When you think of electric car manufacturers, Thunder Power doesn't exactly spring to mind. But the Taiwanese electronics company has used the Frankfurt Motor Show to unveil a new fully electric car with a claimed range of 650 km.
The Thunder Power Sedan is available with two different configurations: one with 230 kW (308 hp) and 320 Nm of torque, and another with 320 kW (429 hp) and a whopping 560 Nm. Power comes from a 125 kWh battery pack in both cars, for a claimed range of 650 km (404 miles). Top speed is pegged at 210 and 250 km/h (130 and 155 mph) respectively.
There's also an all-wheel drive Race version on display, although details about it are scant.
According to Thunder Power, the less powerful of the two cars will hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than six seconds, while the 320 kW model will handle the sprint in under five – quick enough to worry a petrol powered Audi S4, or the all-electric Audi e-tron quattro concept.
With a standard charger, the Sedan should charge fully in about six hours.
It may have come from a Taiwanese company, but the Sedan is truly a global effort. The exterior styling was handled by legendary coachbuilder Zagato, and Thunder Power says the battery technology was developed by Bosch, Dallara and CSI.
Just like Tesla has done with its Model S, Thunder Power has turned to touchscreens for all the car's major functions. Covering the entire width of the dash, the TP-Touch infotainment system includes everything from a virtual dashboard to video streaming and entertainment for passengers.
All of this sounds very exciting, but it's worth keeping in mind that these are all just claims and promises at the moment. Thunder Power is aiming to make it to the European market in 2017, the Chinese market by 2018 and the USA after that. If all goes according to plan, the range will also be expanded to include an SUV, a compact car and a crossover.
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