Electric Ultima
Discussion
What about an electric Ultima?
Before you all call me a heretic that needs to hand in his PH card, I love a good V8 as much as the next man.
I am also not thinking of electric as replacement to petrol, but rather one more option in the range. (Still supprised that a hybrid system has not made an appearance yet).
We have all seen what Tesla has achieved starting from a Lotus platform. It seems to me that the Ultima platform could be perfectly suited for a new generation of electric supercar.
We all know what an Ultima looks like without an engine, gearbox, fuel tanks and all the other parts needed. What would it take to convert to electric?
The motors use by Tesla seem to be a good starting point, although four-wheel-drive has obvious benefits.
Battery wise I would imagine that it would be very useful to have something that could be swapped out quickly. A Touring battery for distance and a performance battery for track days would be obvious options.
I would imagine that the end result would be something very different. Quiet, more 'modern' and 'environmentally friendly'. An automatic or semiautomatic box would make more sense, as would advanced traction control.
It is not to say that one would not necessarily be better than the other, but rather it would be the beginnings of a car that was forward-looking.
Something smaller -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXqYbNEiW0Y
Something bigger -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_cRqcbXAs4
Before you all call me a heretic that needs to hand in his PH card, I love a good V8 as much as the next man.
I am also not thinking of electric as replacement to petrol, but rather one more option in the range. (Still supprised that a hybrid system has not made an appearance yet).
We have all seen what Tesla has achieved starting from a Lotus platform. It seems to me that the Ultima platform could be perfectly suited for a new generation of electric supercar.
We all know what an Ultima looks like without an engine, gearbox, fuel tanks and all the other parts needed. What would it take to convert to electric?
The motors use by Tesla seem to be a good starting point, although four-wheel-drive has obvious benefits.
Battery wise I would imagine that it would be very useful to have something that could be swapped out quickly. A Touring battery for distance and a performance battery for track days would be obvious options.
I would imagine that the end result would be something very different. Quiet, more 'modern' and 'environmentally friendly'. An automatic or semiautomatic box would make more sense, as would advanced traction control.
It is not to say that one would not necessarily be better than the other, but rather it would be the beginnings of a car that was forward-looking.
Something smaller -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXqYbNEiW0Y
Something bigger -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_cRqcbXAs4
Edited by Olivero on Saturday 16th July 19:38
Storer said:
Why do it with an Ultima?
Well, I think the dimentions are good. Aero is well tested as is handeling.
- It made for a good mule for McLaren, so good for pretty much anything thrown at it power wise.
You would need a totally new chassis to start with. It would need to be lighter and the battery pack would need to be structural too.
- Not sure if I would need to go much lighter. The full cage does a good job as is...
Would the battery pack need to be structrial? I am guessing (and it is just a guess) that even if the enginge/gearbox is structrial, the load would be very different with electric power, so shouldn't be a problem.
The Lotus (Colin Chapman) approach of 'added lightness' is what is needed.
- Light is always good, but at what (financial) cost?
The reason you have not seen an electric Ultima as there is still a lot to learn with the technology and it is still expensive.
- Got to start somewhere...
Oh, and the other reason is Ultima owners want to make as much noise as possible and love the smell of hydrocarbons!!!!
- I would love to have the choise. Also opens up sales in countries where there are restrictions on big petrol engines.
Paul
Well, I think the dimentions are good. Aero is well tested as is handeling.
- It made for a good mule for McLaren, so good for pretty much anything thrown at it power wise.
You would need a totally new chassis to start with. It would need to be lighter and the battery pack would need to be structural too.
- Not sure if I would need to go much lighter. The full cage does a good job as is...
Would the battery pack need to be structrial? I am guessing (and it is just a guess) that even if the enginge/gearbox is structrial, the load would be very different with electric power, so shouldn't be a problem.
The Lotus (Colin Chapman) approach of 'added lightness' is what is needed.
- Light is always good, but at what (financial) cost?
The reason you have not seen an electric Ultima as there is still a lot to learn with the technology and it is still expensive.
- Got to start somewhere...
Oh, and the other reason is Ultima owners want to make as much noise as possible and love the smell of hydrocarbons!!!!
- I would love to have the choise. Also opens up sales in countries where there are restrictions on big petrol engines.
Paul
I have always had a soft spot for racing Porsches, so intrigued to see something electric - http://newatlas.com/kreisel-electric-porsche-910/4...
This site has a range of interesting electric vehicles -http://electrovelocity.com
This site has a range of interesting electric vehicles -http://electrovelocity.com
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