E-Mobility Engineering 017 l ECE Doosan electric excavators dossier l In Conversation: Matt Faulks l Battery testing focus l Battery Show North America 2022 report l Ariel Hipercar digest l Cathode materials insight l Thermal management focus

Fast forward There’s more to this e-sportscar than its blistering acceleration, writes Peter Donaldson , it is also designed to advance EV technology T he statement, “High performance carbon reduction” is one of intent for niche sportscar manufacturer Ariel Motor. Contraction of the phrase yields Hipercar, the name of Ariel’s road- focused, track-capable EV designed to reach 60 mph in a little over 2 seconds, 100 mph in under 4 seconds and a top speed limited to 150 mph. Its CO 2 reduction credentials come from its battery-electric powertrain that applies up to 1180 bhp (880 kW) and 1330 lb-ft (1800 Nm) of torque to propel the car’s 3300 lb (1500 kg) target mass, which is light for a battery EV. Dramatic though these numbers are, the Hipercar is more than a headline- grabber, it is a technology demonstrator and incubator intended to move the industry forward, particularly in the UK. It will also be a production car with a target price of just under £1 million. “The project is not about Ariel making a sportscar; it’s about advancing the technology,” says Simon Saunders, Ariel Motor’s founder. For example, the traction motor developed for the Hipercar, by Equipmake, will also drive electric buses and coaches, and the battery technology is also going into other vehicles. Simulations that generated the specifications for the battery revealed that the heat generated in going from extreme road use to track use would increase tenfold. The battery also had to be as light as possible, as performance through low weight rather than sheer brute force is central to Ariel’s philosophy, he explains. Saunders emphasises that one of the overarching requirements for the car is that it must be practical to build. That means key components such as cells have been chosen because they are affordable and obtainable, not because they represent the latest technology. Specifying the battery Ariel’s battery partner for the Hipercar is Delta Cosworth, which is also developing a gas turbine range extender for it. Simon Dowson, managing director at Delta Cosworth, recalls that Ariel approached its battery requirements by specifying the level of road and track performance it wanted from the car. “The requirements were quite loose initially, but we narrowed them down by focusing on the available technology, packaging space and weight targets, and then worked with Ariel on those things.” Prioritising acceleration and speed over range drove the selection of the battery chemistry and the option of the range extender. “The battery is more focused on power than energy, Ariel’s Hipercar is designed to reach 60 mph in just over 2 seconds and 100 mph in under 4 seconds (Courtesy of Ariel Motor) 52 January/February 2023 | E-Mobility Engineering