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SSC Ultimate Aero EV- 6 years without a charge.....???

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Just got back from the pub, where I was reading Jay Leno's review of the SCC Ultimate Aero in the Sunday Times. This got me thinking about the EV version again.

One thing we never did back up the thread was check SCC's own site. So I had a look and sure enough the "years between charges" claim is there in black and white:

Shelby SuperCars - SSC - Exotic Luxury SuperCars

The drive train under development will feature a revolutionary power source allowing for extended time between charging intervals with the possibility of several years between charging. Powered by a 500 horsepower electric motor, the Ultimate Aero EV will have true supercar performance. Additionally, SSC is exploring the potential of a twin 500 horsepower electric power plant producing 1,000 horsepower in a 2 or 4 wheel drive configuration.

Wow - they'd have to be pretty sure of this to put that in a press release. I hope.
 
What's this nonsense?

Shelby SuperCars to Raise $5,000,000 via Private Placement

Unless Tesla Motors who raised over $100m in funding and produces what many
believe is a flawed electric sports car, SSC has to date accepted no outside
funding achieving its world record title with internal capital only. As
Tesla seeks additional funding in the hundreds of millions of dollars,
Shelby SuperCars will accept only $5mm to give up as little equity of the
Company. As its first- round of financing, SSC Inc. is offering a limited
slice of its private company to a select list of investors who share the
vision of the manufacturers' founder, Jerod Shelby.
 

What? First, the grammar in it is horrible and second is I've seen nothing but praise for the Tesla Roadster in the mainstream media. On the other hand, I've seen barely any attention for the SSC, at most less than half as much, though they claim R&T, C&D and other publications loved it (can't find the articles online though). Online, the Roadster gets more criticism, but not as horrible as the ones for the SSC, which many feel is a cheap diablo-lookalike kit car (as always they point to headlights taken off a Ford Focus SVT).

I usually defend the SSC against those who feel it still doesn't top the Veyron, given it has broken a world record, but if they try to put down Tesla Motors (this part doesn't seem to be part of the original press release though) then I'll reconsider. They are also comparing apples and oranges when talking about earning a world record with a gasoline car with only a couple sold (which is a lot easier to do, with a lot less capital required) and making a high performance EV with a volume of up to 2000/yr (a lot harder, a lot more capital).
 
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The drive train under development will feature a revolutionary power source allowing for extended time between charging intervals with the possibility of several years between charging.

Then why are they wasting their time putting it into sports cars? This could make them billions in a whole range of civilian and military applications.

Maybe that will be the jist of the next press release. "We've just made a fabulous deal that we're not at liberty to disclose" Yeah, right.

They'll just keep the prototype 'n' press release shuffle going for a while, if anyone wants to follow it.
 
Yeah half of the complaints about Tesla is that they are vaporware or too slow in coming out. Not really the point of this paragraph.

And with terms like Super Luxury Market and Worlds Fastest they are going for a different segment. More Lightning and Fetish money.

Re reading the copy it actually sounds defensive. Like they could only get 5M but still have to justify why they are better.

Lastly, Why is it that all these EV makers (you guys know them all) make announcements before they have a working prototype? I rode in the Roadster the day it was announced. They had two running (most of the day). Since then everyone trying to play catchup shows us drawings, mockups, Old kit cars (without an Ev drivetrain), mules, and paper press releases (paperware). In this Tesla Rules!
 
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/10/21/the-ultimate-aero-ev/
Even more intriguing is Shelby Supercars’ statement that “The drive train under development will feature a revolutionary power source allowing for extended time between charging intervals with the possibility of several years between charging.” No word yet on exactly what they’re stuffing under the hood, but it sounds like Tony Stark may be in on the project.

The first prototype will be revealed in February of next year, with four production models to be rolled out by December 2009.

aeroev02.jpg


aeroev06.jpg
 
[a revolutionary power source allowing for extended time between charging intervals with the possibility of several years between charging.”

I guess they should mention that the car needs to be parked all that time and that
"Green Supercar to achieve speeds never before seen”.
means 3 to 4 miles per hour.

