Williams' Engineering Division Reveals 2,200 HP Super Modular EV Platform for Hypercars
Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE), the engineering arm of the Williams F1 team, unveiled its EVR, a modular electric vehicle platform designed specifically for hypercar applications, at the Low Carbon Vehicle Show in the UK this week.
In 2021, the company introduced a similar platform known as the EVX, which was developed to fit a variety of body styles and could support as much as 1,341 hp The EVR has a power band up to 2,212 hp, but can support The number of vehicle types is more limited.
Despite still being in development, the platform already has a customer, Deus. In April, an Austrian startup announced an electric hypercar based on the EVR platform.
The EVR features a lightweight composite structure that functions as a passenger cell, with the battery mounted behind it, rather than on the floor as in most EVs on the market today. Porsche took a similar route with its 2021 Mission R electric racing car concept. The design avoids the problem of a raised floor while at the same time replicating the familiar weight distribution of mid-engine cars. The EVR was also designed without a roof, ensuring support for the open-top body style.
The battery is an 85 kwh unit that WAE claims will have a range of approximately 280 miles and is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The range is highly dependent on how the vehicle is driven; 0-60 mph acceleration in less than 2.0 seconds and a top speed of 248 mph would undoubtedly dramatically reduce the range.
WAE said the EVR can be updated over time as battery and electric motor technology improves. The company also has a version of the platform that supports a hydrogen fuel cell stack as a range extender.
Companies can order the platform as a rolling chassis, but WAE will also offer a turnkey solution that can deliver a working prototype within 12 months of project launch and a production vehicle within 24 months.
The Low Carbon Vehicle Show runs through September 8 at the Millbrook Proving Ground in the U.K. At the event, WAE also unveiled a modular battery system for EVs and a prototype of a Triumph electric motorcycle featuring one of its powertrain designs.
In January, WAE was purchased by Australian mining company Fortescue Metals Group, separating it from the Williams F1 team, which intends to use the engineering firm's expertise to develop environmentally friendly freight trains, mining trucks, and industrial heavy mobile equipment. The intention is to leverage the engineering firm's expertise in the development of environmentally friendly freight trains, mining trucks, and industrial heavy-duty mobile machinery. However, WAE will continue to provide engineering services to third parties as well as off-the-shelf solutions such as EVX and the new EVR platform.
