How would you go about trying to dethrone Tesla (or Nissan for that matter)? By crowdfunding a competitor with 400 miles of all-electric range? Hmm?
Well, regardless of what you or I think, that’s exactly what a new startup in Europe is aiming to do. Its goal is to crowdfund a high-performance all-electric SUV that will reportedly possess a 400-mile range and the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in only 5 seconds. (That obviously doesn’t compete with the Tesla Model S P85D, but certainly not bad.) But let’s look a little more closely at what information is available so far.
The new German/Latvian startup — known as Inabikari — hasn’t revealed much about its proposed model, the Rev.01, other than its utilization of an “Intelligent Drive System.” So, we’ll have to wait to see exactly how much vapor is behind this ware.
Gas2 provides some thoughts on the startup and its aims:
The first images don’t reveal much of the proposed all-electric SUV. Alas, without many details, the ambitious startup may have a hard time procuring its first round of $100,000 in funding… which truthfully won’t buy all that much.
Even the $1 million stretch goal wouldn’t go far towards funding the construction of an all-new electric vehicle, making it hard to call the Rev.01 anything other than vaporware at the moment. Though the original concept formed in 2008, the company doesn’t expect to begin production until 2017 at the soonest…and even that seems wildly ambitious. With Tesla setting the standard for electric vehicles, conventional automakers and fresh startups alike are going to be clawing for attention and sales, but history has proven time and again just how difficult it is to start a new car company.
The company has certainly gotten itself a fair amount of press in recent days through its efforts — so that’s got to be worth something. The EV industry is certainly in a strange sort of place currently, seemingly right between two major phases of its development. The next couple of years should be very interesting. Whether or not any of the startups that have been appearing in recent days can capture any of the market is an interesting question, and one that might be fun to revisit.
Image Credit: Inabikari
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