Lightning GT --> "700 BHP" Electric Car

[YSSMAN]

With an electric motor at each wheel, the UK-built Lightning GT, unveiled yesterday at the British Motor Show, is said to produce a total of 700 HP. According to the company, the Lightning's nanotechnology battery pack will provide a 200-mile range on a ten-minute charge. Those are mighty big numbers to be throwing around, but with precious little known about the batteries, it makes it hard for us to validate the claims without independent testing.

The Lightning GT's nano-titanate batteries are supplied by a U.S. company called Altairnano, who claims the NanoSafe cells have a 12+ year life expectancy and retain 85% of their charge capacity after 15,000 cycles. They're also free from heavy metals, toxins and graphite, and are more thermally stable than other high-tech batteries. They may also grant you three wishes.

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: If everything the company claims is true, the Lightning should be one hell of a ride — even at the roughly $300,000 asking price. Much of that price likely offsets the battery costs. But, as demonstrated over about seven decades now, the British cottage car industry isn't exactly a model of reliability, so we'll be surprised if an all-electric British sports car produces anything more than smoke and irate customers — we can barely keep our gasoline-powered Triumphs running. Things should become clearer as 2010 approaches, the year the Lightning GT is expected to be available.

Its like an electric Marcos GT, and I like it! If this is what we're going to be promised with the "green revolution," I'm not opposed to it. It looks good, seems to be fast, and I do hope handles well. Not bad...

 

[Tornado]

A great looking car powered by pointlessness. Literally and figuratively.

 

[Joey D]

I really like the way that car looks, sort of Fisker like. I'll be curious to see how it works out.

 

[Jim Prower]

Very. Very. Meh.

 

[YSSMAN]

Hmmm, a lot of haters out there. I'm actually really surprised. It sounds like this is a helluva lot faster than the Tesla (better looking too?), but no love. No love at all...

 

[bergauk]

Very interesting. If I ever had 300k I'd buy it. It reminds me of an Aston Martin or something.

Something caught my eye though.

With an electric motor at each wheel

Is it supposed to be 4wd? Sounds like it'll be a fun experience with that feature.

 

[superberkut]

Very sharp, but the technology is debatable. I like it for the resemblance to the Marcos, but it is a good exterior design.

 

[Loon]

It reminds me of an Aston Martin or something.

First thing I thought, especially from the front.

 

[Tornado]

It sounds like this is a helluva lot faster than the Tesla (better looking too?), but no love.

I find the fact that it is 3 times better than the Tesla balanced out by the fact that it is three times as expensive and at least as stupid. Can you imagine something that looked that nice, with a German (probably BMW) sourced V12? They could sell it for half as much, it would go alot faster and it would be far more desirable. As it stands, its just another me too project that unintentionally draws attention to how stupid electric vehicles are in applications other than in city cars. And without Tesla's massive financial backing or pieces of a superior car with which to base anything on, I see nothing but failure in the future for this, sadly.

Is it supposed to be 4wd? Sounds like it'll be a fun experience with that feature.

Probably just two motors in the back.

 

[CDailey]

If only it wasn't electric. That car is drop dead sexy.

 

[Muzaffar]

I think it looks really good, somewhat similar to what most British sports car looks like. The look itself almost reminded me of the Melling Hellcat, the TVR and the Marcos..... 👍

Hmmm, a lot of haters out there. I'm actually really surprised. It sounds like this is a helluva lot faster than the Tesla (better looking too?), but no love. No love at all...

Yes, its very unfortunate really. People seem too quick to judge something like this. If you hate the car because its all powered by electric and expensive as hell, be it! But yeah, I don't really know much about electric cars so I'll just have to wait and see how well the car runs.....

 

[Rue]

That shape has future classic written all over it, especially the read three-quarter view. A real stunner! I'm sure that even though people are reluctant to embrace the technology, in the not to distant future there will be no alternative. This seems like a good sign of things to come though.

 

[Casio]

Looks pretty good, but seriously, 700HP?

I don't know if it's works this way, but if it had 350hp and a 400 mile range it would be like 6 trillion times better.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Great looking car, and the battery technology gives hope for the future. But that price is a whole lot of hurt and won't allow the sort of mass sales that will reduce unit costs for the battery technology.

 

[niky]

I've talked about AltairNano somewhere... I think it was in the thread for Murray's new commuter car.

