Optamotive to enter electric Campagna T-Rex in Auto X-Prize
It's been a few years since we've seen electrified versions of the Campagna T-Rex, a 3-wheeler with a 1,352 cc four-cylinder engine with nearly 200 horsepower. In late 2007 at the Electric Vehicle Symposium, a company called Silence Inc. showed off an electric vehicle based on the T-Rex called the PT2 that was capable of hitting over 125 miles per hour with a range of 125-250 miles.
Similarly, a company called Optamotive has entered the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize with another electric Campagna T-Rex. Codenamed Surge, this 3-wheeled vehicle doesn't quite manage the same type of performance as the aforementioned gas-powered T-Rex, but in this case, we're more interested in the the 150 mile per gallon equivalency that the team expects to achieve.
Boasting over 100 horsepower from its electric motor, which is fed a constant stream of electrons courtesy of a lithium ion battery pack, Optamotive estimates its EV can hit 60 mph in under 10 seconds and travel over 100 miles on a single charge.
[Source: Optamotive via Faster and Faster]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Evie Futura 4:32PM (5/01/2009)
Nice looking wheels, at one of the California shows the Rex in electric drew as much attention as anything but the Volt
Reply
RAN 7:42PM (5/01/2009)
This particular model will weigh about twice as much as the T-Rex, have about half the power, and only have about a 100 mile range, and God knows what it will cost, being as the price of the T-Rex itself is ridiculous.
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Opta 9:58AM (8/07/2009)
The weight should not be much more than stock, and power will also be close. The specs stated in this article are preliminary design goals - the absolute minimums to be achieved, actual performance should be much better. Cost may be an issue as with all sports-vehicles, but there are also significant savings in not having to sacrifice a ZX14 to build the electric version.