Julian Thomson, the legendary designer behind Lotus Elise and many other iconic cars, has teamed up with battery tech innovators Nyobolt and engineering and design firm Callum for the Nyobolt EV, which can charge for 155 miles in just six minutes.
Battery tech for electric cars seems to be charging forward at a breakneck pace, and the brand new sports car concept shows off a pretty exhilarating battery charging technology and setting a new record in auto electrification, developed by ultra-fast-charging specialists Nyobolt.
And besides the super-fast charging tech, Nyobolt EV draws its design from one of the most recognisable roadsters, Lotus Elise (which the now mythical Tesla Roadster was also deriving from), with none other than Julian Thomson back on the designing board to create a car that looks like a sci-fi, futuristic re-imagination of an icon.
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According to Nyobolt, Thomson was inspired by his design of the Elise, perhaps the epitome of nimble, lightweight sports cars. The design vision was to evolve it into a car with even greater presence and exaggerated proportions – making it wider, longer, and lower – while maintaining an aggressive attitude and hunkered, a bold stance that’s reminiscent of the original.
Thomson invited design and engineering business Callum to collaborate in the development of the design and in bringing it to life. The resulting EV showcases how Nyobolt’s revolutionary battery technology can be readily adopted across the automotive industry.
With Callum and Nyobolt working hand-in-hand, a system-level approach has addressed each element from materials to cell, to pack, to the drivetrain, to the whole vehicle. The final collaborative design, therefore, reflects the original vehicle’s premise of a high power-to-weight ratio within an exquisite package.
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Sai Shivareddy, CEO at Nyobolt, said: “Unlocking the challenges faced by electric vehicle designers has been key to the development of our breakthrough fast-charging batteries.
“Previously, enabling a lightweight fast-charging vehicle was not possible without compromising its lifetime and so people have been relying on costly and large battery packs in the vehicle. With our unique technology, we have achieved a six-minute charge car and developed smaller battery packs that can deliver more power and charge in less time.
“Our partnership with CALLUM shows how the adoption of system-level technology innovations can transform the future of electric vehicles and increase the accessibility of EVs, including to the 40 per cent of UK households who can’t charge their vehicle at home overnight.”
David Fairbairn, managing director at CALLUM, said: “Nyobolt’s pioneering battery technology has provided us with a unique and inspiring opportunity to support the design and execution of a vehicle set to mark the way forward for EV technology. The collaborative creativity, engineering capabilities and steadfast efforts of Nyobolt, Julian Thomson and CALLUM have resulted in an EV that is not only exciting techniques for the industry, but something that is beautiful to behold, too.”
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Nyobolt’s new battery technology is smaller, lighter and faster to charge. In the Nyobolt EV, set to weigh close to one tonne, this translates into a 35kWh battery that is capable of fully charging in just six minutes with existing charging infrastructure, delivering a range of up to 250km. Additionally, the battery has been tested for over 2,000 fast charging cycles without significant performance loss.
If you ask us, that’s every bit astounding as it looks on paper. For comparison, the Tesla Roadster claimed 244 miles from its 53kWh unit back in 2008, but the American giant has failed to materialise the fabled car into existence and produce it at scale.
We can only hope that the same destiny is not reserved for Nyobolt EV. And if the company is to be believed, its ready-to-deploy technology will go into production in early 2024, unlocking this “holy grail” through a proven 10C (six-minute) charge lithium-ion technology that is capable of immediate application and rapid scale-up.
