230mph Electric Car

An anonymous reader writes "It ain't cheap, but Hiroshi Shimizu has finally shown off his latest electric car 'Eliica'. It accelerates faster than a Porsche 911 Turbo, and will cruise for 200 miles on a one hour charge. Stories at drive.com.au, and an image video and tech video. Interestingly, Shimizu believes that the Japanese motor industry is deliberately ignoring his invention and instead focusing on complex hybrids, as a simple electric engine dramatically lowers the cost of manufacturing, and will lead to a flood of cheap, mass produced cars from Chinese factories." A UK auto site has a story as well, including a test drive.

He had better be careful.

[Anonymous Coward]

USA may have to invade to stop this.

I don't care how efficient it is...

[BiggerIsBetter]

Because it looks so damn cool. The designer appears to have overdosed on Thunderbirds during his youth.

Re:Ugly?

[Anonymous Coward]

Unfortunately that is how the laws of physics work, the uglier the car the more efficient it will be. It is sort of a reverse ricer.

Its the Homer !!!

[Dolphinzilla]

Someone actually made "The Homer" a reality !

Re:I'd love a cheap, mass produced 200 mile electr

[InfiniteWisdom]

One hour is definitely less than overnight, assuming you don't live close to the arctic circle

Re:Ugly?

[Anonymous Coward]

An American would think its beautiful.

Re:"Why not?" you ask. Simple.

[Down8]

Except that the computer industry's planned obsolescence is even shorter than the motor industry's.

-bZj

Re:Ugly?

[nomadic]

Just going out on a limb here, but maybe they're ignoring his car because its ugly?

Well unless they find the secret of immortality, the Future will still need Hearses...

Re:He had better be careful.

[Anonymous Coward]

Well maybe it wasn't modded a "haha" type of funny, but more of a "muahahaha" type of funny.

The Plan!

[Shag]

1. Acquire Citroen DS [btinternet.co.uk]. Cheap!
   
2. Shoehorn in extra wheels and electric motor.
   
3. ???
   
4. Profit!
   

Re:Systemic Problems

[phazethru]

Yeah, the Japanese are totally stumped. Even their Evas had to use power cords.

Re:Systemic Problems

[Mulletproof]

Or maybe just because it's ugly as sin? Naaaah.

Re:It's all about batteries

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know, are they are battery chemists?

Re:WTF!

[Creepy Crawler]

Speeders future punishments...

1 KPH over, 1KV BZZZZTTT!

Re:To bad for the competition

[dasunt]

The reality is that these things are seldom as straightforward as they seem, and whenever someone claims that the industry is in some giant collusion to keep an innovation down (rather that the more credible scenario that they are mercilessly looking for an opportunity to devastate their competitors and capture the market) you really need to look for the tinfoil helmets, and look deeper than the surface.

You are just saying that because you are an industry mole. We all know that Detroit has a carburetor that will get 500 mpg on a gallon of tap water, but hasn't released it to the public because of the vast conspiracy with the oil companies, Saudi Arabia, and the global masonic conspiracy.

Re:I have got to get me one of THESE!

[evilviper]

It bothers me to use the amount of gasoline I do, but the family has to eat

They eat gasoline?

Re:He had better be careful.

[n3wtonian]

No No No.
You have to say "USA may have to liberate them to stop this."

Re:Driving without insurance

[Anonymous Coward]

A Gentoo user who drives a scooter. And is that Klingon in your sig? Christ, where did your parents go so horribly wrong?

Re:Systemic Problems

[CharlesF]

Maybe they're on to something. If we can get these cars to run on 110VAC, then we can just connect the car to an extension cord.

what sup with..

[verrol]

the chick drinking coffee in the image.mwv movie clip? :) Look to me like there is something going on between the here and the dude in the office.

Re:Systemic Problems

[0111 1110]

When you're only 15, it seems like every problem has a solution, like every problem can "surely be solved". Scientists, shmientists. What do they know. They're adults. All they know is what can't be done. Just give him an hour or two to think about it, and he'll surely come up with a portable fusion reactor or a fuel cell that makes its own hydrogen.

I just wish those scientists would hurry up with a cheap, fast charging, super-mega-ultra-high energy density battery chemistry. I have been waiting, arms crossed, for decades. I am starting to get impatient. Can't we just break the laws of physics once in a while? I don't see the harm if we just do it occasionally. Is a God-like creature going to strike us down with lightning or something?

Re:Change insurance!

[homebrewmike]

> Yes, I own a SUV, and I am one of the few with a legitimate use for it.

Don't kid yourself. Everyone who own's a SUV has a "legitimate" use for it.