All-Electric Camaro Formula Drift Car Churns Out 800+ Lb-Ft of Torque
If the future looks anything like this tire-blazing, lightweight Camaro drifter, we’re probably OK with that.
While Tesla has helped to ease some of the concerns performance fanatics had with EVs, most remain skeptical. We just can’t let go of the delicious noises that internal-combustion engines lace our ears with. That aural display of power. But there’s also no denying that electric vehicles offer instant torque and incredible performance, albeit in eerie silence. But at least in the case of this battery-powered Camaro Formula Drift car, you’re treated to plenty of tire squealing to make up for that.
The mad scientists at Napoleon Motorsports just finished building this beauty. But we get a good look at it thanks to this video from Donut Media. Dubbed the EL1, this is, in fact, the world’s first all-electric pro drift car, which makes it a bit of a groundbreaker. But Formula Drift provides the perfect venue to try out something like this. After all, the racing series has pretty open rules that don’t dictate things like powerplants. It’s all about the smoke, friends.
“You don’t have to worry about stuff like range,” our host also points out. Still, the EL1 is incredibly light thanks to advanced battery technology and the prodigious use of carbon fiber and kevlar. Only the stock Camaro roof remains. At the end of the day, this thing weights a mere 3,000 pounds flat.
The original subframe is still there to satisfy FD rules, but the rest of the suspension is 100% custom. With a near-perfect 51/49% front-rear weight ratio, it’s quite the handler. And perhaps most importantly, the powerful electric motors churn out 515 hp and over 800 lb-ft of torque. All of which means that if this Camaro is indeed the future, we’re OK with that. So long as we can still have our gas-chuggers, too, that is.
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