Another day, another completely bonkers electric hypercar. The Elation Freedom has a truly cringeworthy name, but we'd put up with it for the experience of driving a sweet-looking, 1,903-horsepower, gull-winged beast like this one.
It's the culmination of six years' work from Elation founders Carlos Satulovsky ("International Airline Pilot, Visionary Entrepreneur, Adventurer"), Mauro Saravia Acosta ("Engineer, designer, and manufacturer of championship-winning racecars). Chief Technical Director for several official factory race teams participating in races at the highest level of Argentinean, Brazilian, and Uruguayan categories"), and Pablo Barragan, whose LinkedIn profile is less illuminating.
The company has nominated the USA as its home country, and indeed the business has been registered to what looks like a residential address in San Jose since 2014, but the dream and development began in Argentina, where the founders met and worked on plans for an ultralight aircraft factory before turning their attention to cars.
The Freedom car itself seems like a refreshingly simple package. In appearance it's got a bit of a Jesko crossed with C8 Corvette kind of vibe happening, but with extravagant gull-wing doors, a faux mid engine bay repurposed for luggage, and conspicuous carbon detailing to take things up a notch. Anything on the exterior that's not conspicuously carbon is merely inconspicuous painted carbon, keeping the whole thing relatively lightweight at around 3,637 lb (1,650 kg).
The powertrain uses three motors and comes in 1 megawatt (1,427 hp) or 1.4 megawatt (1,903 hp) versions, both with a peak shaft torque of 1,440 Nm (1,062 lb-ft). The front axle is powered through a single-speed gearbox, but the rear wheels are driven through a proprietary two-speed arrangement. That'll switch you nicely between massive acceleration at the red light drag races – 1.8 seconds from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) – and high-speed shenanigans. The Freedom is electronically limited to 260 mph (418 km/h), and we don't think that limiter will spoil anyone's fun.
On horsepower alone, it becomes on debut the fourth most powerful production car you can buy – that's assuming it reaches production. Updating that list has been a Sisyphean effort in 2020, I can tell you.
In terms of batteries, you're looking at a structurally-mounted T-shaped pack comprising either 100 or 120 kWh of lithium-manganese-nickel cells. These are good for either 300 or 400 miles (482 or 644 km), which doesn't quite add up to me, but let's face it, you don't buy these things to go touring anyway.
Brakes are big Brembo carbon-ceramics with ABS, suspension is a multi-mode system with electro-hydraulic ride height adjustment and damping control – although there are also apparently "Ohlins adjustable dampers" as well. The tires are bubblegum-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, and grip will be aided by a traction control system.
The price? Just US$2 million. Eh, why not treat yourself? Reservations are being taken now. And if electric hypercars don't blow your skirt up, Elation is just as happy to built you one with a 750-horsepower, naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 and a seven-speed dual-clutch paddle shift transmission. This "Iconic Collection" version gives you a fair bit less in terms of performance for a base price $300,000 higher, but it'll shout noisily at you while you drive, and people sure do love that.
Check out a gently rotating render of the Elation Freedom moving its mechanical parts up and down to dramatic music in the video below.
Source: Elation Hypercars
