I must say, there are a lot of great things coming from France in the electric car world. Take, for example, the Lumeneo Smera. It is a hybrid of two concepts demonstrated in the Tango and the VentureOne. This in-line two-seater will tilt into turns, enhancing maneuverability and create an exciting driving experience. The Smera will have a top speed of 80 mph, a 0-60 mph time of 8.0 seconds, and a 90 mile ev range. Lumeneo’s complete specifications are listed in the table below. Lumeneo plans to producer 250 units in 2009 for the European market. Price is in the range of 30 to 40,000 euros.
Initially, I wasn’t too taken by this EV, and its been around a while, but after seeing it handle and accelerate, it looks like a lot of fun. Instinctively, you think it will tip over around curves, but you have to keep in mind that there are several heavy batteries on the floor, keeping its center of gravity extremely low. It also has a reinforced NASCAR rollcage; so it’s safer than it looks. Commuter Cars Corporation has lofty hopes of getting this car under $20,000; I hope they can do it. Listen to the guy’s reaction to the acceleration at 2:50.
I mean George Clooney’s got one, what else do I have to say?
The Tango is a plug-in EV produced by Commuter Cars Corporation. It may look like a small economy car, but the Tango is neither cheap nor slow. This in-line two-seater will rocket from 0-60 in 4 seconds and can reach a top speed of 135 mph. It meets or exceeds the performance specs of electric supercars like the Tesla Roadster and the Venturi Fetish. It’s price is comparable too, at $108,000. Just watch how a Google exec weaves through highway traffic as Danny from DannysContentment.net holds on for dear life in the backseat:
Also, I was intrigued by Danny’s other Tango video with Google’s solar powered charging station in their parking lot. Hats off to them; what an amazing glimpse into the future. If we could have these at more workplaces, it certainly would make a greener world. Maybe a tax write off as incentive for more companies to put these up would make some execs feel greener:
This is the complete, company released car specifications from commutercars.com:
Tango T600 (kit) Specifications:
(Subject to change.)
Width: 39″ (5″ narrower than a Honda Gold Wing)
Length: 8’5″ long, allowing it to park perpendicular to the curb.
Height: 60″
Ground Clearance: 4″
Weight: 3,150 lbs.
Distribution: 43/57 (percent front/rear)
Batteries: 19 Hawker Genesis G70EP lead acid batteries. Li-Ion batteries are optional.
Nominal Voltage: 228 V with 19 Hawkers (350 V with Li-Ion batteries)
Battery Weight: 988 lbs. (Hawker)
Charging: 40 amp on-board charger with Avcon conductive coupling. 200 amp off-board charger under development.
Steering: Rack and pinion with Cadillac CTS collapsible steering column and Momo Corse steering wheel
Front Suspension: Unequal length A-arm with coil-over Carrera shocks.
Rear Suspension: Trailing arm with coil-over Carrera shocks.
Controller: Zilla Z2K motor controller, providing up to 2,000 Amps at 350 Volts (600 kW). Designed and built by Otmar Ebenhoech at Café Electric LLC in Corvalis, OR.
Motors: 2 Advanced DC FB1-4001 9″ motors, one driving each rear wheel with over 1,000 ft-lb of combined torque at low rpms. 8,000 rpm redline.
Transmission: 2 direct drive gear boxes designed by Bert Transmission of St-Constant, Québec, the leading manufacturer of dirt circle track race car transmissions. 10 available ratios from 2.92:1 to 5:1. Standard ratio is 3.86:1. Splined axles can be easily locked together with center sleeve.
Hubs/Wheel Bearings: As used on the Mazda Miata.
Wheels: König alloy wheels: 14 x 6 front/15 x 6.5 rear, 4-100 bolt pattern
Tires: Toyo Proxes T1R: 195/45R14 front; 215/45R15 rear
Brakes: Mazda Miata calipers with Hawk HP Plus (rear) and HPS (front) pads. Wilwood master cylinder and pedal assembly.
HVAC: 12,000 BTU Vintage Air air conditioning system driven by variable speed AC motor for predictable climate control. 3,000 W electric heater for instant-on, powerful heating.
Seating: Tandem Sparco custom bucket seats with 4-point aircraft pilot harnesses on attached structures. Passenger straddles the front seat and harness structures which do not interfere with the passenger’s knees.
Storage: Passenger and a few bags of groceries with rear seat installed. Removed, it allows 2 very large suitcases and a large breifcase with the driver’s seat in extended position. (Rear seat with harness structure is removable through rear hatch.) Multiple compartments for smaller items.
Headroom: 39″ driver and passenger.
Trailer Hitch: Accepts standard 1.25″ hitch for towing generator cart for extended range. Front hitch for moving small airplanes.
Note: Projected performance specifications will vary depending on final weight, gearing, tires, and batteries used. Acceleration figures assume racing slicks are used on a drag strip.
