Start-up company Atieva went about presenting their EV powertrain in spectacular fashion, taking on a Tesla Model S and a Ferrari California with a lightning-quick electric V-Class Merc.
Their first prototype is called ‘Edna’, an all-electric Mercedes-Benz van that’s capable of hitting 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 3.08 seconds. Normally, the start-up uses Edna to test motors, transmissions, batteries, electronics and software for future production vehicles, only this time they chose to put their powertrain to the test against two very fast cars.
We do not know which version of the Model S they went for; probably not the lightning-fast P90D. As for the California, it might be the “baby” Ferrri, but it’ll still sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 4 seconds.
Edna is also capable of tremendous things in a straight line. The company describes it as having “two electric motors, two sets of power electronics, two gearboxes, one battery capable of storing 87 kWh of energy and outputting over 900 horsepower, plus all of the software to make the components play nicely together.”
“With Edna we are able to test various aspects of the powertrain system, including motor control algorithms, regenerative braking behaviors, accelerator pedal feel, and cooling strategies, to name a few.”
Atieva is currently working towards finalizing its EV platform, hoping to produce an all-electric sedan as soon as the year 2018. Afterwards, two luxury crossovers are scheduled to join the lineup in 2020 and 2021.