Some sporty and wacky alternatives to the Tesla Roadster
Dec 31, 2008 Auto Tech
Much before Tesla went to town with claims of faster acceleration than a Porsche 911, we already had the fully electric Eliica shaming many a supercar. Don’t believe us? See the video after the jump.
First conceived in 2003, by Dr. Hiroshi Shimizu, the 8-wheeled Eliicas have a 230 mph (370 km/h) top speed. Each of the eight wheels is driven by a 60kW (80 hp) electric motor. they have lithium ion batteries and have a working range of 200 miles (320 km). Two were built for an estimated $320,000.
Interest in Dr. Shimizu’s efforts apparently has been recently rekindled as the government of Japan recognizes the importance of electric vehicles. Dr. Shimizu would like to receive corporate sponsorship to build 200 of the four-passenger vehicles, each for an estimated price of 30 million Yen or approximately $255,000.
The goal of the Keio University team led by Dr. Shimizu is to set the world speed record of 400 km/h (250 mph). Read the rest of this entry »
