American muscle and electric motoring should be mortal enemies, but it seems the pair can benefit from each other. Case in point: The Renovo Coupe EV before you.
Let’s start with power because it matters in V8 land. Not one but two electric motors give the Renovo EV Coupe an impressive 500bhp and an even more impressive 1,000lb/ft of torque. That’s 1,355Nm at your disposal in an instant, folks. Those rear tyres will never know what hit them.
A lithium-ion battery provides each motor the juice it wants, allowing the factory-modified 1,465kg Shelby Daytona chassis and body to blast from 0 to 62mph in 3.4 seconds and top out at 120mph. Impressive for a car that spits out less CO2 emissions than you and can keep up with a Ferrari 458.
The Renovo EV Coupe’s nearest competitor – the Tesla Model S Performance – manages 0 to 62mph in 4.2 seconds, 410bhp and 600Nm of torque at peak.
A full battery charge can be done in 30 minutes using a fast charger or five hours using a slightly slower type 2 alternative so you should spend more time enjoying it than waiting by a plug. Although with a 100-mile range, your electricity bill will be a higher than it was.
So far, so good for the Renovo EV Coupe, which was born in Silicon Valley of California. But there’s one almighty hitch. You could buy the Model S Performance four times over and still have change from the alleged US$529,000 (£317,812) asking price.
In the Renovo EV Coupe’s defence, it will be built in much smaller numbers and just look at it. The Model S is a beauty but the 1964 Shelby Daytona the Renovo EV is based on turns heads like the demon in The Exorcist.
Renovo is aiming to start production in California from the middle of 2015, with Shelby American lending a hand. Seeing as the Shelby American is responsible for the CSX9000 continuation of the original Shelby Daytona, that deadline could be feasible.
Could you forgo the grumbly roar of a V8 for the Daytona’s looks? We’ll have a damn good try.
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