Oh, and the car is 250,00 pounds and is 283 feet long.:rolleyes:
 
Shelby SuperCars announces worlds fastest electric production car - Examiner.com

Shelby SuperCars announces worlds fastest electric production car

Not content to just make the world's fastest production car, Shelby SuperCars announced today that they plan on expanding that platform to include the world's fastest electric production car too. Something they are calling the Ultimate Aero EV.They've stated that the Ultimate Aero EV will charge up in 10 minutes off a standard 110v outlet, and then run for 200 miles off that one charge. That's quite an improvement from what Tesla or Fisker has been capable of. And that's not even the best part.

WTF? :confused:


Shelby SuperCars announces worlds fastest electric production car

SSC Announces Green Technologies Revealing Revolutionary Battery and Electric Powertrain Technology

West Richland, WA (01/19/09)

Shelby SuperCars (SSC) released the details today of the revolutionary electric vehicle technology to be unveiled in the second quarter of this year. SSC will reveal its innovative all-electric powertrain in the current Ultimate Aero, the Guinness Certified “Fastest Production Car in the World,” to create the Ultimate Aero EV and will reinforce the company as a benchmark in the auto industry. But unlike other auto manufacturers, SSC’s new technology will set a new standard in the electric car industry – one of 10 minute recharges, super horsepower and ranges of up to 200 miles per charge.

While other auto manufacturers focus on producing Green technology for specific cars, SSC’s focus is on producing Green technologies for a wide range of applications for an even wider range of vehicles. SSC’s electric powertrain package, named AESP (All-Electric Scalable Powertrain) is unique due to its scalable horsepower, light weight, compact size, quick recharge time and liquid cooling.

SSC’s Nanotechnology Rechargeable Lithium Battery pack is rechargeable in only 10 minutes on a standard 110 outlet and has a 150-200 mile range on a single charge. This means that in a typical 8 hour day, the car using this technology could go 200 miles, charge for 10 minutes (the time it typically takes to fill up a tank of gas), then drive 200 more miles, charge for 10 minutes and continue on. Some other EV technologies necessitate an overnight charge creating a class of “commuter electric cars” and are not practical alternatives to gas combustion automobiles.

The AESP’s main feature is its scalability. The all-electric SUV or delivery truck is now a reality in the not-so-distant future. The AESP is scalable from 200 horsepower for economy and midsize cars, to 500 horsepower for light trucks and SUVs, and up to 1200 horsepower for delivery trucks, heavy duty equipment, buses and military vehicles. The revolutionary design proves electric-powered vehicles not only match, but also provide more linear power (electric motors have 100% torque at 0 RPM) and overall performance than internal combustion vehicles.

• All-electric. No gasoline.
• Light weight. Just a fraction of the weight of a standard combustion engine (<200lbs.)
• Extended performance. Internal cooling systems are built into the motors.
• Compact size. 1/18 the space of a standard engine; significant increase in cargo room.
• Scalable horsepower. From 200 horsepower (one motor) to 1200 horsepower (two motors “piggy backed”).
• Quick recharges. Only 10 minutes on standard 110 outlet.

The current AESP was designed to meet the manufacturing and quality requirements of major automotive manufacturers, transportation operators and the military. SSC will wholesale the AESP to mass production car companies, governments, and to public, private, and niche businesses. Costs for mass-produced units are $5K-$6K per unit for 1000 to 10,000 units (with further reduction in unit cost for increased production.) SSC’s next milestone will be the pursuit of the “World’s Fastest Electric Car” with the Ultimate Aero EV later this year.
 

Double post, but anyways, Jalopnik featured this also and many commenters questioned that sentence.

Ultimate Aero EV: SSC Plans To Build World's Fastest Electric Production Car

It sounds to me that either the people writing these press releases know nothing at all about electricity (both press releases they have nonsense written in it) or the people working on it have no clue also.
 
That makes no sense.

I can see 10 minute charge off of industrial strength high voltage commercial power connection, but no way you get anything meaningful from a "standard 110v outlet" in 10 minutes. Is this some kind of bad joke? They aren't even in the ballpark with this.

SSC’s Nanotechnology Rechargeable Lithium Battery pack is rechargeable in only 10 minutes on a standard 110 outlet and has a 150-200 mile range on a single charge.

Our initial concerns are confirmed - their PR claims to ignore the laws of physics.

I am trying to think out of the box and imagine what they might be talking about, but nothing comes to mind. Are they using a 0.2kWh micro-pack that can power them 200 miles? Absurd. Are they planning to draw 3000 amps from the 110v plug to recharge a 55kWh pack in 10 minutes? Absurd.
 
