From knock-off old-man's electric vehicles to industrial giant

Chapter 189 The Third Car from Starry Sky! The Mecha Supercar Project – Launched!!

Under the guidance and explanation of Sun Pengfei and several engineers.

Xu Yi saw the performance parameters marked on the printed nameplate of the motor.

Maximum power: 220kW!!
Maximum torque: 400 N·m!
Maximum speed: 18000 RPM!
This power output may not be very high, but the power density is significantly improved compared to the previous generation.

Because the V6 motor has been significantly reduced in size.

But to the naked eye, it is about the same size as the previous generation V4 motor.

This energy density is quite astonishing.

The speed of ordinary industrial motors is usually around 10000-15000 rpm.

Like their previous generation V4 motor, which had this speed level.

The high-end extreme motors mass-produced in the motor industry are roughly in the range of 16000-20000 rpm.

For example, the motor in the Tesla Model S has a rotation speed in the range of 18000 rpm.

In addition to Sun Pengfei, Xingchen's motor R&D department has also recruited many high-end talents in the motor industry from Huichuan. Through internal referrals or poaching, they have formed the current motor and electronic control R&D team.

This time, we used a lot of integrated design and custom materials instead.

We've finally managed to develop this entirely self-developed "domestic high-end motor"!
In terms of energy density, it cannot yet compare with the carbon fiber sleeve rotor motor of the Tesla Model S, but it is very close.

Furthermore, the V6 motor was designed specifically for their next large SUV.

A balance has been achieved between output power and integration.

...

"By equipping two of our V6 motors into the Starry Sky S7, the acceleration time can be immediately reduced to around 3.8 seconds, transforming it into a high-performance sports car!!"

Sun Pengfei said excitedly.

Compared to the high cost of engines, electric motors offer a more direct advantage in this regard.

Furthermore, once they mass-produce the V6 motor, the cost will be further reduced.

Based on this, they might even be able to release a Stardust S7 performance version!
These high-performance gasoline supercars are extremely expensive right now!

One unit can easily cost over a million.

In fact.

That's what they did too.

The chassis of several prototype vehicles at the testing center have long been modified to a dual-motor configuration.

He stepped on the electric switch.

It can be described as "brain blank, blood rushing to the head".

-

"What exactly do you want to do to this Xingchen S7 family car? Destroy its suspension? I will not be responsible for any workplace injuries caused by this!!"

Xu Yi shook his head and chuckled.

Such a high power.

Even with reinforcements, the suspension on the Star S7 is only as thick as a chopstick; it's questionable whether it can handle aggressive driving.

Moreover.

There's really no need to go down the performance version route.

At most, the price will be raised again next year with added features, and the long-range version will be upgraded to four-wheel drive.

Many car manufacturers have verified this.

A performance version that lacks basic handling skills will not be accepted by the audience of performance cars.

Advanced performance car tuning.

—There must be track performance to back it up.

—A more professional chassis design for material stacking.

—A more powerful braking system.

—A high-performance tire with excellent grip.

Instead of simply adding an extra motor and increasing 0-100 km/h acceleration by a few seconds to transform it into a "performance version".

The difference is significant.

Without track performance to back it up, users who truly pursue performance will not accept it.

Without a good chassis design, it won't be able to hold on during cornering and extreme handling.

Needless to say, the cost of brakes is even higher. If it can accelerate but can't stop, wouldn't it become a funeral car?

To improve grip, you also need to replace the tires with performance tires, which usually cost between 1,500 and 2,300 yuan each. Four tires would cost 5,000 to 6,000 yuan, which is more expensive than insurance for the average person.

This only applies to the performance car segment.

There are many potential hidden costs.

There are reasons why automakers only promote 0-100 km/h acceleration but not track performance and braking systems.

However, if consumers actually believe this kind of "false advertising" and take low rolling resistance narrow tires and palm-sized brake discs to race cars on the track, they are essentially putting their lives at risk.

Xingchen Motors would not do such a thing.

Adding four-wheel drive to family cars is for safety, not to fool people.

For example, their extended-range SUVs will come standard with dual-motor four-wheel drive, focusing on family use and safety, and will not lose control due to two-wheel drive slippage in bad road conditions.

"That's true, but even with our new motor being so powerful, there isn't a single true performance car that can reach its full potential."

"They're all making passenger cars, sigh..."

Sun Pengfei sighed slightly.

When the new car project was first initiated, he suggested that we develop a dual-motor performance coupe!

However, due to factors such as vehicle weight, cost, and positioning.

It hasn't been achieved yet.

I'm now thinking of a performance version of the Starry Sky S7.

They actually rejected it for President Xu.

This sigh carries a certain degree of personal emotion.

...

Xu Yi heard this.

It was even more ridiculous.

"What are you saying? I never said I was going to keep making family cars!"

"Mr. Xu, what do you mean?"

"I mean, if we're going to do it, let's make a real performance beast, not just add features to a family car," Xu Yi advised.

He never said that Xingchen was a private car company.

The main reason is that this car rental market has sales volume and sells well.

It aligns with the national conditions and the mainstream development trend of the industry.

