Shelby sets out to build Ultimate Aero EV, the world's fastest electric car
Who needs to be "green" when you can go really, really fast? Well, Shelby Supercars figures it can have it both ways, with an all-electric version of the Ultimate Aero, the Ultimate Aero EV. Seeing how the Ultimate Aero is already the world's faster production car (at least officially, sorry Buggati), they don't see it as much of a leap of faith for this new version to carry that mantle into the electric space: "I think we can do it faster, leaner and cleaner than any other manufacturer," says the ever-modest SSC founder Jerod Shelby. The new car will be powered by a single 373kW electric motor, with a dual-motor "high performance" version being considered, which should give its gas guzzling sibling some serious competition around the track. Testing will begin in February next year, with full production supposed to commence in Q4 2009.
[Thanks, Yossi]
[Thanks, Yossi]























Ya, electric cars are a waste of money. We should really be spending the money on education. If you had passed 4th grade you'd know that it's "electric cars ARE stupid" not "electric cars is stupid"
somebody get this guy a nobel prize... what a break through in our way of thinking. I'll never live my life the same way again!
Don't be a Luddite.
Karl is stupid and angry. That makes me happy.
Well, is an 373kW electric motor really green? It just does not burn fossil fuel itself, but the fossil fuel will be burnt in a power plant. :/
You guys missed the part where they make the ridiculous claim that the car can drive for years without having to be recharged.
I noticed that too; "While final specifications are yet to be fully disclosed, the company claims the drive train under development employs a revolutionary new technology that will allow the car to travel for extended periods - years, in some cases - without needing to be recharged."
What kind of crazy snake oil is that? I mean, lets try to remain in reality here.
so is this company in no way affiliated with the REAL Shelby Cars, ala Carroll Shelby?
If not, this Jerod guy is as annoying as Subway's Jared.
That's the equivilent of 500hp but with the torque maxing at zero RPM (a property of electric motors versus ICE engines). The acceleration is going to be amazing. Wonder what Shelby and Co. are going to do to get that power to the ground in a predictable way. I can imagine the engineers going 'round back of the office just to smoke some more tires...
Ummm.... not really. The torque is constant (or quite near it) up to a certain RPM; above that, the power is nearly constant.
Looking at a theoretical diagram, it's perfectly flat, and saying it peaks at zero is as valid as any other point in the flat range, but it's no peak. In practice, difficulties controlling about zero RPM gives most motors a very broad, rounded low-speed torque peak between zero and rated speed, and then falls off into the constant-power region.
SSC's only product is a $600k chro-molly kit car (complete with Ford Focus headlights) with a giant, gasoline 1000 hp engine that probably needs its own Iranian oil tanker to fuel it. Its state of the art for 1980. Why should we believe that they can achieve what they claim?
This is getting ridiculous. A company puts out a press release claiming that its going to do something fantastically green, and the media jumps. How many companies have claimed to do (insert ridiculously unrealistic accomplishment), thrown in some pretty computer renderings (though in this case, they haven't even done that; the picture provided in this story is the gas-powered Aero - one of the ugliest, Diablo-ripoffs to hit the road), then sat back, waiting for the VCs to call and give them some first-round funding love? Until they've at least built a test mule, why make an announcement, much less report it?
{does a Google image search for "ultimate aero interior"}
Bwa-ha-ha--ha-ha--ha-ha--ha-ha--ha!!!!!
Hey, I can just see David Hasselhof driving one of these... in the eighties:
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh97/aleq_mbstek/Tumbler-SSCUltimateAero.jpg
Shelby (not Carol Shelby) is the owner of SSC, SSC is building this car
Yep, saw that. The headline could have been more clear Engadget :-)
The Bugatti Veyron will always be superior to the Ultimate Aero. Not only is the Aero's body design unnatractive, the Aero's interior is one of the worst car interiors I have EVER SEEN. It doesn't deserve the title of "world's fastest production car". It is most definitely the world's ugliest supercar.
so im assuming they mean the "world's fastest electric car you can buy"
because unless it plans on having a top speed of 321mph, which is the buckeye bullet's (the current landspeed record holder for the fastest electric car) this shelby isn't gonna be the world's fastest electric car
To put it into perspective, you can be very comfortable using a 5 - 8kW solar array to power your house. But then houses can't slam you into your seat and cause the world around you to red-shift as you accelerate into traffic. Better have good brakes...
give me my electric vehicle already, i don't care about the horse power it can produce. my everyday route on the island is less than 10 miles, give me my electric vehicle already. Automobile industry are you listening? Do something about it!!
Yes, but will it make fake engine noises?
another example of a hideous american car.