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AC Propulsion tZero
The Driving Experience - The tzero has a superb driving feel that is direct, linear, and immediate. The ultra-rigid chassis provides an excellent
foundation for the adjustable four-wheel double wishbone suspension. Powerful and immediate response to the accelerator pedal for both accelerating
and regenerative braking allows smooth, sure one-foot driving. Few (if any) other street cars provide comparable levels of effortless and accessible performance.
The tzero was recently tested at the drag strip at the LA county Fairgrounds. The tzero ripping off 0 to 60 in 4.68 seconds and a 13.7-second quarter mile. The state of charge was about 80 percent.
AC Propulsion takes a road trip in the tzero to mile-high Mount Wilson. The tzero can make the 90-mile round trip from AC Propulsion's offices in San Dimas to the top of Mount Wilson and back with ease.
The driving range will vary by about a factor of two, depending on how you drive. With very careful driving, up to 100 miles is possible. Making
frequent use of the performance capability of the car can drop the range to 50 miles. The range at a steady 60 mph is 100 miles.
 
The tzero's Reductive charging system can plug in to any grounded 100 to 240V socket. The current draw from the line can be set by the user. With
a 100-Amp 240-Volt connection, the tzero can fully charge in about an hour.
The tzero has a standard AVCON conductive charging inlet that is compatible with existing conductive charging infrastructure. The inlet is wired with the proposed Level 2+ standard, which allows charging at up to 20 kW.
For a given power to weight ratio, electric vehicles usually acccelerate faster than conventional cars. This is because the peak power rating of an
electric vehicle is available over a broad speed range, and there is no time lost to shifting gears. GM's 2950-lb EV1 gets to 60 mph in 8 seconds with
only 125 hp. The tzero, with 200 hp and only 2450 lb, gets to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. But the tzero really shines in midrange acceleration - it scoots
from 30 to 50 mph in only 1.4 seconds - faster than just about anything on the road. This level of performance is very accessible, with no gears to
shift, highly-effective traction control, and virtually no noise other than a light 'squeaking' of the rear tires as they claw for traction.
 
The tzero has a heating system that utilizes powertrain waste heat and supplemental electric resistance heating through PTC heater elements. At
present, there are no plans to equip the tzero with air conditioning - on warm days, the tzero is best experienced with the side windows off and the wind in your hair!
Service will be provided by developing a network of approved service centers in major sales areas, by AC Propulsion technical support, and by
quick-turnaround module replacement as necessary. The tzero should require very little routine servicing, but will require battery pack changes occasionally.
Pack life is on the order of two to three years, or 15,000 to 20,000 miles. At current prices, a set of new batteries costs about $3,000 from Optima
The tzero is being readied for production, AC Propulsion is building prototype tzeros for development and test, but commercial sale of tzeros awaits
completion of production engineering and safety certification. No date for start of production has been set. The exact timing is not yet determined.
 
Pricing for the tzero will be set once production begins. We expect a price somewhere between a Porsche and a Ferrari. Our choice of pricing
benchmarks is deliberate. It reflects 1) a reality, that the tzero matches the acceleration yet greatly exceeds the efficiency of those fantastic
machines, and 2) an ambition that AC Propulsion can aspire in the 21st century to influence automotive engineering over the next 50 years the way those two great marques have set standards for engineering over the past 50 years.
Limited production capacity may create long waiting periods for early production vehicles. To secure a position on the delivery schedule, a deposit of
$2,000 is required. Deposits are refundable if you wish to cancel your position in line. When a firm delivery date is set, a formal purchase contract will
be required along with an additional deposit of $18,000. The balance will be due upon delivery of the car
Performance
 
