Photo: Electric GT
With more and more manufacturers becoming involved in the EV segment, it's only a matter of time until their competitiveness gets translated into motorsport competitions.
It's what happened with internal combustion engines a lot of time ago, and it's the natural course for the electric powertrain as well. Judging by the speed with which the big names are acting, though, it looks as if we're in for a pretty long wait.
Luckily, an independent group has taken upon itself to become the pioneers of racing competitions featuring modified street-legal electric cars. Essentially, it's a battery-powered version of the touring car championship system we're so familiar with, which is why they also went for the Electric GT name.
Unlike Formula E, Electric GT is all about featuring a production vehicle that has only suffered a minimum amount of modifications. From the start, the Tesla Model S seemed like the only logical choice, but it was the particular version the organizers agreed on that raised a few eyebrows.
They decided on the now discontinued P85+, which was at the time the most powerful single-motor model. Of course, the fact it only had one motor meant it also came with rear-wheel-drive and reduced weight, which were the two key aspects that swayed the odds in its favor.
Now, though, almost one year after the initial announcement, the people behind Electric GT have changed their minds. The fact they could employ "the world's quickest production car" must have sounded too good to pass, so the decision to switch to a Tesla Model S P100D was made.
The top Model S version has a 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) acceleration time of just 2.5 seconds, with Elon Musk claiming it can drop to 2.4 seconds with the right software updates installed. The previous car had gone through a series of modifications to become race able, and the same thing is expected to happen to the P100D.
The new car has been christened Electric GT V2.0 and, according to the CEO of the competition, Mark Gammell, its design is ready. The car is expected to shed 500 kg (1,100 lbs) and also receive steering and suspension upgrades. The best part, however, are the Pirelli slicks, which will probably allow the Electric GT V2.0 super-fast acceleration times.
“The Electric GT V2.0 design is the fastest way towards the ‘Age of Light’," said Gammell. "I am very excited to be using the Tesla Model S P100D as it is incredibly quick and innovative. This week we opened the subscription period for teams and the new car announcement is an exciting prospect for those who want to join us.”
The series debuts next year.
Luckily, an independent group has taken upon itself to become the pioneers of racing competitions featuring modified street-legal electric cars. Essentially, it's a battery-powered version of the touring car championship system we're so familiar with, which is why they also went for the Electric GT name.
Unlike Formula E, Electric GT is all about featuring a production vehicle that has only suffered a minimum amount of modifications. From the start, the Tesla Model S seemed like the only logical choice, but it was the particular version the organizers agreed on that raised a few eyebrows.
They decided on the now discontinued P85+, which was at the time the most powerful single-motor model. Of course, the fact it only had one motor meant it also came with rear-wheel-drive and reduced weight, which were the two key aspects that swayed the odds in its favor.
Now, though, almost one year after the initial announcement, the people behind Electric GT have changed their minds. The fact they could employ "the world's quickest production car" must have sounded too good to pass, so the decision to switch to a Tesla Model S P100D was made.
The top Model S version has a 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) acceleration time of just 2.5 seconds, with Elon Musk claiming it can drop to 2.4 seconds with the right software updates installed. The previous car had gone through a series of modifications to become race able, and the same thing is expected to happen to the P100D.
The new car has been christened Electric GT V2.0 and, according to the CEO of the competition, Mark Gammell, its design is ready. The car is expected to shed 500 kg (1,100 lbs) and also receive steering and suspension upgrades. The best part, however, are the Pirelli slicks, which will probably allow the Electric GT V2.0 super-fast acceleration times.
“The Electric GT V2.0 design is the fastest way towards the ‘Age of Light’," said Gammell. "I am very excited to be using the Tesla Model S P100D as it is incredibly quick and innovative. This week we opened the subscription period for teams and the new car announcement is an exciting prospect for those who want to join us.”
The series debuts next year.
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