Photo: Guido Ten Brink/SB-Medien
If you're a construction worker, a handyman or a DIY enthusiast from Taiwan, then you might know who Thunder Power is. That's because the company started life as an electric power tool maker before it decided to take its expertise and enter the EV market.
Two years ago, Thunder Power used the same venue to launch its first concept - an electric sedan with a 125 kWh battery pack and the most hideous grille we've seen so far on a car. Which is even more ironic considering EVs don't really need them at all.
But that wasn't the only weird thing about it. The idea of a concept is to show the vehicle's design, and carmakers sometimes waste valuable time trying to decide what is the best color to emphasize its lines and surfaces. Not Thunder Power. The Taiwanese company simply wrapped the sedan in a matte bluish film with chaotic yellow lines worthy of a design for a prototype camouflage.
Luckily, the new SUV doesn't take after its predecessor, employing a much more conventional white paint job. Sadly, not the same can be said about that sinister grille resembling the ripples that form on the water surface after throwing a rock. Or, I don't know, a black hole.
The manufacturer says the 125 kWh battery is good for up to 650 km (400 miles) according to the NEDC, which would still place the Thunder Power SUV at an impressive 300+ EPA miles. The only drawback with having such a large battery pack is that it takes forever to charge bar for a high-output fast charging device.
Other than that, the SUV looks pretty much production ready, even though there's still plenty of time left until its market launch. Thunder Power was supposed to debut the sedan this year, but the date was moved back to 2019, with the SUV following one year later.
But don't let that setback fool you - Thunder Power is determined to build these two models and sell them both in China and Europe. It is currently working on its factory in Spain and already has a deal in place in Shaoxing for the Chinese market. So, watch out, an ugly grille might be coming your way in 2019.
But that wasn't the only weird thing about it. The idea of a concept is to show the vehicle's design, and carmakers sometimes waste valuable time trying to decide what is the best color to emphasize its lines and surfaces. Not Thunder Power. The Taiwanese company simply wrapped the sedan in a matte bluish film with chaotic yellow lines worthy of a design for a prototype camouflage.
Luckily, the new SUV doesn't take after its predecessor, employing a much more conventional white paint job. Sadly, not the same can be said about that sinister grille resembling the ripples that form on the water surface after throwing a rock. Or, I don't know, a black hole.
The manufacturer says the 125 kWh battery is good for up to 650 km (400 miles) according to the NEDC, which would still place the Thunder Power SUV at an impressive 300+ EPA miles. The only drawback with having such a large battery pack is that it takes forever to charge bar for a high-output fast charging device.
Other than that, the SUV looks pretty much production ready, even though there's still plenty of time left until its market launch. Thunder Power was supposed to debut the sedan this year, but the date was moved back to 2019, with the SUV following one year later.
But don't let that setback fool you - Thunder Power is determined to build these two models and sell them both in China and Europe. It is currently working on its factory in Spain and already has a deal in place in Shaoxing for the Chinese market. So, watch out, an ugly grille might be coming your way in 2019.
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