Apex unveils new AP-0 electric supercar concept

BRITISH sportscar newcomer Apex has peeled the covers off its new all-electric AP-0 electric supercar concept, a car the brand describes as “a celebration of the feeling of being behind the wheel”.

Built almost entirely out of carbon-fibre, the whole car weighs in at just 1200kg with outputs rated at 484kW and 580Nm, gifting the AP-0 a power-to-weight ratio of 403kW per tonne.

Drive is sent to the rear wheels only with the 0-100km/h dash dispatched in a claimed 2.3 seconds while the top speed is pegged at 306km/h.

Thanks to a 90kWh battery, claimed range is a decent 515km with the battery able to be charged up to 80 per cent capacity in “under 15 minutes” courtesy of Combined Charging System, Type 2 and GB/T charging compatibility – estimated charging time using a Type 2 connector is eight hours.

Boasting a carbon tub and carbon-fibre body panels, the AP-0 is underpinned by F1 style push-rod suspension and rides on adjustable coilover shock springs and dampers.

Style-wise, it is unlikely this car will be mistaken for anything else on the road once production starts in the fourth quarter of this year thanks to its huge mid-mounted fin which runs down the spine of the car from the roof to the integrated but reasonably sized rear lip spoiler.

Adorning the rear of the fin is an unmissable tail-light stack, complemented and bolstered by an elaborate and wide LED strip running across the entire back of the car beneath the spoiler.

The side profile of the car is dominated by the prominent fin but beneath that is a sloping silhouette similar to most other mid-engined supercars, though the AP-0 brandishes an extra serve of body sculpting on its flanks with chunky, angular lines being the overall theme of the design.

Butterfly doors also help to add to the sense of drama and intent.

Hugely flared front wings and wheelarches lead the polarising charge at the front of the car while the front facia and headlight arrangement puts us in mind of the McLaren P1, but only from certain angles.

Lighting duties are taken care of at the front by LEDs while the exterior mirrors have been replaced by cameras.

The whole package rolls just 95mm above the ground on five-spoke carbon-fibre wheels, measuring 19-inches in diameter up front and 20-inches at the rear.

Inside, the seats have been made exclusively out of carbon-fibre while the driver is greeted by a radical looking square steering wheel with leather accents and an entirely digital instrument cluster spread over three different screens.

The rest of the interior is almost as minimalist as they come with next to no buttons or meaningful storage compartments to be found while naked carbon-fibre has been used extensively for the trim.

Along with claimed gains in aerodynamic stability, enhanced handling and polarising looks, the giant fin also plays a part in the AP-0’s technology font.

Mounted on the front edge of the fin (where it meets the roof) is the epicentre of the car’s active safety equipment – a batch of advanced LiDAR sensors.

Using the fin-mounted sensors, the car’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are able to generate detailed maps of the vehicle’s immediate surroundings – accurate to within a few centimetres in all weather conditions – and identify hazards, pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles up to 100m away.

Autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and dynamic navigation are all included as part of the package, as are the over-the-air software updates.

While it is not yet known if the Apex AP-0 will make it to Aussie shores, some indication of what it could cost – if it did – can be drawn from the UK pricing, kicking off from £150,000 ($A300,006) plus on-road costs.