Yahoo Autos Ariel Proves the Speed of Light With Skeletal EV Concept
There are many high output performance EVs, but there are very few lightweight ones. This means Ariel's latest concept is fairly novel, an electric version of its Nomad buggy which combines a peak outputs of 281 hp and 361 lb-ft with a stated mass of just 1975 pounds. That makes it a featherweight by EV standards, more than 650 pounds lighter than a 16kWh Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
Sadly, there are no immediate plans to put the E-Nomad into production. It has been created as part of a “Zero Emission for Low Volume” project funded by the U.K. government. Likely because so many of the world’s lightweight sportscar makers call Britain home, the country has a vested interest in a future beyond combustion power. However, Ariel founder Simon Saunders confirms that the concept does indeed show “production intent” for a future model, and that Ariel will be “monitoring consumer reaction to inform its future plans.”
It turns out this is not the first time an Ariel Nomad has been turned into an EV. Component supplier BorgWarner used one as the basis for a demonstrator that used twin rear motors to deliver torque vectoring back in 2019. Ariel’s car is powered by a single BorgWarner motor turning the back axle through a single-speed transmission. Power comes from a 41-kWh 450-Volt battery mounted at the rear of the car, this weighing less than 660 pounds. The combined motor/ transmission and integrated inverter weigh another 202 pounds. Body panels are made from natural flax fibers which are actually lighter than carbon fiber; the curved roof panel - where the ICE Nomad has steel tubing - reduces drag by up to 30 percent.
Most significant, claimed acceleration for the E-Nomad is identical to that of the 1480 pound gasoline-powered Nomad 2, which uses a 264-hp turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder Ford Ecoboost. Both cars boast the same 3.4-second 0-60mph time.
Ariel is predicting a range of 150 miles for the E-Nomad, this presumably under the optimistic European WLTP testing methodology. More relevant to usability is support for (relatively) fast DC charging at rates of up to around 60kW, that figure calculated from the claimed ability to take the battery pack from 20 percent to 80 percent in 25 minutes. That will unlock the potential for longer journeys, if not the range required for true overlanding. The concept has two drive modes, Sport and Eco, as well as regenerative braking integrated into an ABS system - anti-lock of any sort being having only recently being introduced with the Nomad 2.
We will have to see if the E-Nomad ultimately leads to a purchasable model, but the emphasis on reducing the weight of EVs is one we fully support. It also seems to have wider support within the high performance segment; when Road & Track interviewed McLaren boss Michael Leiters in June, he told us that the supercar maker is already working on creating a full EV that carries no weight penalty over a plug-in hybrid. Given the gargantuan weight of faster EVs this feels like a frontier in urgent need of exploration.
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