At the annual Geneva Motor Show, Beijing-based startup company Techrules has unveiled the final prototype of an electric hypercar called the Ren. Walking through the exhibition of the Geneva Motor Show from afar it seemed that this was another iron technology freak, but it turned out that this was a giant stand of the Chinese company Techrules. In one corner, the chassis is on display for everyone to see, in the center of the exposition there is a complete breakdown of the technical part, and at a distance is the actual diesel-electric supercar Techrules Ren, which in some ways outshines even the Bugatti Chiron coupe in terms of its characteristics.
The heart of the machine is a diesel-electric power plant with a microturbo generator. Ultimate power – over 1300 hp! This TREV technology has already been tested by Techrules on prototypes and is now ready to be put into single-piece production.
The drive wheels are driven by electric motors powered by a lithium-ion battery. If necessary, electricity can be generated by onboard diesel generators with microturbines.
Techrules Ren will be offered in different variants:
- with a battery with a capacity of 14, 25 and 32 kWh;
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with one or two turbogenerators with a capacity of 30 or 80 kW.
Number of traction motors:
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two – rear drive wheels;
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four – all-wheel drive;
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six – four-wheel drive, two electric motors on the rear wheels.
The design is modular, and the customer is free to vary the filling.
In the most advanced version, Techrules Ren is capable of accelerating to 320 km/h, and the first hundred is exchanged in 2,5 seconds. Obviously, for a car of such power and curb weight (1630 kg), the maximum speed should be higher, but it was forcibly limited, since flying at such speeds requires an appropriate chassis, aerodynamics and much more that the same Volkswagen concern does when developing Bugatti.
The top option means one YASA brand electric motor (160 kW) for driving each front wheel, and two of the same for each rear. The motors are connected to the wheels through gearboxes with a fixed gear ratio of 1:3.3.
Eighty liters of diesel fuel (two tanks of 40 liters each) should be enough for 1170 kilometers with an average consumption of 7,5 liters per 100 km. The power reserve on pure electric traction (with battery-powered motors) is up to 200 km.
The chassis and body of the super hybrid was developed by the Italian company LM Gianetti. Adjustable suspension – double wishbones with push rods and horizontal KW shock absorbers.
The design was proposed by the famous Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio. The driver sits in the center (as in the famous McLaren F1), and the passengers sit on the sides and slightly behind. Each rider has its own transparent cap-fairing. To get out of the car, you need to practically “undress” it – raise all the caps. External rear-view mirrors replace three video cameras.
Assembly of the Techrules Ren coupe will begin in 2018 in Italy. In total, they plan to make 96 cars at a pace of about ten cars a year. How Chinese-Italian cars will affect the global market for such hypercars is hard to say, but they will not go unnoticed. Moreover, the manufacturer promises to use TREV's diesel-electric technology to create more practical cars – a family sedan and a compact city car.