Five EVs that do it differently
Tuesday, 11 December 2018
While they might be all revolutionary and cutting edge, most EVs on the market today still conform to the same old thing - sedans, crossover SUVs or sports cars with predictably 'almost-futuristic' (or just plain weird) looks
But here are five that break the predictable mould and do things a bit differently.
Bollinger B1
Sure, the Rivian pick up and SUV that made their appearance at the recent Los Angeles motor show might be all very slick and cool, but they conform way too closely to the smooth and slightly futuristic aesthetic that so many EVs feel the need to fall into to be truly cool.
That is where the Bollinger B1 comes in. Proudly utilitarian and blatantly square, the Bollinger strongly hints at classic Land Rover proportions (and off road ability), yet still makes the most of new possibilities afforded by its electric drivetrain - particularly in the packaging department.
Also, just look at it. That thing means business.
Epic Torq
Most easily described as an electric KTM X-bow with a wheel off, the Torq by EV start-up Epic EV was all kinds of awesome packed into a very serious performance package when it debuted in 2012 - not only would it rocket to 100km/h in under 4 seconds (fractionally slower than the contemporary Tesla Roadster), it could pull 1.3g of lateral acceleration through a corner, which was better than a Ferrari F430 at the time.
Sadly however, the Epic EV proved that doing things different isn't always the best business plan - it appears to have vanished entirely. Which is a sad thing.
Electra Meccanica Solo
You could almost be fooled into thinking the Solo is a normal, boring car from the front, but that weirdly skinny windscreen is a hint of the drastic narrowing of the rest of the car as it tapers down to become a three wheel extravaganza of tinyness by the end of its truncated wheelbase.
Not bothered with ultimate range or feral acceleration, the Solo is all about being as frugal and cheap as possible on your daily commute, even down to its meagre asking price of US$15,000 (NZ$22,000). The Canadian-built single-seater is a city car and damn proud of it.
Nikola NZT
Nikola Motor Company is a US EV start-up that has a liking for winding up Tesla (even using Nikola Tesla's first name for the company name) and plans to have a hydrogen-fuelled electric semi truck on the market before its better-known competitor's pure electric offering.
But apart from Elon-baiting and electric trucks, Nikola's performance arm - Nikola PowerSports - also makes insanely fast NZT side-by-side electric UTV.
The dedicated off roader will hit 100km/h from a standing start in less than 4 seconds, which is face-peelingly fast in something without a windscreen. Oh, and they even do a miliatray-spec version called the Reckless, which is almost too awesome for words.
Tesla Semi
While Tesla may have been a major driving force behind the increase in awareness of EVs, arguably its most important contribution to the future of electrification is yet to come - its long-promised electric semi truck.
Potentially revolutionary in Europe and the USA, where trucks routinely do massive distances at relatively constant speeds, Tesla promises a decent range (640km) and fast charging (80 per cent in 30 minutes), along with semi-autonomous technology.
While Nikola's hydrogen truck has a much bigger range, if Tesla can pull off what it promises, it could revolutionise the trucking industry. There are still a lot of 'ifs' and 'coulds' in there though…