A new electric car manufacturer has revealed its first concept. The Apex AP-0 previews a production model, due in 2022. And while it’s said to perform like a hypercar, Apex will price it like a supercar (from £150,000).
The performance figures sound mightily impressive. So impressive, in fact, that some are difficult to believe…
Apex AP-0: key stats of the ‘super EV’
Price: £150,000
Power: 650hp
0-62mph: 2.3 seconds
Top speed: 190mph
Kerb weight: 1,200kg
Battery/range: 90kW/320 miles
Charging time: 80 percent in 15 minutes (CCS), full charge in eight hours (Type 2)
The Apex is just a concept at present, but you don’t give out numbers without some hope of substantiating them. Perhaps most impressive is that kerb weight. Battery electric vehicles are notoriously heavy, so 1,200kg (a bit less than a typical lightweight petrol supercar) seems incredible.
The weight savings are partly due to the AP-0’s monocoque carbon chassis, with modular spaceframes and a central spine. Of that 1,200kg, a total of 550kg is the battery. The body panels wrap the chassis, although not in its entirety.
Apex AP-0: design
Speaking of those body panels, it’s quite a striking looking thing, isn’t it? It’s all angles and jagged lines, which Apex says ‘evokes its powerful performance attributes and emphasises the lightweight structure of the car’.
They also work together with the flat underfloor and ground-effect aero for downforce. To that end, it’s just 95mm off the ground, negating the need for a rear spoiler and reducing drag.
The front apes that of the Ferrari F12 TdF with a Jack Nicholson Joker smile, flanked by futuristic LED lights. The mixture of materials is McLaren-esque, with white body panels shrink-wrapping the carbon construction. Carbon is everywhere, of course, including the wheels.
Unique to the AP-0 is the rear fin, sprouting from the teardrop cockpit and leading down into the brake lights. In conclusion, it’s about as striking (and as fast, incidentally) as a McLaren P1, but for one-sixth of the price. The price is difficult to believe, too.
Like many supercars, and indeed F1 racers, the AP-0 uses pushrod suspension. Automatic ride-height adjustment allows the car to be set in modes that best suit the driving situation.
Increased connectivity
Apex says that its definition of connectivity is “about linking the car with those who have a true passion for driving”. So there is a sophisticated LIDAR sensor system, able to create high-res 3D imagery of the car’s surroundings. It’s effectively able to identify obstacles, accurate to a few centimetres, up to 100m away.
On the inside, there’s a holographic AR display, and an AR Race Instructor, giving you a game-like experience when on-track. Driver and passenger sit just 180mm above the ground in carbon seats.
Overall? It’s like a BAC Mono, Tesla Model S and McLaren P1 had a love child, with fast, futuristic, surprisingly lightweight and low-priced results.
When looking at a Pininfarina Battista, one has to consider whether a Bugatti Chiron would better suit Sir’s taste. When looking at the AP-0, it’s a choice between this, a 911 Turbo or an Audi R8.
All of a sudden, the EV seems like a very interesting and appealing alternative. We look forward to learning more, as the AP-0’s 2022 launch date draws nearer.