Pioneering cleantech engineers, Viritech debuted their revolutionary hydrogen powertrain technology in the form of the Apricale, the world's first zero-emission hypercar to achieve weight parity with petrol-engined competitors, at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Apricale is the first car in the world to achieve zero-emissions hypercar performance, with a weight of only 1,000kg. This transforms the driving experience of the Apricale. it combines the agility of the best petrol-engined hypercars with the instant response of an electric motor. Indeed, the electric drivetrain means it is actually more responsive than a traditional hypercar.
However, the Apricale does more than simply transform the electric hypercar. With the combination of a light weight and zero emissions, it opens up a new world of sustainable transport. Many vehicles cannot function with a powertrain that weighs more than an equivalent internal combustion engine. Until now, such vehicle categories have been excluded from the move to zero-emissions powertrains, as batteries are always heavier than internal combustion engines - and the higher the power requirement, the bigger the difference. The powertrain of the Apricale represents a historic landmark. It proves that a zero-emissions powertrain can offer the same power, the same weight and the same range as an internal combustion engine.
Future Technology fused with Timeless Design
The Apricale revealed at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed was originally conceived as a reference design by Viritech, and optimised by Pininfarina. Alongside the development of the Apricale's styling, Viritech is in discussion with Pininfarina to build the limited production run of just 25 examples at its atelier in Cambiano in Turin. With stunning looks, Apricale will not just be seen, but also heard. Matt Faulks explains that 'cars must be imbued with personality' and to that end, Apricale will have its very own distinct and futuristic sound emanating from the fuel cells and electric drivetrain.
Delivered in 2024
Apricale's key technologies including the drivetrain, the Tri-Volt EMS and the Graph-Pro structural storagrage vessels have already been validated in two mule vehicles that have successfully undergone testing. Experimental prototype 1 (XP1) will provide the final sign-off process for the powertrain. While XP1 will test for 100,000km, it will overlap with a production prototype, intended to validate all aspects of Apricale during 2023, so that Viritech can commence customer deliveries in early 2024.
Scalable Technology
The technologies developed by Viritech are highly scalable. Viritech focused on the Apricale for their first application since a hypercar platform makes the most significant demands of power, weight and packaging. Proven in Apricale, the powertrain technology is being developed by Viritech for a diverse range of sustainable transport applications.
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