Simply put... their claims are fantastic... and would be fantastic if true, but until the Phoenix SUT or any of their other projects come to fruitition, the claims have to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

Why is the bonnet so big when it doesn't have an engine there? It's nice and all, but frankly I don't care for an electric sports car, an electric car for the masses sure, but not a sports car. Because electric is dead silent, meaning no glorious engine sounds, no character, and the fact you'd want to flaw it everywhere gives you about the range of oh say, to the end of your driveway.

 

[Ardius]

Why is the bonnet so big when it doesn't have an engine there? It's nice and all, but frankly I don't care for an electric sports car, an electric car for the masses sure, but not a sports car. Because electric is dead silent, meaning no glorious engine sounds, no character, and the fact you'd want to flaw it everywhere gives you about the range of oh say, to the end of your driveway.

Perhaps they've trying to have the biggest boot(trunk, whatever you want to call it) for any sportscar ever? 💡

It reminds me too much of the Marcos TSO:

A few different design cues, but essentially the same. I'll take the Marcos

 

[Azuremen]

A great looking car powered by pointlessness. Literally and figuratively.

Kind of like this post?

Very. Very. Meh.

If only it wasn't electric. That car is drop dead sexy.

If it's fast, and handles, and has range, whats to hate? Except maybe the lower operating costs?

Looks pretty good, but seriously, 700HP?

I don't know if it's works this way, but if it had 350hp and a 400 mile range it would be like 6 trillion times better.

Regrettably, no.

I've talked about AltairNano somewhere... I think it was in the thread for Murray's new commuter car.

Simply put... their claims are fantastic... and would be fantastic if true, but until the Phoenix SUT or any of their other projects come to fruitition, the claims have to be taken with a grain of salt.

Hopefully their claims come out fairly well - battery technology is the weak link right now. I'm quite curious about the torque figures on this car.

And YSSMAN, why put the 700 BHP in quotes? It is that much power, it isn't magically different because it's derived from electric motors....

 

[Joey D]

Autoblog Green has some videos of it which can be found at the link:

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/07/23/video-lightning-gt-unveiled-in-action-and-spotlighted/

 

[Tornado]

Kind of like this post?

Or like yours? I at least explained afterwards.

 

[Dave A]

If this car delivers and provide the range they're talking about on just a 10 min charge then this is a big boost for electric cars. The range has been the big problem and the charge time has been the almost as big problem. The second thing about this car is the performance, this and the Telsa both show that electric cars can go fast and can be exciting to look at. Combine the two, well three points, range, charge and performance and you've got a good car regadless of it being electric. The only thing left to do is to make the technology cost effective, which will happen over time if it sustains the initial period of trying to push it's nose into the market to a large enough extent that enough people notice it and move towards it.

 

[YSSMAN]

And YSSMAN, why put the 700 BHP in quotes? It is that much power, it isn't magically different because it's derived from electric motors....

I've been under the impression that power was more difficult to quantify with electric motors as opposed to gasoline engines, so that explains the quotes. Nevertheless, anything similar to that power is quite exciting in a car like this.

...And I do agree with Casio...

If we received less power and a greater range, I'd likely be even more excited.

 

[Azuremen]

Or like yours? I at least explained afterwards.

By stating it would be better to put a V12 in there because of lower cost? How many people do you think care that much when they are spending between 100,000 and 300,000 on a car? They aren't buying it because of the price...

But I mean, you make your attitude quite clear here...

I find the fact that it is 3 times better than the Tesla balanced out by the fact that it is three times as expensive and at least as stupid

In short, electric = stupid. So what will you drive in 25 years?

I've been under the impression that power was more difficult to quantify with electric motors as opposed to gasoline engines, so that explains the quotes. Nevertheless, anything similar to that power is quite exciting in a car like this.

It is still a function of torque and RPM, but the difference is, as I think you know, peak torque is practically at zero RPM on an electric motor. The power curve just looks different, so the acceleration and such is also different.

 

[Tornado]

Let me get something straight here: I would have written this off as a failure regardless of whether or not it was electric. The fact that it is just makes me think it will probably fail even harder due to higher investment.

By stating it would be better to put a V12 in there because of lower cost? How many people do you think care that much when they are spending between 100,000 and 300,000 on a car? They aren't buying it because of the price...

