AC Propulsion tzero
The tzero is a handmade electric sports car designed and built in very limited numbers by the U.S. company AC Propulsion. The tzero was based on the Piontek Sportech kit car, which consists of a fiberglass body built over a reinforced steel space frame with double wishbone independent suspension and rack and pinion steering. AC Propulsion added the AC-150 drivetrain, a single-speed electric system with an overall gear ratio of 9:1. Launched in January 1997, only three prototypes were built and plans for commercial production were dropped in mid-2003. The name comes from t0, the mathematical symbol for a starting point in time. Due to high production costs, AC Propulsion ceased to produce the tzero. As of 2009[update], only three still exist; one of which is owned by the company itself, one by Gruber Power Services, a company that specializes in Tesla Roadster repair, and one privately. The drivetrain, however, was used in many other vehicles. Because the car recharges its batteries when the throttle is released — slowing sharply as energy is recaptured — it can be driven hard using only the accelerator pedal. Also, if the car detects a turn with more than half a g-force (5 m/s²), it eases the rear-wheel regenerative braking to prevent slides.
The original version of the roadster ran on 28 Johnson Controls Optima Yellow Top lead-acid batteries in series, which produced 150 kW (200 horsepower) and 177 lbs·ft (240 N·m) of torque at 336 volts and accelerated the 1,040 kg (2,290 lb) car from a standstill to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.07 seconds. The single gear ratio limited the car's maximum speed to 90 mph (140 km/h) at 12,000 rpm, although it is said that early prototypes fitted with multiple gear ratios could hit 155 miles per hour (249 km/h). Even with the single ratio, lead-acid models are capable of completing a quarter mile (400 m) drag race in 13.24 seconds. The expected range per charge of the tzero with the lead-acid batteries is 80 to 100 mi (130 to 160 km) as a result of consuming only 180 watt hours per mile (895 J/km) (DC) on the highway and due to regenerative braking. The car can be charged from 0 to 95% within an hour. The base price of this version was to have been US$80,000.
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