A 200mph electric supercar - dubbed a "British engineering tour de force" - is to be developed and built by new company, Dendrobium Automotive.
Due for its first reveal later this summer, the D-1 electric supercar is being developed by Dendrobium Automotive Ltd, a new company that falls under Singapore-based Vanda Electrics.
The electric supercar will reportedly achieve 0-60mph in just 2.7 seconds – around the same time as the McLaren Senna, Bugatti Veyron and BAC Mono.
The D1 is expected to demand a seven-figure price tag and is currently being lined up for production.
Emulating its Asian heritage, the vehicles rear-hinging doors and roof are designed to be petal-shaped like the vanda orchid – Singapore’s national flower.
In a statement, CEO and chairman of Dendrobium Automotive, Nigel Gordon-Stewart, commented on the advanced technology being employed: “We are developing unique cabling and connector systems, as well as our own complete vehicle integration and ADAS hardware and software.
“From a technical perspective, the D-1 will be a British engineering tour de force.”
A concept of the electric supercar, called Vanda Dendrobium, made its debut in March at the Geneva motor show 2018.
The prototype car is the product of Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE), whose engineers turned the initial design into the finished automotive.
The concept supercar used a single motor and a lithium ion battery pack, based on the Formula E set-up that WAE designed for its race series.
Dendrobium Automotive reportedly plan to use solid-state batteries to power the D-1 eventually, with the development and build of the supercar to take place in Britain.
In order for the car to hit 200mph, the automotive will need – according to Dendrobium Automotive; four-wheel drive, a two-speed gearbox and most likely three electric motors — one at the front and two at the rear.
Key specifications
- Power output of 1800bhp and torque of 1475lb ft
- 200mph max speed and 0-60mph in 2.7 seconds
- Target weight of 1750kg
- A mixture of carbonfibre, advanced composites and alloys are to be employed to help keep the car’s weight down
- Two-seat petal-roofed car
- Rear-hinging doors
- The vehicle is planned to use solid-state batteries
- Four-wheel drive
- Two-speed gearbox
- Three electric motors
Renewable automotives
Creating automotives using sustainable energy sources is becoming increasingly necessary as diesel and petrol cars are being phased out in the next few decades, the UK government has even called for half of all new British car sales to be low emission by 2030.
Earlier this year, Lightyear, a Dutch manufacturer announced it is to build a completely solar powered car, which can reportedly be driven for months without charging.
Lightyear has reportedly invested in technologies to build laminate solar cells for automotive use. To fully achieve its mission however, the battery needs to be such that the vehicle can be driven at anytime, even at night – which the company claims it can create.
It seems other businesses are also looking to implement cleaner strategies and reduce emissions.
A YouGov poll released yesterday announced that 52% of business chiefs expect more than half of their products to be low carbon by 2030, with 65% of these citing “environmental factors” as a key concern in business growth for the next five years.