Actually, I'm sure many people who would spend money on an exotic looking GT coupe would be disappointed when they discovered it drove like a silent diesel. I'm sure they will sell a couple and fold in the exact same way as they would if they had a V12 in them (just because it is so miraculous for being electric doesn't change the fact that it is an independent British car maker, which is enough to void the car completely even if it was the perfect electric car as it has done for every other independent British car maker. I have to ask if you would have even bothered posting upon reading where it was being built if it wasn't electric.), but I'm doubtful that the people in the market for such a car would prefer an electric engine to one of the traditional exotic engine types.

There are some people (Rolls Royce/Bentley/Maybach owners, for example) that like engines like V12s because they are smooth, and if this was a luxury car first and foremost I'm sure it would have a greater (still slim) chance of success because of the smoothness electric engines provide. But lets say that the next Aston FR coupe came out with only an electric engine rather than a V12. Other than the badge snobs, how many do you think Aston would be able to sell? This car suffers from all that, plus not having any dedicated buyers to sell to.

In short, electric = stupid. So what will you drive in 25 years?

Probably some hydrogen engine variation, the way alternative fuels are working out so far. It would require the least change to our infrastructure, the easiest application to used vehicles and circumvents the two major problems with electricity. It would even be produced the same way. And unless someone finds some revolutionary way to store electricity that doesn't involve batteries, or someone invents a super battery that solves the massive problems battery technology has now, electric cars will be relegated to niches of the industry.

Whether or not an electric car would be alright for a second car for most people, the problem with every single electric car so far (and every one in the near future) is that it sacrifices practicality in able to be electric. They take longer to "refuel." They have limited range, making the first problem happen more frequently. They are heavier than conventional cars. Furthermore, the very idea that it limits people in some way would probably be enough to shy most people away from them, regardless of whether or not those limitations would ever come into effect.

On top of all of this, its hard to tell what the social climate will be like in 25 years, as at least currently many Americans are resistant to the easiest implementable alternative fuels such as wind mills and nuclear plants for moronic reasoning, and even more think (no thanks to outspoken people who are also clueless to the subject) that things like ethanol and hybrids will solve our energy problems by themselves.

 

[harrytuttle]

A great looking car powered by pointlessness. Literally and figuratively.

Agreed. Although the wheels look hideous, it's a fairly nice Jaguar XK knockoff. Burn fuel here, burn fuel there; it's all still burnt hydrocarbons.

On top of all of this, its hard to tell what the social climate will be like in 25 years, as at least currently many Americans are resistant to the easiest implementable alternative fuels such as wind mills and nuclear plants for moronic reasoning, and even more think (no thanks to outspoken people who are also clueless to the subject) that things like ethanol and hybrids will solve our energy problems by themselves.

Agreed again. At least that makes two of us.

 

[Robin]

Looks very Jaguar XK / Aston DB9'ish mixed with Fishker but the thing is with cars that look like this is that when one passes people they wont understand why its making no noise! .... its would look stupid if you floored a Veyron for example and it sounded like an egg whisk!

Oh and the name of this car is possibly the cheesiest most pathetic name for an electric car I have ever seen.... oh yeah lighting, electricity... get it! oh and lets had the generic GT to it to make it even more stupid.

Robin

 

[Ardius]

Looks very Jaguar XK / Aston DB9'ish mixed with Fishker but the thing is with cars that look like this is that when one passes people they wont understand why its making no noise! .... its would look stupid if you floored a Veyron for example and it sounded like an egg whisk!

Oh and the name of this car is possibly the cheesiest most pathetic name for an electric car I have ever seen.... oh yeah lighting, electricity... get it! oh and lets had the generic GT to it to make it even more stupid.

Robin

If thats the biggest criticism you can come up with, I think its done pretty well, lol. The name is the least important bit!

 

[Jim Prower]

Wouldn't it be funny...if it sounded like THIS....


(one little swear word)

 

[Dave A]

Apparently it will sound like a normal car, only you will have the choice of a few different engine noises like V12, straight 6 etc. So the noises are complete imitation but it will give you an aural sense of your speed and what not.

 

[Robin]

Apparently it will sound like a normal car, only you will have the choice of a few different engine noises like V12, straight 6 etc. So the noises are complete imitation but it will give you an aural sense of your speed and what not.

Thats about as lame as those fake dump valve noise boxes you here on chaved up clios Maybe you could also select big rig, eurofighter and London cab as the sound choices!

To be honest though it would be quite cool if you could choose your engine noise from day to day..... hmmm I feel like some Ferrari F430 noises today...

Robin