Tag Archives: electric car crash

Richard Hammond Wrecks $2 million Rimac Concept One [VIDEO]


Richard Hammond thankfully survived a pretty horrific supercar accident in Switzerland over the weekend. While the TV show host was demonstrating the power of the 1,224-horsepower Rimac Concept One, he appeared to under-steer on a curve of Hemberg Hill Climb, causing him and the electric supercar to tumble down the grassy hill. The vehicle burst into flames and Hammond was able to escape before the fire brigade extinguished the car.  Hammond suffered no serious injuries.

Richard Hammond is a British presenter that became most popular as the endearing little host nicknamed the Hamster on Top Gear. In November 2016, Hammond, alongside the co-presenters of The Grand Tour, Jeremy Clarkson and James May, launched the automotive social media website DriveTribe. This is not the first time Hammond has had a close encounter with death in a vehicle. During filming of a Top Gear segment at the former RAF Elvington airbase near York on 20 September 2006, Hammond was injured in the crash of the jet-powered car he was piloting.

The crash brings up questions about the whether the instant torque of a 900 kW electric supercar with four electric motors at each wheel is reasonable for even the most skilled drivers.  Companies continue to push the envelope, looking to create the fasted production vehicles that are reaching low 2 second 0-60 mph times.  Hammond was driving a special edition Remac Concept One boasting a 2.4 second 0-60.  At what point will we reach the limits of human capability to control such power?