[Cartoday]
Oddball city cars are no longer the sole domain of the electric vehicle. UK’s Lightning GT is set to appear at this month’s London Motor Show…all 522 kW of it
The Lightning Car Company is now taking pre-orders for its all-electric GT ahead of a scheduled launch date in early 2009. The GT is powered by a nano titanate battery powered electric motor that develops a whopping 522 kW via an electric drive system dubbed ‘Hi-Pa Drive’.
This system utilizes four permanent magnet brushless motors in each of the GT’s wheels, developing roughly 120 kW apiece, as well as regenerative braking technology and full traction control on all four wheels independently. Whilst the power output may place the likes of the Lamborghini Reventon in the shade, the motor only propels the GT to a top speed of 210 km/h, although its 4,0 second 0-100 km/h capability is very respectable.
To save weight, the GT’s svelte body is made from carbon fibre and Kevlar, although Lightning has not yet furnished us with details of the car’s weight it’s expected to tip the scales at around 1 300 kg. Even with the full array of batteries on board the GT has a near ideal weight distribution of 48/52 front to rear. The GT will also play host to an array of luxury items, including air-conditioning, sat-nav, and full leather trim.Does this car outdo the Tesla? Well, yes and no…it’s 0,7 seconds quicker on the 0-100 km/h run, but 7 km/h slower at the top end.
The one area where the Lightning has the Tesla’s number, however, is that of power delivery. The U.S car has been plagued by transmission maladies of late, a problem that the Lightning neatly side-steps by developing its power in separately in each wheel. This negates the need for propshaffs, gearboxes, differentials and other things that have the potential to go ‘twang’ when exposed to a powerplant which, unlike a petrol engine, is capable of delivering all of its power at any speed.Officials claim that charging the batteries for just ten minutes will provide up to 400 km of driving…will have to wait and see about viability of that claim.The Lightning GT will be officially unveiled on July 23 with the intention of an early 2009 launch date.