Here’s What Makes The New Electrified Ariel Hipercar So Awesome

2022-09-09 21:01:09 By : Mr. Kyle Tao

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The electrified Hipercar is not a hypercar, but with the products we've seen from the British brand, we wonder if it's going to kick hypercar butt.

The Ariel Motor Company has always been doing loony cars, and somehow, customers end up loving them for their unconventional appeal and performance that'll make one shaky the moment they step out after a drive.

While the Atom 4, Nomad and Ace motorcycle continue to have their lot of niche buyers, the all-new 'Hipercar' is the British automaker's most ultimate high-performance electric sports car. But this one's going to be a low-volume production model. The Hipercar has been designed by Ariel Electric, a part of the Ariel Group.

Hipercar stands for "High Performance Carbon Reduction", and this is the first time the model is being shown in production form. So it's a genuine working prototype. Just like any other Ariel, the Hipercar too, focuses on light weight, high performance, agility and everyday usability.

However, this is a zero-emissions model that features a lightweight turbine range extender. The final name of the car is yet to be decided, but this Ariel's first model that shows they're heading in a new direction in the world of zero emissions mobility.

Related: A 2007 Ariel Atom 2 Is The Ultimate Father's Day Gift

The development of the Hipercar and all the technology related to it is based on modern EV technology that's been made in the UK, and the car will be built in Somerset by the company itself. The Hipercar shows us what the English can accomplish in the hugely cut-throat EV sector with all the vital components, like the body, motor, transmission, range extender, driveline, power electronics, chassis, the battery and all the mechanical components, manufactured in-house with help from other British companies as well.

We're not sure if we like what we see, but it looks like a Batmobile for urban use. It gets a fully enclosed body and forward-tilting, butterfly doors. The doors open and close with the help of gas struts. When it reaches production, the entire body will be made of carbon, but the prototype you see features 3D printed panels for testing in its final stages.

It's hard to deny the Ariel has been shaped by aerodynamics, because it is evident, but then this helps when it comes to drag efficiency, balance and meeting the demands of multiple cooling systems. Ariel has worked closely with TotalSim to develop the Bramble CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) system.

Every part of car includes intense attention-to-detail and is made with a purpose. The fins on the front wings, for instance, reduce drag on the mirrors, while the roof scoop channels air to the turbine range extender and the shark-like fins at the rear contribute towards stability and cornering.

The cockpit is only meant for two: the driver and a passenger. There are TFT screens that read out information, but because of the car's extreme performance, Ariel has given the car steering-mounted controls, instead of touchscreen ones. Ariel describes the cockpit as 'Plush Le Mans'.

The Hipercar features double wishbones all around, machined from aluminum, for the best possible precision, while optimizing strength and weight as well. There are adjustable roll bars up-front and at the back, and the adaptive dampers are made exclusively for the Hipercar by Bilstein UK. The steering uses a unique power assisted system again, exclusively designed for the Hipercar. The goal continues to be feel and feedback.

Braking comes in the form of an AP Racing braking system, featuring six piston calipers at the front and four piston calipers at the rear. The brake pedal is billet-machined, with an adjustable ratio through an electric servo. There's also regenerative braking that can be turned on and off, based on the driver's requirement.

The Hipercar also features adjustable traction control, while the production model is said to come with adjustable torque vectoring that will ensure the best power and grip possible. These lightweight 9J front and 12.5J rear forged wheels won't make it to the production car though, but will be replaced by bespoke carbon wheels.

Power is sent to all four wheels via four ARM200 299hp motors, with one motor on each wheel, mounted back-to-back, two to each axle. The motor comprises a radial rotor architecture with magnets arranged around the rotor; this makes the motor power-dense and reduces magnetic material, further saving weight. Each unit has a single-speed, epicyclical 5.43:1 gearbox with helical cut gears. The motor, along with the transmission and inverter assembly, weighs-in at just 125 lbs.

Related: Here's The Best Feature Of The Ariel Atom 4

The car comes with an optional Cosworth range extender, which is basically a micro-turbine, powered by a catalytic exothermic reaction. It runs at a fixed 110,000rpm in order to get the best fuel efficiency, producing 35kW of constant electrical power when necessary. The unit switches on and off automatically through the battery management system. The range extender weighs less than 110 lbs, and is smaller and lighter than other internal combustion engines. The unit has been designed to run on various fuels.

Rehan got published for the first time at the age of 17, having written a feature on a Triumph Herald in print. He uses his writing as a tool to express his fondness for all things automotive even today, aged 28. Collecting scale models is a hobby close to his heart, and he wishes to sprinkle pixie dust on them only to see them grow into full-sized cars. He now represents HotCars.com.