January 28, 2009 In the latest installment from the company that announced only four months ago that it is working on a new breed of EV super car “featuring a revolutionary power source allowing for the possibility of several years between charging”, we now have the just-as-fantastic prospect of the world's first roadgoing 1000 bhp battery electric vehicle. Shelby Sports Cars says it expects to roll out its first full-scale, pre-production Ultimate Aero EV in Q2 2009 so we won’t have long to see if this ambitious claim can become reality.
Considering the Tesla Roadster has 250hp (185 KW), the Ultimate Aero EV will make a huge leap forward in the EV power stakes by utilizing two electric motors to produce an astounding 1,000 HP (735 Kw) and 800 lb-ft (1083.42 NM) of torque. Shelby says this should enabling a 0 - 60 mph time of 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 208 mph. There is no mention of any further detail about the type of motors they are developing or the vehicle's curb weight at this stage. Not only will the Ultimate Aero EV have a range of 150-200 miles on a single charge, but SSC’s Green division has trademarked something called "Charge on the Run" an on-board charging system which allows for 10 minute full battery recharges on a 220V service.
10 minute full charge.
While no battery details at all have been provided by Shelby we can take an educated guess at a capacity of 36 - 48 kw/hr to cover the 150-200 miles range it specifies at an average (for EVs) 200wh/mi energy consumption. While there are several Li-ion battery chemistries on the market that can theoretically be charged to 80% of full capacity in 10 mins, the current required to do this is well beyond any wall socket. In fact we have no information on any actual demonstration of an EV-sized battery pack being charged in this theoretically possible 10 minutes. To fully charge a 36kw/hr battery in 10 mins from a 220v supply as Shelby claim requires a supply capable of 978 Amps, so we kind of wonder if the guys at Shelby have ever heard of Ohm's law.
While virtually all EV manufactures are going with single speed reduction gears instead of power-sapping multi-speed gearboxes, the Ultimate Aero EV will have its two 500 bhp liquid-cooled electric motors bolted to a 3-speed automatic transmission which can electronically change gears in 0.24 seconds. Automatic transmissions and torque converters are far less energy efficient than manual gearboxes but the real down side is that an automatic transmission will make regenerative braking absolutely impossible, which in a car like the Tesla can as much as double the range of in-city driving.
Big plans indeed, but given that Shelby is responsible for the World's Fastest Production Car, we're keen to see this super-EV when it reaches pre-production stage.
Paul Evans
