Don’t label RUF Automobiles as a mere Porsche tuner. They install enough of their own parts in Porsche bodies to be considered by the German government to be an independent manufacturer. And while Porsche is experimenting with electricity on their own, RUF has beaten them to the punch, with three different electric drivetrains, stuffed in ten Porsche testers, with help from electronics giant Siemens and the German government.
The ten cars are Porsche 997 Carreras with three completely different drivetrains. The first car has a single electric motor and a single-speed gearbox, draining a 29kWh battery for range of approximately 90 miles and a 0-60 time of seven seconds. The second has two motors, mounted transversely, and a two-speed gearbox. This one has a 36.6kWh battery and has been tested at 335 horsepower, beating the above car in speed (0-60 in five seconds and range (120 miles). The third prototype has the same motor and battery as the second car, but this gets two separate gearboxes. Each motor and gearbox drives a rear wheel, giving the car precise torque vectoring and cornering ability. Performance is similar to the second car.
At least one of these cars will be shown at Geneva.
Ruf has built electric Porsche prototypes before, with the eRuf Model A, the Greenster, and the Stormster. But these cars show how far the company’s progressed in bringing together the concepts of electric power and high performance. The future is here, ladies and gentlemen, and the twin motor/gearbox prototype sounds the most space-age to us.
[Source: RUF Automobile]
The post RUF Developing Three Electric Porsche Prototypes appeared first on AutoGuide.com.