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- Clumps of energy: how did the Chinese "hybrid" and "electric train" behave on the ice of Lake Baikal
Clumps of energy: how did the Chinese "hybrid" and "electric train" behave on the ice of Lake Baikal
The Exlantix line of premium cars is entering the Russian market. As early as April, the ES electric sedan and the ET hybrid crossover will appear in car dealerships. As part of the annual Baikal Speed Days festival, a correspondent from Izvestia found out how the Chinese premium passed the Siberian frost tests and behaved on the ice of the Glorious Sea.
Afterburner
Four-wheel drive, herd of 480 electric "horses", two electric motors, 3.7 seconds up to 100 km/h. With these characteristics, the Exlantix ES stands in line with the Audi R8, Chevrolet Corvette or Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
The main detail in the Exlantix ES cabin is the huge multimedia system display, which controls all the functions of the machine.
Unlike traditional internal combustion engines, electric motors reach maximum thrust from zero RPM. Therefore, for the first few seconds it seems that a fighter taking off rested its landing gear against the stern of the electric car. And since there is no transmission as such, the speed gain occurs without the hitches necessary to change gears on sports cars with the usual "robots" or "automatic machines".
Despite all-wheel drive, the car clearly plays with the stern when accelerating: smart electronics give priority to the rear, more loaded axle when accelerating. This playfulness adds extra spice to the bouquet of sensations from acceleration.
Dancing on ice
It was possible to assess the dynamics of the event only when the organizers of the test drive literally took the cars from the surface of frozen Lake Baikal to the shore for half an hour. On clear ice, even all-wheel drive and wide 21-inch studded wheels are not able to effectively realize the impressive thrust of 660 Nm.
An electric sedan can travel up to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds.
But on the Baikal "mirror" itself, the dynamics of the electric car were not at all impressive: in response to the slightest pressing of the accelerator pedal, the stabilization system instantly limited traction, preventing the wheels from slipping. And when it was turned off, a real ballet on ice began: the car began to spin like a top, it seems, even from blowing on the right pedal.
The "off road" mode will increase the ground clearance to 18 cm.
Cones placed on the frozen ice made it possible to evaluate the controllability of the car. Even taking into account the fact that there was clear and transparent ice under the wheels of the ES, the car was obedient to the steering wheel, clearly performing the snake and the "moose test". The inevitable slips are easily corrected by changes in traction and steering wheel movements.
The total power of the two Exlantix ES electric motors is 480 hp.
The ice captain who accompanied us, pointing to a fresh crack in the "mirror" of Lake Baikal, made it clear that the ice of the deepest lake on the planet is in constant motion. Therefore, faults, hummocks and ice are common here. Thanks to this feature of winter Lake Baikal, even on seemingly flat ice, we were able to evaluate the car's suspension performance.
As on the sedan, the interior of the crossover is an example of minimalist design.
For example, frozen cracks in the ice can easily pass for joints on bridges, and small hummocks simulate broken asphalt. The ES suspension (double levers in front, five—lever rear) with electronically controlled shock absorbers can handle this without much difficulty. In comfort mode, the sedan easily "swallows" even strong bumps, in "sports" it becomes more rigid, but still does not bother with excessive shaking. And the ability to forcibly increase the ground clearance to 18 cm made it possible to overcome the field of ice hummocks without damage to the bumpers and bottom.
And he keeps driving and driving
As part of the Days of Speed on Lake Baikal, a team of professional racers attempted to set a record for the longest run on an Exlantix ET hybrid crossover. For this purpose, a ring track with several turns was created on the ice, simulating the usual driving mode on a country road. The record was not easy for the testers ...
"Can we stop now?" We've been riding in circles since dawn, and he keeps driving and driving." Late in the evening, the head of the record holders, a representative of Exlantix, called from the ice of Lake Baikal. "We've already driven more than 700 kilometers...
In response, he was instructed to continue racing until the battery runs out and the fuel in the tank runs out. As a result, the Exlantix ET finished a few more hours later, having driven just over 822 kilometers on a full tank and a fully charged battery.
Exlantix ET exchanges the first "hundred" in 4.9 seconds
This is, of course, below the stated range of 1,180 km. However, these data, like any other official technical specifications, were obtained in "greenhouse" conditions at the landfill. The record-breaking race took place at quite Siberian temperatures. At the beginning of the tests and at the finish, the thermometer readings dropped below 20 degrees below zero, only during the day it showed minus 8-10. And negative temperatures have a very significant effect on battery capacity.
The next stop is Buryatia
The day after the record-breaking races, we managed to ride Exlantix ET. Compared to the sporty ES, the crossover, of course, does not cause such violent emotions. Although 4.9 seconds, in which a tandem of a 1.5-liter turbo engine and two electric motors with a total capacity of 469 hp accelerate a series-hybrid crossover to a hundred, is also a very decent result. The acceleration is also impressive, but it doesn't take your breath away: acceleration is smoother and smoother.
The dimensions of the hybrid crossover are 495.5×197.5×169.8 cm
On the other hand, Exlantix ET managed to drive along a special high—speed ice track at full speed - up to the maximum possible speed. When an almost five-meter car rushes across the ice mirror at a speed of more than 200 km / h, the question involuntarily arises: where will it stop on clear ice? Wouldn't we end up starting near Olkhon in Buryatia, slowing down on the other side of Lake Baikal?
With a full tank and a fully charged battery, Exlantix ET drove 822.2 km across the ice of Lake Baikal.
There is an immense expanse of perfectly smooth ice ahead: for the sake of experiment, I decide not to use the brake pedal at all, trusting the energy recovery system, which has been switched to the most efficient mode in advance. When the accelerator pedal is reset, the car will roll back even on clear ice with a clear deceleration. The readings of the electronic speedometer drop before our eyes — 200, 180, 150, 100... A couple of minutes later, the hybrid crossover froze in the middle of the Maloe Moroe Strait, without using the standard braking system at all, and several additional kilometers were added to the power reserve indicator.
On ice bumps, the crossover was upset by the not very comfortable suspension — the car was noticeably shaken, both on small hummocks and on cracks in the ice. But when maneuvering among the cones placed on the ice, the massive Exlantix ET surprised with an almost complete absence of rolls.
Which is good for the Chinese...
Despite the fact that the ET and ES look like two opposites — the first is deliberately brutal and massive, the second is fast and elegant (from some angles the sedan even resembles a sports coupe), they have a lot in common. Moreover, Pier Luigi Ferrari from Pininfarina body shop had a hand in the design of both models. Both cars have sliding door handles, the doors open using electric drives, and to close them, simply press the brake pedal.
The Exlantix ES sedan also sports two matrix displays that greet the owner with funny animations. In China, they can display emoticons and even messages for pedestrians. However, the specifics of Russian car certification do not imply this possibility.
The cost of Exlantix cars remains a mystery for now.
The interiors of the cars, with a few exceptions, look like twin brothers. Both have a minimalist design and a complete absence of any buttons. Absolutely all the functions of the machines are controlled by the "TV" installed in the center of the front panel. If Chinese engineers had their way, they would probably have replaced the steering wheel with virtual buttons or joysticks...
However, realizing the love of Russian consumers for physical keys and "spinners", Exlantix has developed a special unit for our market, which will control the main functions of the car. It is assumed that it will be attached to the bottom of the "TV" and will be offered as an option.
Regarding the prices for ET and ES, the Russian office of Exlantix is holding a theatrical pause. The cost of the cars will be announced closer to the start of sales. In the meantime, representatives of the brand promise that these cars will cost at the level of their main competitors.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
