Today, the Lightning car company of the UK introduced a new electric supercar, in many ways similiar to the Tesla Roadster. There are two great things about the new entrant.
First, it has absolutely stunning styling - it looks like those absolutely stunning long-hooded Jaguar XK coupes you still see floating around and falling apart.
Second, you can charge it in an instant - under 10 minutes - which is a huge advantage compared to the multi-hour charge regime required by the Tesla.
But there are two little problems.
First, the price of 120,000 pounds seems in line with the Tesla's 110,000 US dollars ... until you realize a UK pound is worth about $2. So the LIghtning costs a whopping $240,000. Ouch.
Second, the ten minute charge is only if you have 480 volt three phase power, which you have in your home only if it's one of those giant compounds on ten acres in the Malibu hills. Alas, if you have a more normal 110 or 220 volt service, a charge will take about as long as a Tesla.
The company wants to offer public charging stations in Tesco stores, but given that their car is $240,000 it doesn't seem like the company wouod be interested. (Tesco is a large-scale grocery chain, a bit classier than Wal*Mart but the same basic idea.)
So this looks like a very interesting entrant into the elite electric car stakes. I wish both them and Tesla the best.
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