 |
Electric protoypes are coming thick and fast as automakers try to catch Tesla.
|
While the world awaits delivery of the first Tesla Cybertruck and all-electric F150, three manufacturers last week demonstrated the offroad abilities of their all-electric, all-wheel-drive vehicles in the U.S. and Germany.
Rivian, builders of the world’s most powerful all-electric bakkie, submitted a “bone stock” R1T double-cab to the most extreme test, the Rebelle Rally.
The Rebelle Rally is the first women’s offroad navigation rally in the U.S., covering more than 2 000 km through some of the toughest terrain in California and Nevada.
The two-person teams have to triangulate their exact position across the trackless desert using only a map and compass. No GPS, Internet, radios or even binoculars. As on the Dakar, the navigator has to chart a route that avoids steep dunes and cliffs, while the driver has to avoid blowing a tyre or getting stuck.
Two-time champions, Emme Hall and Rebecca Donaghe, entered the R1T over the eight-day desert race, driving their first all-electric vehicle in a race.
Tongues firmly in their cheeks, they named their team “Killer Watt” and the 14 000-Nm bakkie “Vivan The Rivian”, but the R1T did not rebel against such feminisation and performed faultlessly, finishing sixth overall.
Rivian said in a statement on Tuesday their engineers are proud of the prowess their stock standard prototype 4x4 showed against the other entries with their custom suspension, rock rails, shocks and aftermarket tyres.
 |
The Rivian R1T on the Rebelle Rally.
|
The only add-on in the R1T was a one-way audio channel with 4G-equipped data logger to provide the engineers with real-time feedback of the big bakkie’s battery status, thermal data, suspension status and charge performance. Power Innovations also provided mobile charging stations to fast charge the vehicle while others refueled.
“Rebelle Rally provided the perfect real-world laboratory — one that just happened to be incredibly exciting to follow. The rally concluded this past Saturday and our ‘bone stock’ pre-production R1T finished in sixth overall.
“More than just where we placed, this was about how much we learned. We leave the rally energised to capture the feedback to continue refining the R1T before customer deliveries start next June. And we already have our sights set on next year’s rally,” said Rivian in a statement.
 |
The Hummer that went green.
|
All-wheel-steer comes to Detroit
General Motors launched the all-electric 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 in Detroit Tuesday.
Unique among production vehicles, the Hummer EV has four-wheel steering, enabling the big vehicle to match the turning circle of a small hatchback.
Adaptive air suspension allows variable ride height and, this being an SUV aimed at well-heeled doomsday preppers, the battery pack is not protected by a mere skid plate, but by GM’s “underbody armour system”.
The chest-puffing marketing aside, the electric Hummer does boast numbers that gives its owners good reason to stand far from their elbows.
GMC says that the top-performance Edition 1 will be able to accelerate to 60 mph in approximately three seconds. The lesser models in SUV and bakkies shape coming out next year are not expected to be much slower.
The battery pack, made with LG Chem, delivers some 200 kWh. A 10-minute fast charge adds 160 km of range.
The claimed range for a full pack is an impressive 562 km.
The Hummer is not cheap. The base model, which only arrives in 2024, will retail at over R1,3 million (some $80k) in the States, but rich drivers who can’t wait that long can already buy the first electric Hummer Edition 1, which has three motors making a combined 745 kW and costing over R1,85 million ($112 595).
 |
The Merc EQC 4x4 Squared.
|
A Square rival for the G-wagon
In Germany, Mercedes-Benz teased what the planned electric G-Wagen will be able to do when it demonstrated the EQC 4x4 Squared concept’s abilities in quarry.
The EQC 4x4 Squared uses the body shell and powertrain from Merc’s EQC 400. EQ stands for “Electric Intelligence” and the EQ 400 is being build alongside petrol models at Merc’s Bremen plant in Germany.
The EQC 4x4 Squared is set to become the three-point star’s electric SUV flagship, with upgraded suspension and axles that rival that of the G-Wagen.
The 4x4 Squared sits about 20 cm higher than the EQC, giving the concept over 29 cm ground clearance. It also boasts approach and departure angles of 31,8 degrees and 33 degrees, respectively.
That’s better than the current G-Class, which has 28 degree shallower approach and departure angles.
Mercedes also quoted a breakover angle of 24,2 degrees, which helps prevent the centre of the vehicle from getting hung up on obstacles.
The EQC 4x4 Squared can also drive its electric battery pack through just under half-a-metre of water (41 cm).
