Tachyon Speed Is a 1,250 HP Electric Hypercar from California Worthy of Its Name

The outfit behind the Tachyon Speed is called Rice Advanced Engineering Systems and Research (or RAESR) and you probably never heard of it before. But that's not a problem: you didn't know what Rimac was either until it went and built the most radical electrical vehicle currently out there.

The Tachyon Speed has every chance of stealing that spot from the Concept_One. For one thing, it has more power. A six-motor set up (exactly how they are spread between the four wheels is anyone's guess) is capable of delivering 1,250 hp. And if that's not enough, then how do 3,650 lb-ft (4,950 Nm) of torque sound like? Probably like way more than anything this side of an ocean liner would need.

Because it's not like the Tach (it's OK, we're good friends) is heavy or anything. For an electric vehicle, it's actually on the light side. It only weighs 2,950 lbs (1,338 kg), meaning it should reach 60 mph in just one second, really. Unfortunately, the only number we have is "under three seconds," with 120 mph (nearly 200 km/h) coming in less than seven. We're sure those numbers could be improved with some more work on the drive controller and maybe even some better tires.

Even so, it's said the hyper EV can clear the quarter-mile in under ten seconds and go to a top speed of up to 240 mph (386 km/h), which is a big deal for an electric car. When speed alone isn't enough, the active aerodynamics can generate between 400 and 1,000 lbs (181 and 453 kg) of downforce at 150 mph (about 240 km/h). That means high-speed control shouldn't be an issue.

Since we've come this far and haven't even mentioned anything about its design, you might think it's rather bland. On the contrary. Taking advantage of the fact there is no engine sitting behind the cockpit, the team elected to use a tandem seating configuration. That means better aerodynamics, but also a more fighter-jet-like aspect.

RAESR did not say anything about launching a limited series production nor did they whisper a price, but we wouldn't get our hopes high on it costing anything less than half a million. Despite being brand-new, the Tachyon Speed has already made itd cinematic debut in E.ON's Mad Max-inspired commercial for its "Future is Electric" campaign alongside other battery-powered freaks.