An Australian startup named EVX is looking to end range anxiety once and for all by developing a science fiction-esque electric coupe called Immortus that’s fitted with 75 square-feet’s worth of solar panels on the roof, the trunk lid, and the hood.
The solar panels generate enough electricity to continuously keep the battery pack topped-up if the driver holds a steady speed of approximately 40 mph. Of course, infinite range only works if the sun is out, meaning Seattle residents, Scottish nationals, and those who live in an area where the word “monsoon” is often heard during the weather report will still need to plug the coupe in. Similarly, overnight road trips are out of the question.
When range isn’t an issue, the two in-wheel electric motors create enough juice to send the Immortus from zero to 62 mph in less than seven seconds and on to a top speed of over 93 mph. The solar panels can charge the battery pack while the coupe is parked in the sun, and it can drive for nearly 350 miles between fill-ups at speeds above 40 mph.
Highly aerodynamic, the Immortus tips the scale at just over 1,200 pounds thanks in part to a state-of-the-art chassis made out of high-strength carbon fiber tubes. Some of the components used to build it can be 3D-printed, a manufacturing technique that promises to keep assembly costs in check.
Of course, all of the aforementioned specs are purely hypothetical because a fully functional prototype hasn’t been built yet. A scale model of the Immortus will be shown in November at the SEMA show that will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, and a functional, life-sized and street-legal prototype is tentatively scheduled to hit the Australian tarmac by the end of next year. Thanks to its low weight, its instant torque, and its low center of gravity, the Immortus is expected to drive like a rear-wheel drive sports car.
If everything goes according to plan, the Immortus won’t remain a simple design study for long. EVX isn’t interested in taking on the next Tesla Roadster — at least not yet — but it plans on building less than 100 examples of the coupe and selling each one for the lofty sum of roughly $365,000.
Before it can reach its ambitious goal, the startup needs to raise nearly $1.5 million in order to fine-tune the technology.
