All-electric APEX AP-0 hypercar launched in London
British sports car manufacturer APEX has officially launched its rival for the Lotus Evija – a 650bhp track-monster called the AP-0
APEX, the British sports car manufacturer, has pulled the covers off its all-new, all-electric hypercar – the AP-0. While it carries the outrageous look of the current crop of electrified exotica, including the Lotus Evija, Pininfarina Battista and Rimac C_Two, the AP-0 will be much less expensive: it’ll carry a £150,000 price tag (plus local taxes) when production starts at the end of 2022.
The APEX AP-0 was designed and built by a team of engineers led by former Vauxhall, BMW and Daewoo designer, Guy Colbourne. Stand-out design features include a teardrop- shaped glass roof, an enormous aerodynamic rear fin (similar to the unit found on the rear of a prototype Le Mans racer) and a set of staggered alloy wheels, measuring 19 inches up front and 20 inches at the rear.
It’s based on a pure carbon fibre monocoque chassis and has a claimed kerb-weight of 1,200kg, which is impressive considering the AP-0’s battery-pack weighs in at 550kg. For comparison, the Rimac C_Two is around 700kg heavier, with a kerb-weight of 1,900kg.
The rest of the AP-0’s chassis is equally high-tech. It’s equipped with a push-rod suspension system (like a Formula 1 racer), which features adaptive dampers and automatic ride-height adjustment. The brakes are enormous carbon ceramic units, with six-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers at the rear.
Ground clearance is just 95mm – which helps generate the maximum amount of downforce by employing ground effect principles. APEX claims the front splitter channels air under the body of the vehicle, towards the rear diffuser to pull the car into the road and improve cornering ability.
It’s also relatively compact. APEX states that “the AP-0 is, first and foremost, a sports car,” meaning the company hasn’t fallen into the same rut as the likes of Lamborghini and Pagani when it penned the AP-0’s dimensions. While it’s almost as wide as the Aventador at 2,017mm, but it’s only 4,380mm long, which is no longer than a Skoda Scala.
Power comes courtesy of a 90kWh lithium-ion battery pack, mounted low-down in the car’s chassis, which supplies a rear-mounted electric motor. Power and torque stands at a respective 650bhp and 580Nm of torque – which APEX says is enough for a 0–62mph time of 2.3 seconds and a top speed of 190mph.
What’s more, APEX claims the AP-0 is capable of covering 320 miles between charges if it’s driven carefully. Charge times are reasonable, too – APEX says the AP-0 can recover an 80 percent charge from empty in around 15 minutes when plugged into a CCS rapid-charger, while conventional Type 2 chargers will provide the same state of charge in eight hours.
The cabin of the AP-0 was designed to be as lightweight as the rest of the car. It features a pair of carbon fibre bucket seats, an aluminium and carbon fibre sports steering wheel and a minimal approach to buttons and switchgear. All of the car’s functions are controlled using either the rotary controls on the steering wheel or the centre-console-mounted touchscreen.
In addition, the AP-0’s dashboard comes fitted with an augmented reality head-up display and race instructor, which project the suggested braking points and driving lines of whichever track the car is being driven on, helping the driver to learn the circuit.
APEX also boasts that the AP-0 has a competitive level of safety equipment – which is unusual for a small-time British car manufacturer. Assistance systems include automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist – which the company says is enough for Level 3 autonomous driving. APEX also says its safety systems are futureproofed for when Level 4 autonomy is commercially available.
What do you make of the APEX AP-0? Let us know in the comments section below…
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