Wrightspeed X1

[dsacks6]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qDZOBQs60w

[malcolm]

With an even more super-duper electric drag racer. Codename SR-71

Wrightspeed "SR-71" will deliver 0-60 in 2.5 seconds - AutoblogGreen (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/05/23/wrightspeed-sr-71-will-deliver-0-60-in-2-5-seconds/)

I'm not quite sure what this achieves beyond the accomplishments of John Wayland and his White Zombie.

Welcome to Plasma Boy Racing, home of White Zombie, the world's quickest street legal electric door slammer in the 1/4 mile drag. (http://www.plasmaboyracing.com/whitezombie.php)

[domenick]

This will achieve a half second faster 0-60 than the "White Zombie". As well, it will be offered up for sale which is also beyond the one-off White Zombie.

[dpeilow]

CarDomain Car Blog: Wrightspeed X1 (http://blog.cardomain.com/blog/2008/08/electric-cars-a.html)


Ian Wright's Wrightspeed X1 could be hitting showrooms at around the same time. No word yet on pricing or availability, but these sweet rides are definitely generating some buzz. According to the FAQs, the Wrightspeed may be recharged at either 120 or 220v, reducing charging time. And unlike today's hybrids, the Wrightspeed is a battery-only car with no gas motor whatsoever. Ian Wright, formerly of Tesla Motors, left the company in 1996 to pursue this venture, and it appears his dream is close to being realized.


:confused:

The next electric car - Wrightspeed X1 Prototype (1) - Small Business (http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fsb/0806/gallery.nextgen_electric_cars.fsb/index.html)

[TEG]

Those items dpeilow put in bold seem wrong to me.

[doug]

Those items dpeilow put in bold seem wrong to me.
heh... funny.

X-1 is a pretty generic name for the first in a series of experimental vehicles. With this next project being named after the Blackbird, I now realize that X-1 is a direct reference to Yeager's Bell X-1.

[dpeilow]

Wrightspeed cancels the X1 electric sports car - MotorAuthority - Car news, reviews, spy shots (http://www.motorauthority.com/wrightspeed-cancels-the-x1-electric-sports-car.html)

[doug]

Road & Track NEW: Road & Track Photo Gallery (http://www.roadandtrack.com/gallery.aspx?section_id=10&section_prefix=newcars&webtrends_section=newcars&article_id=7386&window_id=1&gallery_id=1686&page_number=2&seq=7&slide=on)

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/2008/W51/121920082214240420.jpghttp://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/2008/W51/121920082214240017.jpg
http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/2008/W51/121920082214256117.jpghttp://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/2008/W51/121920082214250200.jpg

[doug]

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/2008/W51/121920082214255761.jpghttp://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/2008/W51/121920082214252243.jpg
http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/2008/W51/121920082214254371.jpghttp://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/2008/W51/121920082214258845.jpg

[TEG]

Ah... The X1... :biggrin:


I think he needs a "Tires per mile" gauge.

[doug]

Some old pics of the X-1, courtesy of the EVnut (http://evnut.com/), Darrel Dickey:

Wrightspeed (http://evnut.com/wrightspeed.htm)

http://evnut.com/images/x1/x1_18.jpg
http://evnut.com/images/x1/x1_05.jpg
http://evnut.com/images/x1/x1_08.jpg
http://evnut.com/images/x1/x1_12.jpg

[Kevin Harney]

that certainly does not look very comfortable :biggrin:

[Joseph]

EVnut is a great website.

[dpeilow]

Luxvelocity : Electric power on the way for Ariel Atom ? (http://luxvelocity.typepad.com/luxvelocity/2009/05/electric-power-on-the-way-for-ariel-atom-.html)

[EVnut]

that certainly does not look very comfortable :biggrin:

This isn't a car for cruising the blvd, that's for sure! It actually IS comfortable in there, however. At least as comfortable as in the Tesla seats. Doesn't look it, but it's amazing. Even when you get over the part of fearing for your life.

[vfx]

For a guy who built a cool EV, check his pessimism.
http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4208687/Keynoter-Family-cars-wont-go-electric

Maybe he's going into the truck business..

[TEG]

Maybe he's going into the truck business..

http://www.pickuptrucks.com/html/stories/wrightspeed/page1.html

[vfx]

Nice find TEG

He has some good thinking bit his predictions just seem so counter to theemitionsa that a driver's car resonates. his car especially/ maybe he is disillusioned hat he could not get investors.


"Consider just one 10-mpg truck and one 50-mpg Prius," he says. "Drive them both 100-miles. The truck uses 10-gallons, the Prius 2-gallons. Improve the Prius to 100-mpg, drive another 100 miles. Now it only uses 1-gallon, you saved 1-gallon. But improve the truck by 12%. Now it does 11.2-mpg, and in 100-miles it will use 8.9-gallons, an improvement of 1.1-gallons. If you doubled the trucks mpg, from 10 to 20, you'll save 5-gallons, 5 times as much as doubling the mpg of the Prius."

[Jaff]

I have always wondered why people think that driving a gas-electric hybrid will save them loads of money on their gas bill.

I have driven hybrids exclusively for the last 5 years...I doubt I would have saved more than 5% annually on my gas costs. For me, driving a hybrid has always been about keeping tons of emissions out of the air.

I think many of those who bought hybrids for the gas savings are probably disappointed...but the argument for EVs and against ICE vehicles must transcend economics...

I'm not sure I agree with Darrell's conclusions about EVs...it is a cool car though and he has some great youtube vids!

[eledille]

I noticed he repeated the old $1000/kWh myth too. That number simply isn't true.

[qwk]

He just has an agenda, so he has to be biased.

[DaveD]

Wrightspeed Raises $5 Million in First Round of Venture Capital (http://smartenergynews.net/2010/11/05/wrightspeed-acquires-5-million/)

[doug]

Wrightspeed Raises $5 Million in First Round of Venture Capital (http://smartenergynews.net/2010/11/05/wrightspeed-acquires-5-million/)

He also led the construction of the X1 Prototype, a battery electric street-legal car ...
I think it's only street legal because it's a kit car.

[TEG]

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/11/wrightspeed-20101109.html

[TEG]

Green Overdrive Video: Wrightspeed Retrofits Trucks to Go Electric | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World (http://inhabitat.com/green-overdrive-video-wrightspeed-retrofits-trucks-to-go-electric/)

[zack]

His mic must have been off. Very difficult to decipher what he's saying at the beginning.

[dwegmull]

I think it's only street legal because it's a kit car..
I can confirm. I had the opportunity to chat with Ian Wright as part of an informal gathering around his car at a local show (the EAA rally at Palo Alto High School) a couple of years ago. I distinctly remember him mention that he had to bring the car to a state inspection (California CHP). He was dinged for having headlights that were at the wrong height. He fixed it by simply adjusting the suspension... They did not care at all that it was an electric car.
Kit cars are the ultimate loopholes when it comes to low production quantities on (relatively) small budgets.