Range: 40-60 miles maximum with Lead-Acid batteries
over 150 miles with Li-Ion batteries
Cost per Mile: About 1/2 the cost of a gasoline car for the average commuter. (See note.)
Acceleration: 0 to 60 MPH, about 4 seconds. 1/4 mile time about 12 seconds at a speed of approx. 120 MPH (See note.)
Top Speed: 135 MPH (See note.)
Notes:
Cost per Mile:
The average round-trip commute in the U.S. is 20 miles according to the 2000 report from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
For that average commute of 20 miles and up to 24 miles per charge, the total cost per mile of the Tango is approximately 30% lower than that of a Honda Insight. This includes battery replacement, maintenance, and the cost of electricity at $.05 per kWh (as in the Northwest). The Honda Insight has an EPA rating of 56 mpg city and 57 highway. Please see the Cost-per-Mile Spreadsheet for details. This spreadsheet shows how the Tango compares with other vehicles, both Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)-driven and hybrid. It includes gasoline and recommended dealer maintenance costs for the gasoline cars and electricity, maintenance, and battery replacement costs for the Tango.
In California where electricity rates are nearly $.15 per kWh, the total cost per mile for the Tango becomes roughly equal to that of the Insight. Electricity cost per mile runs from 0.9 cents to 2.6 cents as cost per kWh goes from 5 cents to 15 cents.
Acceleration:
0 to 60 MPH, about 4 seconds. 1/4 mile time about 12 seconds at a speed of approximately 120 MPH. These figures are based on comparisons with other cars that hold official records with NEDRA (National Electric Drag Racing Association). Calculations have taken weight, motor torque, controller, voltage, gear ratio, and traction into consideration. They assume that racing slicks are fitted and driven on a drag strip with good traction conditions. For example, the world record held for a dragster used the same controller as the Tango in the Current Eliminator IV, with a quarter mile time of 8.801 seconds at 137.65 MPH. The Tango has the same motors that the Maniac Mazda used to achieve an 11.039 second quarter mile at 111.80 MPH.
Top Speed:
135 MPH. This is a limitation based on a practical red-line for the motors of about 8,000 RPM with the standard 3.86:1 gear ratio. Top speed vs. acceleration can be traded off by choosing any of 10 different ratios from 2.92:1 giving a top speed of 172 MPH to 5:1 which would give a top speed of 100 MPH. The 5:1 would give phenomenal acceleration if you could get enough traction.
The Joule is a 6-seater hatchback, designed by Optimal Energy, a privately-owned South African company based in Cape Town that specializes in urban transportation. The exterior and interior design is the work of Jaguar XJ220 designer, Keith Helfet. The Joule is expected to have a 120 mile range with the option of expanding that to 240 miles.
Joule’s first assembly plant is expected to be in Gauteng, South Africa. Joule will be sold in all major South African centers; Gauteng, Cape Town and Durban and will be available towards the end of 2010. The company intends to distribute on a global scale shortly afterward. You can see a neat video on the Joule here.
With all the buzz surrounding the big name automakers entering EV market, I thought I’d take some time to write about a relatively unheralded upstart looking to take home the Progressive Automotive X Prize. Unheralded, until you find out how many rocket scientists are behind the program, with help from Bayer MaterialScience, Weisman R&D, some aeronautical patent holders, and Saminco Inc., which created the worlds fastest EV (321 mph). The supercar will be a series hybrid, meaning the wheels will be powered completely by four electric motors (at each wheel) with no combustion engine help. However, a small internal combustion engine will be used to recharge the batteries. They have not decided on which fuel the vehicle will use: E85, gasoline, or biodiesel. The team projects the Velozzi will accelerate from 0-60 in an unprecedented sub 3 seconds and have a top speed of 200 mph, all while maintaining a fuel efficiency of 100 to 200 mpg. Roberto Jerez, the company CEO, gave a pretty good update on the Velozzi’s development as of late June for AlternativeEnergy.com. You can find out more about the car and the dream team behind it at Velozzi.org.
-Provided you have an industrial strength outlet. But the Lightning GT was unveiled at the London Motor Show this summer, and boy does it look mean. With four at-the-wheels electric motors, the vehicle puts out 640 bhp, propelling it from 0-60 in 4 seconds with a top speed of 130 mph. The 30 Nanosafe batteries should provide a 180 mile range and weigh around 400kg. These batteries employ a new lithium-ion technology that replaces graphite with a titanite-based material to make them more thermally stable. The price could be comparable to the Tesla Roadster, but with exchange rates going the way they are, the GT will probably be around 200,000 USD. The car is still on schedule to be released in 2009. Here’s the Lightning GT’s London Motor show debut:
Well, I’m certainly looking forward to the UK’s answer to Tesla.
