VIDEO: Brit start-up reveals hydrogen-powered car
Tiny Riversimple Rasa has 480km range, averages 1.1L/100km and tops out at 100km/hBritish start-up car-maker Riversimple has revealed its vision of a zero-emissions future that it will put into production later this year.
Powered by an 8.5kW hydrogen fuel cell, the Rasa has four in-hub electric motors that, in total, generate a mighty 600Nm of torque from 0rpm.
Accelerating to its 100km/h limited top speed in less than 10 seconds, the electric motors are said to be able to reclaim as much as 70 per cent of the car's kinetic energy under heavy braking.
This means that with just one tankful of liquid hydrogen, the Rasa can cover a respectable 480km and average just 1.1g/km of CO2 emissions.
Riversimple says that if the Hydrogen is generated from natural gas, from well-to-wheel the Rasa will have equivalent emissions of just 40g/km of CO2.
A light kerb weight is crucial, says its makers, for the Rasa to be viable.
That’s why, beneath its aerodynamically-optimised skin, is a carbon-fibre monocoque with aluminium subframes mounted to it.
Featherweight carbon-fibre reinforced plastics are also used in the Rasa’s body panels, allowing the entire car to weigh in at just 580kg.
Production is set to begin later this year with a limited run of 20 cars that will, initially, be trialled by members of the public and businesses who are based close to hydrogen filling stations, although the firm has not said what part of the UK the trials will begin in.
Full production is then set to begin in 2018, when the fledgling car-maker hopes to make 3500 cars annually.
Based in Llandrindod, Wales, Riversimple is said to have a background in aerospace and Formula 1 and used its hydrogen fuel cell to help Morgan create its LIFEcar concept back in 2008.
Recently, the firm secured more than $3 million in EU funding to further the development of the Rasa.
The British car-maker is keeping tight-lipped about how much the Rasa will costs when it goes on sale in 2018.
Initially, Riversimple says it will only lease the Rasa to interested buyers with the price including insurance maintenance and even the cost of fuel.
The car-maker also says it hopes to be involved in car sharing and other rental schemes.
It’s not known if the small car-maker has any plans to offer the Rasa globally.
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