So it's not that we're not going to build these performance cars, but rather that we're building them slowly, in a planned and purposeful way!
Xu Yi had always had a prototype of the third mass-produced car in his mind.

If it succeeds.

Xingchen Automotive will undoubtedly become a new generation of car company that attracts worldwide attention, and its brand value will soar.

Now that motor technology has finally made a breakthrough.

The second-generation Polestar battery is also about to be launched, and finally there are conditions to start preparing for its development.

"Let's build a supercar for the next loan payment."

Xu Yi said it casually.

However, as soon as he said that, many of the engineers present didn't even have time to react.

"What are you going to build?" someone asked instinctively.

"Wait... a supercar?!"

"I'll wipe it!!"

...

Sun Pengfei's eyes widened suddenly.

Several people gasped at the same time!
Isn't that a huge leap?
A supercar that costs several million dollars, with the prototype costing tens of millions?
They were almost afraid to hear what Mr. Xu said!
Is this something that domestic car manufacturers can produce?
Xu Yi's next sentence put their minds at ease: "You misspoke. To be precise, it's a high-performance sports car unique to our Starry Sky, but its power can rival or even surpass most supercars!"

He smiled and said, "The biggest advantage of electric motors is their torque and acceleration, which can reduce the cost of internal combustion engines by a lot. As you just said, we only need to stack two V6 motors to achieve a 0-100 km/h acceleration of 3.8 seconds."

If we build a high-performance sports car, we can put a V6 motor on the front axle and two V6 motors on the rear axle, making a total of three motors...

The words are not finished yet.

Sun Pengfei couldn't help but exclaim, "That's a total power of 660kW and a peak torque of over 1000N·m. By adjusting the gear reduction ratio, it's possible to achieve acceleration within three seconds, possibly down to 2.7-2.8 seconds—truly in the realm of supercars!!"

Currently, high-performance supercars priced in the millions on the market generally have a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of only 2.8 to 2.9 seconds.

The fastest supercar in the supercar category, priced over ten million, is the Bugatti Chiron, which was only released last year and has an official 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 2.5 seconds.

To know.

The Model S performance version released last year, with an import price of over 1.5 million yuan, only had an official acceleration time of 2.7 seconds, even after deducting the initial acceleration time. It was still sought after by many highly educated and wealthy people and became synonymous with new energy high-performance sports cars.

Could it be that they're going to build a flagship sports car to rival the Model S?
—This idea is a bit crazy!

Sun Pengfei couldn't help but feel a slight dryness in his mouth.

But I didn't expect it.

Xu Yi's next words completely blanked out his mind!

"What I mean is, since we've already piled up three motors, why not just balance them out a bit..."

Let's put two motors on both the front and rear axles, and make it a four-motor setup.

It's a very simple and straightforward logic.

It's as straightforward as one plus one equals two.

Indeed, this is true for many industrial matters.

???

Four motors?

Now you can forget about not being a tech person.

The engineers present were instantly drenched in sweat.

"Four...four motors??"

Sun Pengfei couldn't hold back any longer; his face trembled as he gasped for breath.

--hiss!!!

Damn it.

Is this propulsion meant for takeoff?

"The four-motor layout will likely take up a lot of space in the chassis, and the battery capacity will be greatly reduced. Even if a higher-density second-generation battery is used, it may not be enough..."

Sun Pengfei immediately shook his head in denial.

Lithium iron phosphate batteries take up too much space; if you insist on using them, the battery life simply won't be enough.

But then he suddenly remembered something.

"No, if we really want to verify this, wheel-side motors seem to meet this requirement... but that requires further miniaturization of the motor's density and shape, and silicon carbide motors just happen to meet this technical approach..."

"Hiss, there should be room for maneuver."

Several engineers in charge of motor research and development exchanged glances and all thought of the "wheel-side motor" technology.

The concept of "wheel-side motors" has existed for over a century, but in recent years, their application has been limited to certain electric buses, such as those from Yutong and BYD, which have used wheel-side motors to save space and improve torque output under heavy load conditions.

This is similar to how air suspension for trucks eventually evolved into passenger cars.

Many technologies are first commercially successful before being further developed and applied to home use.

"Mr. Xu, do you mean you want us to further develop wheel-side motors? To create a four-wheel drive supercar that will never be seen before?!"

Sun Pengfei felt this plan was crazy!

"I'm just offering an idea. While three motors are very powerful, four motors could be revolutionary. We could start an internal project to study it first," Xu Yi said.

In fact, a three-motor layout is sufficient for the next performance sports car.

However, the four-motor layout inherently comes with cool features like "tank turn" and "four-wheel vector control".

This is for a high-end car.

It's an unparalleled gimmick.

In particular, there is currently no car in China or even the world that can "turn around like a tank".

"Mr. Xu, I'm a little curious about the exterior design of your next car. Will it still adopt the family design? And what segment will it be positioned in?"

Some people also asked.

Putting aside the powertrain, the appearance of a performance sports car is usually of paramount importance.

Xu Yi revealed a mysterious smile:
"The appearance will be very revolutionary, adopting a mecha-style design."

……

(End of this chapter)