Automotive

Taiwan's Thunder Power storms Frankfurt with road and race EVs

Taiwan's Thunder Power storms Frankfurt with road and race EVs
The Thunder Power Sedan is the Taiwanese company's first foray into the car market
The Thunder Power Sedan is the Taiwanese company's first foray into the car market
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The Thunder Power Sedan is a rear-drive, all electric luxury car out of Taiwan
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The Thunder Power Sedan is a rear-drive, all electric luxury car out of Taiwan
Legendary Italian company Zagato has taken care of the styling
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Legendary Italian company Zagato has taken care of the styling
The Race version of the Sedan is all-wheel drive
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The Race version of the Sedan is all-wheel drive
Zagato's styling translates well to a racecar, even if we don't know how fast it will go yet
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Zagato's styling translates well to a racecar, even if we don't know how fast it will go yet
According to Thunder Power, the fastest rear-drive Sedan will hit 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds
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According to Thunder Power, the fastest rear-drive Sedan will hit 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds
There's hints of Nissan 370Z in the car's styling, but the design still looks unique
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There's hints of Nissan 370Z in the car's styling, but the design still looks unique
With a 125 kWh battery, the Sedan should get range of over 600 km
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With a 125 kWh battery, the Sedan should get range of over 600 km
Big wings and diffusers are an easy way to catch the eye of petrolheads
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Big wings and diffusers are an easy way to catch the eye of petrolheads
Thunder Power is hoping to have cars on the road in 2017
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Thunder Power is hoping to have cars on the road in 2017
If the price is right, the Thunder Power should draw people in with its sleek styling
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If the price is right, the Thunder Power should draw people in with its sleek styling
That gaping face reminds us of a guppy fish
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That gaping face reminds us of a guppy fish
The Thunder Power Sedan is the Taiwanese company's first foray into the car market
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The Thunder Power Sedan is the Taiwanese company's first foray into the car market
The car's coupe roofline looks slick
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The car's coupe roofline looks slick
Even in base trim, the Sedan should hit 100 km/h in under 6 seconds
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Even in base trim, the Sedan should hit 100 km/h in under 6 seconds
The Frankfurt Motor Show played host to Thunder Power's global debut
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The Frankfurt Motor Show played host to Thunder Power's global debut
View gallery - 15 images

When you think of electric car manufacturers, Thunder Power doesn't exactly spring to mind. But the Taiwanese electronics company has used the Frankfurt Motor Show to unveil a new fully electric car with a claimed range of 650 km.

The Thunder Power Sedan is available with two different configurations: one with 230 kW (308 hp) and 320 Nm of torque, and another with 320 kW (429 hp) and a whopping 560 Nm. Power comes from a 125 kWh battery pack in both cars, for a claimed range of 650 km (404 miles). Top speed is pegged at 210 and 250 km/h (130 and 155 mph) respectively.

There's also an all-wheel drive Race version on display, although details about it are scant.

The car's coupe roofline looks slick
The car's coupe roofline looks slick

According to Thunder Power, the less powerful of the two cars will hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than six seconds, while the 320 kW model will handle the sprint in under five – quick enough to worry a petrol powered Audi S4, or the all-electric Audi e-tron quattro concept.

To put the size of that battery pack into perspective, the biggest battery offered up on the Tesla Model S is 90 kWh, while the new Nissan Leaf packs in just 30 kWh. Almost more impressive than than the car's impressive range is the speed with which you can refill it. Thunder Power is claiming the Sedan will be able to cover 300 km (186 miles) on a half-hour charge and reach full charge in one hour using a fast charging system.

With a standard charger, the Sedan should charge fully in about six hours.

It may have come from a Taiwanese company, but the Sedan is truly a global effort. The exterior styling was handled by legendary coachbuilder Zagato, and Thunder Power says the battery technology was developed by Bosch, Dallara and CSI.

With a 125 kWh battery, the Sedan should get range of over 600 km
With a 125 kWh battery, the Sedan should get range of over 600 km

Just like Tesla has done with its Model S, Thunder Power has turned to touchscreens for all the car's major functions. Covering the entire width of the dash, the TP-Touch infotainment system includes everything from a virtual dashboard to video streaming and entertainment for passengers.

All of this sounds very exciting, but it's worth keeping in mind that these are all just claims and promises at the moment. Thunder Power is aiming to make it to the European market in 2017, the Chinese market by 2018 and the USA after that. If all goes according to plan, the range will also be expanded to include an SUV, a compact car and a crossover.

To get a closer look at the Zagato-designed Thunder Power Sedan, take a tour through our gallery.

Stay tuned for more news from Frankfurt, where Gizmag is on the ground covering the action.

Source: Thunder Power

View gallery - 15 images
6 comments
6 comments
Bob Flint
Thunder Power, almost as ugly as the Edsel...
The acceleration is nothing special either.
RXStephen
Can we please stop harping on about electric motor torque? Yes electric motors have fantastic characteristics but its the same as comparing a diesel with a petrol engine. In this case it just means you don't need to rev it as high to get to peak power but peak power is less. So, say a 300NM petrol engine with a first gear ratio of 3.5:1 and a differential ratio of 4:1 is putting out 4,200NM minus losses at the wheels!! Whoohoo, meaningless. Torque has a lot to do with how you gear an engine and how easy it may be to drive without changing gear. But power is king when you compare performance.
Bill Bennett
Boy did that thing get beatin' by the ugly stick or what?
Tony Morris
Actually the body styling is not ugly at all. The design of the grille and lights is what spoils it.
watersworm
it's so "easy" to incrase range... putting more and more batteries and more and more waight. When shall we have a 3 tons of batteries allowing 3000km range or so ???
Mark C
6 hours to charge a 125kWh battery requires a 20kW plus charger. That is not a standard wall socket by a long shot. So I guess modern house wiring will soon have to include a beefy connection down to the garage!
But good to see another manufacturer at least aiming for an electric car that beats the typical ICE car. So long as they can do it for a comparable price.