|
Price |
|
-- |
Production |
|
-- |
|
Engine |
electric |
Weight |
-- |
|
Aspiration |
-- |
Torque |
-- |
|
HP |
400
hp |
HP/Weight |
-- |
|
HP/Liter |
-- |
Range |
150
miles, 225 optional |
|
0-60 mph |
under 5 seconds |
Top Speed |
125
mph (electronically limited) |
(from Lightning Car
Company Press Release) The Lightning Car Company (“TLCC”
or the “Company “)
Luxury electric car company
announce high performance investment opportunity
The Lightning Car
Company, the British developer of The Lightning electric Grand
Tourer supercar, today announces its intention to raise
approximately £15.5 million (before expenses). The funds will be
invested in completing the final two phases of the Company’s
evolution, programme development and technical validation, taking
the Lightning to full production as early as Spring 2012.
TLCC was founded in
early 2007 to brand, design and build a luxury electric supercar in
the high margin, lower volume Grand Tourer (“GT”) segment, currently
overlooked by major manufacturers. The Lightning GT was conceived to
bring together classic British styling with world leading
engineering under an evocative “made in Britain” brand that sets a
new benchmark for luxurious design, build and performance. Once
fully established, the Company will be the first new British
prestige automotive marque for mainstream production in Britain
since the 1940’s.
The Lightning combines
high end performance and a real world operating range with a luxury
finish. The initial rear wheel drive launch car, driven by a German
sourced powertrain with twin inboard-mounted electric motors, will
deliver 400 BHP, with an acceleration of 0-60mph in under 5 seconds
and a governed top speed of 125mph, making The Lightning one of, if
not the fastest electric vehicle on the market. Advanced 44kWh
Lithium Titanate batteries provide a touring range of over 150
miles, which can be boosted to 225 miles with an optional range
extender.
The prototype Lightning
was launched, to critical media and industry acclaim, in the summer
of 2008 at the British Motor Show by a small start-up team of
automotive design, engineering and marketing experts. The Company
has since grown as an Automotive Design Engineering and Prototype
Technology Studio that is bringing together a highly experienced UK
automotive leadership team and world leading automotive partners
across mainland Europe and the US who themselves have made the
necessary investment to homologate, supply and build the car to the
necessary prestige standards of finish. By bringing together
established independent automotive partners as a project team, the
Company differentiates itself from the major OEMs building electric
and low emission vehicles. This dynamic partnership has already
delivered a highly accelerated research, design and production
schedule which the next phase of funding will further quicken.
TLCC’s world leading technology partners include:
• IDIADA (Spain -
data engineering and homologation);
• AGV (Netherlands - chassis and prototype building);
• Altairnano (USA – batteries); and
• Coventry-based CPP (UK - assembly, painting and finishing).
The Lightning brand
itself is seen as a critical long-term value component. The name is
memorable, evocative and is protected in the UK and mainland Europe
as a trade mark for automotive use. The trade mark is being invested
in for the long-term as a durable international automotive brand.
The Company has, alongside the car build programme prioritised a
brand development, registration and protection programme of the
English Lightning name for relevant automotive classes in key
worldwide markets.
TLCC’s collaborative
approach has helped to minimise development risk, control funding
requirements and enhance profit potential, for instance by avoiding
the need for bespoke manufacturing facilities. Once the GT model is
in production, it is planned to rapidly exploit the Lightning
platform and TLCC’s flexible manufacturing model for a 4WD version
of the GT. Financial risk is further offset by strong pre-marketing
reservations totalling more than £3.0 million.
The timing for the car’s
launch comes on the wave of stimulus programmes that have emerged
around the world since the lead given by the Obama administration on
electric vehicles (“EVs”) in 2009, delivered a major global impetus
to the EV sector for low emission transport technologies. Closer to
home, the UK Government is demonstrating its support for electric
vehicles with a range of initiatives such as: The Plug-In Car Grant;
vehicle excise duty reductions; congestion charge exemption and
subsidised parking.
The Lightning will be
hand built in conjunction with Coventry Prototype Panels (“CPP”) in
numbers limited to 250 per annum. CPP has undertaken projects on
behalf of clients such as Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls Royce and
Dutch super-car manufacturer Spyker.
Iain Sanderson, Chairman
of TLCC, said: “This significant fundraising comes at a pivotal
phase in the development of The Lightning and complements our strong
advanced order book which has already reached over £3.0 million in
sales value for the concept alone. We believe that the Lightning
will become a benchmark in the electric performance car market. As
the first new British luxury car marque for 60 years, the Lightning
represents a modern day perspective on the UK car industry and how
Britain can take the lead to make it a global force in the
automotive industry once again.”
“Our focus on risk-sharing with leading automotive technology
partners, and co-developing a flexible supply chain, has enabled us
to reach advanced prototype stage in a fraction of the time and cost
it would take a major OEM. With this clear and robust structure in
place we are now eager to bring to production a luxury GT car that
is equally desirable and innovative as it is environmentally sound.”
Brendan O’Toole, Managing Director of CPP added: "We are delighted
to be working with Lightning on such a prestigious project. Coventry
has a proud automotive history and we believe the Lightning car will
further enhance that record."
