Challenging the Peugeot EX1’s record-breaking track time at the Nurburgring in May of this year, Toyota has announced that it soon aims to top that class record with a car that does 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. With a top speed of 160 mph, it doesn’t seem like a fast enough car, given today’s hypercars. However, when the class record set by the Peugeot EX1 is for electric vehicles, then this is something new.
That alternative powertrains in motorsports will become common in the future is undeniable. The question now is how soon, not if. No details of Toyota’s challenger are yet forthcoming, but Peugeot has made a few details available. First off, the EX1 is actually a concept car that was built in time for last year’s Paris Motor Show. The tub and body panels employ copious amounts of carbon fiber and it has design concepts that will definitely not make it to production.
The drivetrain, however, is interesting, not just because it’s electric but because it uses 2 motors to achieve all-wheel drive, instead of four, as in the Mercedes electric SLS and Porsche hybrid racer. In practice then, it can be a front-wheel or all-wheel drive car. Each motor produces 170 hp and is powered by Li-Ion batteries. Like all electric cars, maximum torque is available (in this case 240 Nm) as soon as throttle is applied and the EX1 has been recorded as capable of more than 1g acceleration. Sprint time to 60 mph is officially 3.5 seconds but Top Gear’s performance calculations have the EX1 doing it in 2.5. Quarter-mile time is 12.67 seconds.
If these figures seem anemic to you, bear in mind that this is a completely electric vehicle, not a hybrid racer like the Porsche that was raced last year and which has been featured in this blog. There are a lot of hurdles to surpass, conceptually and otherwise, as it seems weird to see a car accelerating with no sound and fury at all. But that is one direction for the future and we enthusiasts will have to wrap our minds around that fact.
Source article is here.
No comments:
Post a Comment