Acceleration
0 to 60 mph 4.07 sec
1/4 mile 13.24 sec at 90 mph
The tzero was recently tested at the drag strip at the LA county Fairgrounds. The tzero ripping off 0 to 60 in 4.68 seconds and a 13.7-second quarter mile. The state of charge was about 80 percent.
The prototype tzero was matched against a 1996 Corvette.
Skidpad
0.88 G
Range
100 miles at 60 mph
Powertrain
Motor - 200 HP AC Propulsion premium copper-rotor AC induction motor. 110 lb, air cooled. 183 ft-lb torque from 0 to 5000 rpm, 200 HP from 6,000 to
10,000 rpm
Power Electronics Unit - IGBT inverter, with optimum slip control, integrated 100-Amp accessory power supply, and integrated Reductive charging system.
Charger - High power integrated AC Propulsion Reductive charger plugs into any 120 or 240-V outlets. Near unity power factor and user controllable
AC line current. Industry-standard AVCON conductive charge inlet.
Battery type - Optima 'Yellow-Top' recombinant lead Acid, 50 Ah at C/3. This is a production battery, and replacements are readily availble at
reasonable cost.
Battery Pack - 28 modules, pack assembled on vehicle chassis to minimize weight. Any battery can be exchanged without removing other batteries. Batteries mount inside the side pods.
Battery Management System - AC Propulsion's BatOpt battery management system. Incorporates monitoring, thermal management including heating
as well as cooling, and active charge balancing.
Traction Control - High performance traction control limits rear wheel slip in acceleration or braking, and helps prevent loss of traction in turns.
Chassis
Frame - Stainless steel space frame built with Armco Nitronic 30 and 304
Suspension - Double wishbone front and rear
Wheels - Ultra light weight forged Aluminum Alloy, 15 by 6.5 front, 17 by 8 rear
Tires - Front: Continental EcoContact EP 175/55 R15. Rear: 215/40 R17
Brakes - 4 wheel disk, with lightweight Duralcan® metal-matrix composite rotors, Wilwood 4-piston calipers front, Tokico calipers rear
Steering - Rack and Pinion, with low friction roller-rack
Shock Absorbers - Koni coil-overs
Interior
Instrumentation - Large analog current meter, voltmeter, speedometer, motor and electronics temperature gauge, unique LED array battery-voltage
display, altimeter, flexible digital trip meter. Battery management display and buttons provide individal voltage and temperature bar-graphs, charging limits, and other useful data.
Controls - Accelerator and brake pedals electrically adjustable fore and aft. Continuously-adjustable level for regenerative braking applied upon lift of
accelerator pedal.
Seats - Lightweight composite body, fixed location, leather upholstery, inflatable lumbar support.
Heating and Ventilation - Defog and heating outlets at the base of the windshield. Heat from powertrain waste heat and/or electric PTC heaters.
Adjustable speed blower
Sound System - In-dash Blaupunkt CD player / AM/FM receiver, Fujitsu-10 system speakers.
Body
Material - Hand-laid-up fiberglass epoxy composite with carbon fiber reinforcements, Kevlar wheel wells.
Windshield - Custom made for tzero. Two-ply automotive safety glass.
Trunk - Large (relatively) trunk in rear under hinged and locking rear deck. Gas strut lifts rear deck for easy access.
Doors - Small locking doors hinge on A-pillars allow easier entry/exit.
Windows - Removable hard-coated side windows store in trunk
Roof - Removable hinged roof stores in trunk. Supported by gas strut
Paint - Solid paint colors at customer's choice.
Options
Paint - Metallics, Pearls, etc.
Hybrid Trailer - Long Ranger hybrid trailer - 20 kW DC, allows continuous highway cruising
AC Propulsion
Founded in 1992, AC Propulsion produces electric vehicle technology and provides engineering services and technology licenses to automotive and other clients throughout the world.
In 1994, AC Propulsion unveiled the AC-150, an innovative 200 horsepower integrated drive system for compact to mid-size passenger cars that
attained 0-60 mph acceleration in 6.2 seconds and a 145-mile range. In 1997, AC Propulsion introduced the original tzero™ sports car at the LA Auto
Show, and showcased its capability for 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds, while reliably achieving a 80-100 mile driving range. In 2006, AC Propulsion created the eBox, the world's first vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capable electric vehicle.
Since then, AC Propulsion has issued and owns 6 patents on electric vehicle technology, many of which have been customized for our technology and automotive customers globally.
AC Propulsion's headquarters, engineering, manufacturing, and test facilities are located in San Dimas, CA, and we operate a wholly-owned manufacturing plant in Shanghai PRC.
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