| tzero | |
|---|---|
 The AC Propulsion tzero with the top off | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | AC Propulsion |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car |
| Body style | 2 passenger coupe |
| Layout | Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Platform | AC Propulsion AC150 |
| Related |
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The tZero (a mathematical symbol meaning, 'time from a standing start in sequence') is a hand-built electric sports car designed and built in very limited numbers by the U.S. pioneering company AC Propulsion in the mid 1990's. It was the inspiration and direct predecessor of the Tesla line of electric cars. The only part of the tZero that was not proprietary was the body that was based on the Piontek Sportech sports car, yet many parts of the body and interior were extensively modified. It consists of a Kevlar & Carbon Fiber reinforced body built over a custom hand-built reinforced stainless steel fabricated to package batteries space frame with double wishbone independent suspension and rack and pinion steering. AC Propulsion utilized their AC-150 drivetrain, a single-speed electric system with an overall gear ratio of 9:1.
Experimental mule in early 90's, a complete vehicle the following year and launched in January 1996, only 3 prototypes were built, the last one also being an official VIN production car. Prospect interested buyers included many big celebrities, well known scientists, and silicon valley engineers. Unfortunately, plans for a viable commercial production were eventually dropped in mid-2003. The name comes from t0, the mathematical symbol for a starting point in time.[1] Due to high production costs, AC Propulsion ceased to produce the tzero.[when?] Only three were built, and as of 2024 only 2 survive.[2] The only remaining examples are owned by the company itself and a private owner. The last tZero vehicle built used an advanced/updated ACP Gen 2 system that was capable of V2G (vehicle-to-grid & vehicle-to-vehicle charging system). The tZero vehicles were extensively tested. Even including a cross country USA trip. [citation needed]
Adjustable Regenerative Braking: Because the car recharges its batteries when the throttle is released – slowing sharply as energy is recaptured – It can be driven hard using only the accelerator pedal. Also, if the car detects a turn with more than half a g-force (5 m/s²), it eases the rear-wheel regenerative braking to prevent slides.
- ^ "AC Propulsion | Creating electric vehicles that people want to drive". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- ^ Fred Lambert (11 May 2017). "A piece of electric car history up in flames: several Tesla Roadsters and original Tzero lost in devastating fire". Electrek.