Looks like the Tesla Roadster is going to have a new rival in the race for electric sports car supremacy. Unveiled at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, the K1 Evelio is the latest in what is becoming a growing number of electric sports cars looking to enter the market to give Tesla a serious run for its money.
If the car looks familiar to you, it’s because it’s based on the Slovakian sports car, the K-1 Attack Roadster, a car that has graced our pages on numerous occasions. According to the people over at K1, the Evelio pretty much has the same body as the Attack Roadster, except that it has an electric powertrain as opposed to the 2.0-liter V6 engine found on the latter.
Details behind the car are still limited - the company’s website is still bare bones - but from what we’ve sourced, the Evelio appears to have a body that’s made out of fiberglass while the chassis comes in a tubular steel space frame. Likewise, smaller items used on the car were crafted in aluminum.
More details on the K1 Evelio after the jump.
As for the powertrain, the Evelio is expected to carry the same phosphate-based lithium ion battery system that can be found under another one of its soon-to-be rivals, the Fisker Karma. This particular set-up allows the battery pack to be charged more quickly and the range of the battery to last up to 100-150 miles depending on how the car is driven.
All in all, the K1 Evelio is expected to produce as much as 200 horsepower with a top speed of 90 mph - well over the 125 mph the Tesla Roadster is capable - because it only carries a single-speed gearbox. Blame the lack of funds for that. Despite the pedestrian top speed, the Evelio can still hit ’north-to-60’ in just 3.2 seconds.
For now, the Evelio is still a prototype vehicle with the company looking for more funds to come pouring in for the project to move in the right direction. The car looks great, if you ask us, and given the dearth of options - for now, at least - in the electric sports car segment, we’re really hoping that these guys can get the finances it needs to further develop what looks to be a promising electric sports car.
Posted on
07.18.2011 @ 00:50