The Renovo Coupe Electric Supercar Makes its Debut

Electric cars are all the rage these days, and they are starting to redefine what buyers think of these “green” vehicles. Gone are the days of EVs being little more than comfortable golf carts, as manufacturers like Tesla with its Model S and Roadster, and Mercedes with its SLS AMG Electric Drive are revolutionizing the segment with insane output, increased range and decreased charging times. The world of supercars, however, hasn’t been graced by a full-electric vehicle — the 918 Spyder, P1 and LaFerrari are all hybrids — until the Renovo Coupe debuted at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

It may look oddly similar to a second-generation Viper, but it is anything but that under its hood. This is where the Renovo Coupe houses two sequential axial flux electric motors fed by a 740-volt, lithium-ion battery pack. These electric motors allow the Renovo Coupe to deliver more than 500 horsepower — official horsepower numbers are still under wraps — and a whopping 1,000 pound-feet of torque.

The insane output travels through a single-gear, direct-drive transmission on its way to the rear wheels. This drivetrain affords the Renovo a 0-to-60-mph time of just 3.4 seconds, putting it in line with most of the supercars of today. Unfortunately, the Renovo Coupe does suffer the same top-speed woes as most EVs, as it tops out at “over 120 mph,” which puts it at a huge disadvantage when compared to most modern cars — not to mention 200-plus mph supercars.

Charging time is always an issue with EVs, and Renovo promises this will not be a problem. The manufacturer claims a 30-minute fast-charge time and a five-hour charge on a level-two home charger. It can travel roughly 100 miles on a single charge, which isn’t too bad considering its incredible performance numbers.

Under the skin of the Renovo Coupe is a factory-modified, Shelby American CSX9000 chassis that features four-wheel independent suspension, Ohlins adjustable dampers and Hyperco springs. The stopping duties are carried out by 14-inch, cross-drilled front rotors squeezed by six-piston, monobloc calipers, and 13.4-inch, cross-drilled rear rotors gripped by four-piston, monobloc calipers.

With supercar performance and electric power comes a pretty massive price tag, as Autoblog reports that this electric supercar starts from $529,000. Renovo will start delivering its new Coupe to buyers in 2015.