Burning fuel in internal combustion engines and using that energy right there and then is better than burning it 500 miles away and loosing 40% of it through the national grid, THEN putting it into your car and using it.

How about people start putting more thought into hydrogen fuel cell tech. That way, we have electric cars powered by the single most abundant resource in the universe..

Edited by Bizzle on Monday 26th January 13:35

[mdavison]

eddie1980 said:

10min .....

@220V and 400A

Erm aren't we running at 13A in the U.K?

I might be wrong, but I doubt the cabling for most peoples houses could take 400A?

[bryan35]

charging stations I would have thought, or charge from home overnight at much reduced current.

Good use of overnight electricity, seeing as you can't change the base power generation why not use it to charge cars!.

the market drives everything, just look at the technology that was developed for mobile phones as one example. Cars are next I reckon.

[mdavison]

bryan35 said:

charging stations I would have thought, or charge from home overnight at much reduced current.

Good use of overnight electricity, seeing as you can't change the base power generation why not use it to charge cars!.

the market drives everything, just look at the technology that was developed for mobile phones as one example. Cars are next I reckon.

Surely there is a finite point of metals used to make the batteries?

I could be wrong, however, for example there isn't enough copper in the world for everyone in China to have a landline phone, if you see my point.

[nickpan]

I imagine we'll have "power stations" at BP/Shell etc where you'll plug your car in..go inside and grab a coffee, read the paper..and then you'll be off in 10 mins..I doubt you'd be able to charge it in 10 minutes from a domestic power source.

[timewatch]

QUOTE' "The resulting 0-60 time of 2.5 seconds "

Gees that means I could be back before I got there !!!!

:DTW>>>

[timewatch]

At least they are pressing ahead with this alternative to diesel and Petrol, the quicker the better.

Has anyone noticed that the fuel prices have risen again in the last two weeks ?

All the stations around here are up 3p per ltr (84.9ppl) and some as high as 6p per ltr (89.9ppl)..... WHY FFS when the Oil price is rock bottom ???

Can only imagine that they are profiteering again, christ knows what the price would be if we ever get the economy back on track !!!

TW>>>