This is China’s 1,000HP, 217MPH Electric Supercar

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2016 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by Zach Doell 

 

                               

                                          

The name “Techrules” might not be part of your automaker vernacular, but there’s good reason it should be now. Last week, the small Chinese automotive research firm claimed it had designed a 1,000-horsepower turbine-powered supercar, and when it turned up to the 2016 Geneva Motor Show today… that’s exactly what it had. 

 

It’s called the Techrules TREV, denoting its “Turbine Recharging Electric Vehicle” status, and though it is admittedly just a concept and prototype vehicle, the firm does plan to put its technology into a production supercar within the next few years.

So what will buyers get with a Techrules TREV? They say 1,030 horsepower, zero to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, 217 mph top speed, 1,242 miles of driving range, and 1,569 mpg. Those are big, big, big claims.

Whether it meets those figures or not, the Techrules TREV is at least pushing the plug-in hybrid envelope. The supercar features a micro-turbine onboard (runs on gasoline, kerosine, or diesel fuel) and it continuously recharges the car’s bank of Lithium Manganese batteries, which power its all-wheel drive setup.

The powertrain is said to be highly efficient—turbine spinning at 96,000 rpm—and as a result the amount of batteries necessary to power the car could be significantly scaled down, saving weight and space (car tips the scales at 3,042 pounds). Minus the batteries and electric motors (of which there are six, two for the front wheels and two at each rear wheel), the micro-turbine setup weighs just 220 pounds. And as a bonus, Techrules says the sealed-for-life powertrain is almost entirely maintenance-free, apart from regular air filter changes.

As for the car itself, the TREV concept comes in two Geneva Motor Show flavors—AT96 and GT96—both underpinned by a carbon fiber monocoque chassis. The “AT” for “Aviation Turbine” is the more track-focused of the two, sporting a big rear wing and wind-whipping aerodynamic elements, and it’s said to run on aviation-grade fuel. The “GT” is intended to be a more road-worthy vehicle, and it ditches the AT96’s aerodynamics for biogas or natural gas.

Time will tell if the Techrules TREV concept becomes something more in the coming years, though the company is currently testing a prototype on-track at the UK’s iconic Silverstone racing circuit. Stay tuned for more on this as the 2016 Geneva Motor Show rolls on.