Say hello to the first car named after the Piëch
family, the Mark Zero all-electric sports car. The brainchild of Ferdinand
Piëch’s son Toni and Rea Stark Rajcic, the Mark Zero previews Piëch
Automotive’s first production car — or at least that’s the plan. It’s a 4,432 mm long electric GT that promises to offer a driving range of 500 km on the WLTP combined cycle as well as a fun driving experience.
Described as a “puristic electric sports car,” the
Piëch Mark Zero uses a flexible and open vehicle architecture that allows the
use of a variety of drive systems, including electric, hybrid, fuel cell or
internal combustion engine. Besides the two-seat coupe, the company plans to
build a four-seater and a sporty SUV using the same modular platform.
The Geneva Motor Show vehicle is an all-electric
coupe featuring a new unspecified type of battery cell that’s said to “hardly”
heat up during charging and discharging. Thanks to a high rate of recuperation,
Piëch Automotive maintains it can be charged to 80 percent in 4:40 minutes
using a fast charger.
Another advantage of the new type of battery cell is
it can be cooled by air alone due to the reduced heat build-up. According to
the startup, this contributes to an overall weight reduction of around 200 kg, resulting in a vehicle weight of under 1,800 kg.
The batteries are placed in the center tunnel and at
the rear axle to ensure weight distribution and handling “similar to that of a
conventional sports car with a combustion engine.” By not placing the battery
pack under the floor, Piëch Automotive says it was able to achieve a low
seating position typical of a sports car as well as precise handling, giving
the driver “immediate feedback.”
Power comes from three electric motors: a 150 kW
(204 PS) asynchronous motor on the front axle and two synchronous motors
on the rear axle (mechanically decoupled) producing 150 kW each. So about 600
horsepower in total. The projected performance specs look enticing: 0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h. Piëch Automotive’s battery
partner is Hong Kong-based Desten Group while the necessary charging
infrastructure is supplied by China’s Qingdao TGOOD Electric.