Tesla Brith Watch 3: Lightning to Steal Tesla's Thunder?
As Tesla prepares to miss another deadline release its electric sports car to its customers, there's a chance competitors may get there first. Or at least do it better. We've already reported Danish designer Henrik Fisker's ambitions. The Telegraph reveals that another upstart start-up is aiming at Tesla's target market. The UK's Lightning will be powered by four wheel-mounted electric motors hooked-up to Nano Titanate batteries. According to their maker, the Lightning's power pack won't explode or catch fire, charges to 90 percent of capacity in 10 minutes, doesn't mind extreme temperatures ("think mobile phone left in freezing car") and lasts 15 years. All that and a Kevlar and fiberglass body sexy enough to give the great Dane wood. The Lightning will cost £150k. We find that fact strangely reassuring, as well as MD Chris Dell's refreshing realism about his progeny's prospects. "I'm quite confident that Lightning will have a car running by the end of the year and that it's likely to do pretty much what is claimed. Whether anything like it will ever be affordable while there's oil on the planet is another matter. If nothing else, it might make people realise there are alternatives and, if they really want to walk as green as they talk, governments need to start encouraging them. The political challenges might prove tougher than the technology."
More by Robert Farago
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It looks like a TVR. In other words, it looks like a kit car or one of those RC car shells.
"four wheel-mounted electric motors hooked-up to Nano Titanate batteries" I'll believe it when I see it. There is no way that car will reach the market before the Tesla.
Hydro Quebec invented the motor in a wheel concept 10 years ago - doesn't work well when encrusted in salt. Recharge in ten minutes means a connecting cable about two inches in diameter and an electromagnetic field that will decompose every PC within 100 yards. Another Brooklyn Bridge on a string sale.
Guys these batteries exist. They are called Nano-Safe batteries. They are put in the Phoenix motor car companies vehicles. Somebody has finally took the time to develop battery technology, the Tesla basically runs on laptop batteries which get really hot and liable to explode. You can drive a nail into the Nano-safe stuff. Really cool tech, people should stop whining about it and find a way to get these cars on the road now.