Watch a Viper and a BMW i8 Fall to the Ferrari-Beating Electric Van
Internal combustion bows before the electric onslaught of the van named Edna.
In its continuous battle to gain attention in the ever-growing world of electric cars, aspiring Silicon Valley-based electric carmaker Atieva has once again taken on some of the world's biggest names in high-speed automobiles in a drag race and sent the competitors packing. This time, Atieva unleashed its electric van Edna against a Dodge Viper and a BMW i8.
Considering Edna has already knocked off the likes of the Tesla Model S and the Ferrari California T at the drag strip, seeing the electric van vanquish a Viper and eliminate an i8 isn't shocking. (Rim shot.) But it's still disconcerting to see an unmarked white van sending the might of Mopar and the bi-powered Bavarian flying into the metaphorical weeds.
For its second big run, Ativa set Edna loose against its rivals for a full quarter-mile drag race, instead of the eighth-of-a-mile dash it ran against the Ferrari and Tesla. The team fine-tuned the van's dual-motor electric powertrain to improve high-speed performance, and the results paid off in spades: Edna whipped off a 2.94 second 0-60 mile-per-hour run on the way to a 11.3 second at 114 mph run in the quarter-mile. The former whips Edna's previous 0-60 time of 3.08, albeit by little more than a missed shift in a gas-powered car; the latter means the electric van blasts through the quarter in less time than Chevrolet claims the 2017 Camaro ZL1 will do it.
By the company's own admission, Ativa's work on the electric van seems like a promising development for the sedan whose powertrain (in test bed form) lies beneath Edna's boxy frame. The company claims their production car will weigh significantly less than the panel van...and presumably be more aerodynamic, too.
