An Electric Car Unlike Any Other: 1,000 HP and Skinny as a Motorcycle

[ketel0ne]

Yet another start up.


Rick Woodbury and son Bryan have a plan to dominate the global automotive market with a revolutionary electric vehicle the width of a motorcycle that has more torque than a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 and can outperform many sports cars. With one complete car made and sold so far — to George Clooney, no less -- they need about $50 million to jump-start large-scale production at their start-up firm, Commuter Cars Corp.

“The plan is to put 150 million of these cars on the road within 15 to 20 years,” said Woodbury, who speaks with infectious enthusiasm. “I’m not saying this will happen overnight; I’m saying it will happen gradually.”

ETA: I put this up too quick today and forgot the link, now I can not even find the link. Sorry I will be more careful in the future.

[Matt Timion]

Part of me is annoyed by all of the start ups, but then part of me is exicted for the enthusiasm towards electric vehicles.

I'm REALLY annoyed however by the major auto makers and their inability (or lack of desire) to make an EV.

[SVOboy]

What I find most annoying about the start ups is that they inflate the cost so much so people can go racing rx7s down the road and then the major manufacturers can point to these cars and say: "look, do you want to pay that?"

[Matt Timion]

What I find most annoying about the start ups is that they inflate the cost so much so people can go racing rx7s down the road and then the major manufacturers can point to these cars and say: "look, do you want to pay that?"

Unsure how the startups inflate the cost. Their costs are usually so high because they can't afford to buy in bulk. If HOnda, Ford, Nissan, Chevy, etc. made this same car it would be MUCH cheaper.

[SVOboy]

I mean they inflate the cost by building something with "...more torque than a bugatti veyron..." instead of something with a modest 100hp/100tq, :p

[JanGeo]

Are we talking about the Tango - great low CG but range is not so great. Lots of power though with two motors - one driving each rear wheel - all low tech low efficiency stuff except for the controller which does ok
zilla http://www.cafeelectric.com
Tango http://www.commutercars.com

[The Toecutter]

The battery pack for the Tango is only about 7.5-9 kWh at typical EV rates. On that, it gets 60-80 miles range to 100% discharge.

The car uses high power components because power does not add much expense. It could use a low power Curtis Controller, a single 9" motor, and flooded batteries and have a more modest 50 horsepower or so, but it would only shave about $5k off of the production cost. At low volume, this car is going to be $80-100k. At that price, 50 horsepower will not garner sales, but 400 horsepower will. Small cost penalty to generate big hype and perhaps some sales.

In mass production, this would be a $20,000 car.