Ten electric cars you’ve never heard of
Each month, a random automaker seemingly pops up out of nowhere and shows off a new electric vehicle.
One reason this is happening is that developing an electric vehicle might be a good deal cheaper and easier than developing a conventional car. This means making an EV has a lower barrier to entry, and as a result, small, relatively unknown companies can get into the game much easier. Most recently, Faraday Future unveiled a new EV called the FF 91, claiming that it’s the fastest accelerating car in the world, but people are very skeptical.
Here are some other obscure electric cars you probably didn’t know about from all corners of the world. 10. Varsovia Electric Car Concept The Varsovia electric car concept from the Varsovia Motor Company based in Warsaw, Poland, was revealed late last year. The company confirmed it will head to production in limited numbers and functions like a Chevrolet Volt with a rangeextender engine. Varsovia says it can travel up to 349 kilometres on a full charge and with the range extender, it gets an additional 500 km. Built from lightweight materials, the sedan tips the scales at 2,000 kilograms and the automaker claims a zeroto-97 km/h time of under five seconds while maximum speed comes in at199.5 km/h. A full-size prototype is expected to make its debut in the near future before it enters production after 2018. 9. Technicar Lavinia Italian automaker Technicar announced its Lavinia in 2014, but it has been relatively quiet since. Aimed to compete against exotic supercars, the Lavinia aims to pack 800 horsepower and a zero-to-97 km/h time of 3.5 seconds. The problem is, Technicar only provided renders of the car and said it was still in the early stages of prototype development more than two years ago. It will be interesting to see if news surfaces from Technicar in the near future. 8. Vanda Electrics Dendrobium Singapore-based Vanda Electrics recently teased its Dendrobium electric vehicle, set to debut at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show. Not much is known about the model, but the teasers show a car with supercar styling with a focus on aerodynamics. Vanda Electrics did say it worked in collaboration with Formula 1 team Williams Advanced Engineering, and you can expect to see some Formula1 technology in its electrified powertrain. 7. Quant FE From nanoFlowcell AG is the Quant FE, the second evolutionary stage of the nanoFlowcell drive. The company says the F stands for Flow and the Erepresents the continual evolution of this completely new kind of electric vehicle concept. What makes the Quant FE so unique is that it runs on liquid ionic fluid, a non-toxic, nonflammable liquid that is inexpensive to manufacture, the company says. It acts as an electrolyte membrane in fuel cells with the fluid circulating around the barrier separating the two cells, producing an electrical current that powers the motor. It packs more than 1,075 hp and 2,139 lb-ft of torque while achieving a range of nearly 804 km. 6. GLM G4 The GLM G4 might look a bit familiar if you stay pinned to the daily automotive news world. It’s actually the Savage Rivale that was originally designed to be powered by a V8 engine sourced from an American automaker. Now, Japan-based GLM has adapted the design to be an electric vehicle with two motors in the front and rear, driving the axles through a multi-speed transmission at each end. As a result, the supercar is expected to travel up to 420 km on a single charge while having a zeroto-97 km/h time of under 3.6 seconds. In total, it provides 536 hp and 737 lb-ft of torque, and GLM intends to produce the supercar for sale in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and possibly the U.S. 5. Toroidion 1MW From Finland comes the Toroidion 1MW, an electric car packing 1,341hp. But what makes the Toroidion different than the rest is that the company set out to create a fully electric powertrain capable of competing at the gruelling 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The automaker designed a rapid-swap high-capacity battery that is “as easily replaced in the pit-lane as it is in the home garage.” It’s still a concept car as of last year, so expect some changes to happen before it heads to production. Toroidion claims it will be ready by next year. 4. DS Automobiles E-Tense Debuting at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show was the E-Tense Concept from French automaker DS Automobiles. The company competes in the Formula E World Championship, so it’s no big surprise it’s investing into production electric vehicles. As for the E-Tense Concept, it boasts an all- electric range of 310 km with mixed driving or 360 km in city driving, while offering 402 hp and 381 lb-ft of torque. It’s also quite stylish, unlike many current electric vehicles you can purchase. 3. Dubuc Motors Tomahawk And now something from the U.S.: the Dubuc Motors Tomahawk. The company says its electric vehicle boasts an “American look,” but it’s the technology that makes it interesting. The 2+2 all-electric Tomahawk claims to go zero-to-97 km/h in three seconds while having a range of 595 km. Other specifications include a top speed of 257 km/h, allwheel drive and scissor doors. The company is allowing reservations for the Tomahawk, and it’s expected to roll off the assembly line this year. 2. Rimac Concept One Rimac calls the Concept One the supercar of the future, and we’re inclined to agree. Along with its sleek styling and surprisingly good looks, the Concept One has a zero-to-97 km/h time of 2.6 seconds, thanks to 1,088 hp and 1,180 lb-ft of torque. It also has Rimac All Wheel Torque Vectoring, a unique system that utilizes the advantages of independent wheel drive of the Concept One’s four-motor powertrain system. It also rides on a space frame with aluminum and carbon fibre, although it does weigh 1,849 kg. 1. NextEV NIO EP9 Seemingly coming out of nowhere last year was the NextEV NIO EP9. The gorgeous supercar first appeared on the Internet in a video that showed it lapping the Nurburgring. Shortly after, the Chinese automaker announced it set a record for the fastest ever EV lap with a time of 7:05.120. Officially introduced at a special event in London, the company revealed the NIO EP9 delivers the equivalent of 1,341 hp while weighing 1,735 kg. Zero-to-97 km/h is over in 2.7 seconds, while top speed is set at 313.8 km/h. Even more surprising is that it has a range of 426 km, making it one of the most compelling electric cars ever created.