Little-know Korean car maker Leo Motors is set to take on the might of Tesla in launching its own electric super car by the end of 2011.
Named the LZ-1, the car has impressive performance stats, even beating its Roadster rival from Tesla. Leo Motors says it expects that the car will have a top speed of up to 161 miles per hour, maximum torque of 68kg/m generated by its 240 kW electric motor. Meanwhile the Tesla Roadster for having a maximum speed 125 miles per hour, and a maximum torque of 40kg/m using 215 kW electric motor. Both cars have a range of around 249 miles per hour.
Strong yet super light, the car has carbon fibre body and aluminium alloy body. In development since 2006, the electric vehicle experts at Leo Motors crafted the model using new technologies emerging from 56 patents pending or accepted.
Leo will also develop LZ-1H-a plug in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version which uses a mix of hydrogen and LPG to fuel the generator inside of the super car and keep supplying electricity to the electric power train. Using this technology, it is expected that LZ-1H will drive 560 miles per fuelling.
The firm has already finished the development of rolling chassis for the vehicles.
John Lee, CEO of Leo Motors, is working with Wayne Draper and Steve Park, former chief designers of Ford, for the styling of the car. According to Mr. Lee: “Our goal is to make the new electric super car drive 0-60 miles per hour from the start within 2.9 seconds. If the goal is achieved Leo’s new super car would be the fastest among EVs including Tesla.”
No pictures have yet been released of the LZ-1, which is now ready to go into production, but Leo Motors did show some early prototype vehicles at the Seoul Motor Show last year (see picture).
