The striking Lightning GT joins 2011 RAC Future Car Challenge

Few cars turn heads like the Lightning GT and the announcement that the Lightning Car Company’s pure electric supercar has been entered into this year’s Brighton to London RAC Future Car Challenge further puts paid to the idea that low-emission and low-energy vehicles cannot be associated with beautiful car design and excitement.
 
The British designed and built Lightning GT provides supercar sleek looks and style with the benefit of zero emissions. Two electric motors provide 300kW (approximately 400 horsepower) and a staggering 2,433Nm torque to the rear wheels, bestowing the Lightning with impressive performance figures; 60mph is reached in under 5 seconds up to a recommended top speed of 125mph.
 
The Lithium Titanate batteries ensure that such performance is far from fleeting and the Lightning GT has a range of over 150 miles. With the addition of a range extender pack, this improves to in excess of 225 miles.
 
Charging can be completed in as little as 10 minutes with an ‘ultrafast’ off-board charger, 2.5 hours with the on-board charger and 15 hours using an adaptor from a domestic charger.
 
This combination of performance and fast-charging options will put the Lightning in good stead for the 2011 RAC Future Car Challenge on 5 November, but will face a challenge from around 80 other competing low-energy pioneering cars. The challenge is for entrants to drive the 60 mile route from Madeira Drive in Brighton to London’s Regent Street using the least amount of energy possible.
 
The RAC Future Car Challenge is also open to hybrid, hydrogen and low-emission internal combustion engine cars and light-commercial vehicles. Last year’s entry list included one-off prototypes and future production vehicles from manufacturers such as
 
Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Nissan, Vauxhall, Skoda and Volkswagen, as well as current production cars offering the highest levels of efficiency regardless of their powertrain.