The explanation does seem to be reasonable, but I smell a T-shirt opportunity.

“Curmudgeons and denizens UNITE! @ thetruthaboutcars.com” or something of that nature.

brush: The problem with the Redox battery is low energy density. It’s about half that of NiMH batteries.

Sacrilege!

Dan Neil here. Thanks for TTAC for the notice, but wanted to clarify the events here. Xler rolled out its three electron buggies for a low-speed flog for some journalists at the Rose Bowl. At the end of the day, boys being boys, Lou Rhodes hopped in the Dodge EV — which is lighter and more powerful than the stock Lotus Europa, btw — and lined up against a Challenger, on a shortish run, certainly not a quarter mile. I’m guessing 800-900 feet. The whole time we’re a bit frantic to get off a couple of runs before the Rose Bowl Gestapo could stop us. Anywho, the Dodge EV with 100 percent traction and 100 percent torque off the line, easily moves off against the Challenger, which spins pretty fierce-like on the low-mu surface of the Rose Bowl parking lot. First run, the Challenger smokes in the hole, in FIRST gear, collects itself and is gaining ground toward the end. Second run, either the engineer lets off or he spins the wheels well and truly in 2nd, hitting the rev limiter and bogging down. The latter version is what the Xler engineer says, tho from the outside it sort of seemed like he let up. Hard to tell, really.

Now, let there be no doubt, the Dodge EV is wayyy quicker off the line, as you’d expect for a lightweight sports car with a lightning bolt up its ass. However, on a proper quarter-mile, the Challenger would inevitably catch the Dodge EV, for no other reason than for the EV’s single gearing.

There’s no bad faith, no chicanery, just a couple of hasty runs in a parking lot to demonstrate that, you know, a little electric sports car get get off the bolt quick.

PS: after the two runs, the batteries and motor were nice and cool.

Thanks for caring, and all best to TTAC denizens.

Dan

You guys made Wired

Here’s your battery technology

http://www.zulenet.com/electriceco/sustainable_electricity.html

Instant recharge at a “fuel” station, non volatile fluids, no expensive storage infrastructures.

oh, right, sorry.

The video was stupid. Most likely, it was the ENVI folks cooking this up on their own. Chrysler PR folks probably making many of the same comments we are.

EV’s cool. I’ll be happy to get one in 10 years when the battery/power systems have progressed enough to make a Challenger EV practical.