Our initial concerns are confirmed - their PR claims to ignore the laws of physics.

I am trying to think out of the box and imagine what they might be talking about, but nothing comes to mind. Are they using a 0.2kWh micro-pack that can power them 200 miles? Absurd. Are they planning to draw 3000 amps from the 110v plug to recharge a 55kWh pack in 10 minutes? Absurd.

Maybe one of their employees frequented this board?



Shelby announces world's fastest electric car | Crave - CNET

In conjunction with the release of its 2009 Ultimate Aero at the Abu Dhabi International Motor Show, Shelby SuperCars announced details of an electric version of this same car, due to be launched in the second half of this year. We hope the oil barons of Abu Dhabi took the news graciously, as Shelby's move seems kind of like walking into a convention of cigarette makers and announcing a cure for tobacco addiction. But maybe they merely smiled at the fairly outlandish-sounding claims by Shelby SuperCars

I think I see what is going on here...


I noticed that Mr Siry is already on the charge time case at Jalopnik.

I wonder if there is also a problem with the motor specs? Afterall, as we worked out in the Electric Planes thread, that kind of horsepower doesn't come lightweight. If we take Tesla's kW/kg as a starting point, Shelby's motor would have to be in the 200kg range - and even heavier if they want to sustain higher power outputs and higher top speeds. Are they going to fit TGV train motors to enable this thing to keep a constant 200mph on the autobahn?
 
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Are they going to fit TGV train motors to enable this thing to keep a constant 200mph on the autobahn?
Well, that was Allusion's plan :smile:

The first we hear of the SSC, it was going to charge once for 6 years. Now that is charge for 10 minutes to go 200 miles. Did they change their mind about the first? Or possibly they intend you to charge for 10 minutes, and then only drive 33 miles a year for 6 years?

I am not so sure about these press releases...
 
...SSC’s Nanotechnology Rechargeable Lithium Battery pack is rechargeable in only 10 minutes on a standard 110 outlet...
OK, wait - they didn't actually say 110V (although sites paraphrasing their story did). Perhaps they meant standard 110kV outlet...
(e.g.: recharge at the power substation only)
 
Some may notice that they have reworded their online copy of the original press release.
"Not require a charge for six years" claim has been removed/changed.
Also it seems 500hp is now standard, and they are "exploring" the twin 500...
I think they need a disclaimer "napkin ideas for now - specs subjects to major revision"

Copy of original:

0-60mag.com Blog Archive Kilowatt Crazy
The drive train under development will not require a charge for six years and will power two 500 horsepower electric motors producing 1000 horsepower and providing supercar performance.


Changed to:

Shelby SuperCars - SSC - Exotic Luxury SuperCars
The drive train under development will feature a revolutionary power source allowing for extended time between charging intervals with the possibility of several years between charging. Powered by a 500 horsepower electric motor, the Ultimate Aero EV will have true supercar performance. Additionally, SSC is exploring the potential of a twin 500 horsepower electric power plant producing 1,000 horsepower in a 2 or 4 wheel drive configuration.
 
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Our initial concerns are confirmed - their PR claims to ignore the laws of physics.

I am trying to think out of the box and imagine what they might be talking about, but nothing comes to mind. Are they using a 0.2kWh micro-pack that can power them 200 miles? Absurd. Are they planning to draw 3000 amps from the 110v plug to recharge a 55kWh pack in 10 minutes? Absurd.

How about this idea.... thinking outside the box here....

The car actually has 100 plug-in ports scattered around the vehicle.
The car owner is supposed to own 100 very long extension cords. Then you run around to every 110 volt 20 amp outlet in the house and for all of your neighbors. Run all of those 100 extension cords to your garage where your EV is waiting. Then plug in all 100 extension cords to the vehicle.

It takes about 30 minutes to plug-in the vehicle, but the charge only takes 10 minutes.

Maybe if all of the plugs are 240 volt 30 amp outlets equivalent to your average household dryer, it might work.

Anyone want to do the math?
 
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Yeah, James, I actually thought about that one too...

You can get about 1300watts per outlet.
To charge a 50kWh pack in 10 minutes you need 300,000watts.
So 230 extension cords, give or take...

But I think you would probably blow out some transformers in the neighborhood doing that.