English electric Lightning

[133724]

Mark Hales looks at the development of a new electric sports car that uses world-leading battery technology

The car is the electric Lightning and the world-leading technology is a combination of wheel-mounted electric motors and, more importantly, the Nano-Titanate batteries that power them. The former is British, the latter American, and far from being refugees from the George Lucas lexicon, each is proven technology. The car is also proven, albeit not yet with electric power. It is the brainchild of Arthur Wolstenholme, long-time maker of the Ronart series of upmarket Jaguar-powered specials, more recently creator of the 1950s Vanwall F1-inspired single-seat road and track car tested in these pages on August 13 2005.

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The current Lightning is a Ford Mustang-powered supercar project that first appeared at the 1999 Earl's Court Motor Show, where it attracted 20 orders. The project was then put on hold, although seven pre-production cars were built, all of which still exist. Production restarted in 2006 and in January this year Wolstenholme and partner Iain Sanderson formed the Lightning Car Company with the intention of using the Lightning and all its jigs and tooling, but minus the 4.6-litre Ford V8 engine and transmission, as a vehicle for the new batteries and electric motors.

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The Nano Titanate particle technology replaces the more usual graphite electrode, which in turn eliminates any interaction between the electrodes and the electrolyte while speeding up the movement of ions. This is the process that governs how fast the battery charges and releases its energy. There are no toxic materials or heavy metals involved and the claim is immunity from explosion or fire, a faster charge (10 minutes for 90 per cent and, in this case, a 200-mile range, compared with a conventional three or four hours), performance at extreme temperatures (think mobile phone left in freezing car) and longer life (15 years against five) because the battery doesn't physically expand and contract as it absorbs and releases energy. To sum up rather more succinctly, therefore, the technology delivers all the Holy Grails of battery technology. Altair Nano's proof of concept is in the form of several large pick-up trucks equipped with Nanosafe batteries, albeit driven by conventional electric motors through a transmission and axle.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml;jsessionid=05MJKU3V1LPCTQFIQMFSFFOAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/motoring/2007/09/01/nosplit/mflight01.xml

[TheMightyFavog]

1. I thought you were talking about the cold-war era interceptor there...

Able to achieve supercruise (supersoninc spees without the use of the afterburner) years before the F-22!

Actually got to see one of these in person when I was at the RAF Museum this summer.

[wuushew]

2. £60,000

no thanks I'll pass

[Ready4Change]

3. The battery tech sounds exciting.

I'd be very interested if they perform as predicted.