Shelby Supercars (SSC) recently grabbed the title of fastest production car in the world (and the respect of Jay Leno) with its 1k+ hp "Veyron-performance-made- in-the-USA-at-half-the-price" Ultimate Aero. Even so, SSC knows that a world record and fifty-unit-per-year production do not a viable car builder make. And since the Ultimate Aero can plow through a gallon of gas every 15 seconds at full boost, SSC figures a cleaner, greener model is in order. The SSC blog reports that the Ultimate Aero EV replaces the standard 1183hp twin-turbo V8 with a 500hp electric motor. They claim that the watt-guzzler will "feature a revolutionary power source allowing for extended time between charging intervals with the possibility of several years between charging." Huh. Tesla has a bank account full of Silicon Valley venture capital and more media coverage than a panty-free Britney Spears. But they still can't get a transmission to handle their Roadster's low-down EV torque. And SSC expects to waltz in and handle even more 0 rpm torque with its standard carbon clutch and six-speed tranny. Whether it evolves into a Tesla-killing masterpiece or an overly ambitious flameout, this project is just too crazy not to keep an eye on. [Hat Tip to El Jalop]
7 Comments on “Shelby Gunning For World’s Fastest EV...”
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Nuclear Car! I want one!
Hmmm, a power source that would allow several years between “recharging”. It does sound suspiciously like a nuclear powered car, except I don’t think the energy department, etc. really want mobile potential “dirty bombs” driving our roads. The other option is it will be based on 70’s Italian designs and will only actually be on the road for a few hours each year, spending the rest of the time in the shop.
I was wondering when “Mr. Fusion” would show up on the family supercar. But I thought it would be a DeLorean…
If they sub contract the motor/inverter design, I can see this car being a reality:
http://www.uqm.com/
How about some made in America Lithium at the old Energizer plant in Gainesville Florida?
http://www.electroenergyinc.com/
Or these?
http://enerdel.com/
SSC looks very amateur. looks like just from early 90ies design. The hood is too slope and tiny compared to rear and is even stressed more by those borrowed headlights that barely match there. interior is cheap as well, door panels are completely awry to dashboard and all the lines look sanded out as cheaply and quickly as possible. And of course there are round taillights, as all those garage shops do to avoid real designed taillights that would cost money because of molds. And this is legendary Shelby? WTF?
Will the reactor be user-serviceable?
Looks like the blog worked.