Taiwan's "Thunder Power" sees itself as a new Tesla competitor
Little known power tool manufacturer, Thunder Power, of Taiwan has set its sights on the electric car market and has released a concept of a new EV that they hope will compete with the Tesla Model S. What makes the car interesting is that the company claims it can travel up 400 miles on a single, sixty minute charge, while still touting an impressive 430bhp.

In Cars, International News / By Graham Chin / 23 September 2015 5:56 pm / 18 comments

Teased via a sketch earlier, the Taiwanese-designed Thunder Power Sedan EV made its debut at the still ongoing 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. On paper, the Tesla Model S contender seems to be quite impressive both in terms of range and power.

The Thunder Power Sedan is available in two output versions – 308 hp / 320 Nm and 429 hp / 560 Nm. The former will do 0-100 km/h in under six seconds while the latter achieves it in less than five, the company claims. Top-speed for both is 210 km/h and 250 km/h, respectively.

An underfloor 125 kWh high-energy lithium-ion cell battery provides power to the car’s AC motor. A 30-minute fast charge will give the Sedan a range of 300 km while a 60-minute charge will allow it to travel over 650 km! (as a reference, the Tesla Model S only does 400 km). The standard on-board charger requires a total of six hours for the battery to be fully juiced up.

If the exterior looks a little Italian, that’s because it is. The company entrusted the design of the TP Sedan over to renowned Italian coachbuilding company, Zagato. Although a name hasn’t been given to the oval-within-an-oval grille, it’s set to be a signature design which will be applied across the company’s future vehicles.

Underpinning the less than 2,000 kg rear-wheel drive EV is a modular platform that can be applied to future Thunder Power vehicles, be it in the form of an SUV, compact or crossover, the automaker says. Suspension-wise, it is fitted with a double wishbone front and a multi-link rear, while both can be swapped out for optional air springs.

A low centre of gravity coupled with the suspension set-up is said to provide a “dynamic response to driving inputs.” Additionally, a “Race Version” all-wheel drive system is also available, though details regarding that layout remain scarce for now – the system should be found in the Thunder Power Racer, which also made its debut in Frankfurt.

Inside, the Thunder Power Sedan has a one-piece TP-Touch system which makes up a significant portion of the dash. It encompasses the instrument cluster, infotainment and connectivity system – the last two can be rearranged (positioned) with just a swipe. Furthermore, the TP-Touch system also acts an intelligent driver support system, and allows for video streaming and internet surfing.

Safety for the EV includes front, side, head, knee, pelvis and curtain airbags. Advanced driver assistance systems consist of automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, lane departure and collision avoidance system, ABS, ESP and traction control.

Thunder Power is the brainchild of CEO and chairman, Wellen Sham, whose 30-year professional experience involves operational management in tech, private equity and venture capital businesses and Peter Tutzer, the company’s chief technical officer, previously from Bugatti and Lotus.

No details about pricing, but Thunder Power expects to launch the Sedan in Europe by 2017 and subsequently in China the year after. It will be manufactured for China in a 74-acre facility situated in Shaoxing, Zhijiang while the site for its European production will be announced in “due course,” TP says.