Leo Motors Electric 'Super Car' Rivals Tesla Roadster

Korea’s Leo Motors, Inc. (OTC: LEOM) says it will debut an electric "super car" this fall to rival Tesla Motors’ (Nasdaq: TSLA) Roadster model.

The vehicle, called the LZ-1, will have a driving range equal to the Roadster (249 miles per battery charge), but will accelerate to 161 miles per hour, Leo Motors says. The Roadster’s top speed is 125 mph.

"Our goal is to make the new electric super car drive 0-60 miles per hour from the start within 2.9 seconds. If the goal is achieved Leo’s new super car would be the fastest among EVs including Tesla," says John Lee, CEO of Leo Motors.

The car has been under development since 2006, and includes technologies that have resulted in 56 patent applications.

Leo says it developed a new electric power train for the vehicle to exert a maximum torque of 68kg/m generated from a 240 kW electric motor, which would be a "monstrous" performance boost compared to the Tesla.

Development of the rolling chassis is complete and Leo is now  working with former chief designers of Ford to create the car’s styling. Its body will be covered by carbon fiber and aluminum alloy.

Leo also plans to develop a  hybrid version of the vehicle that uses a mix of hydrogen and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) to fuel an onboard generator that would charge the battery system – similar to what a small gasoline engine does in the Chevy Volt.  The LZ-1H is expected to have a driving range of 560 miles before fueling.

Leo Motors formed in 2005 and emerged as a Delaware corporation in November 2007 as the result of a reverse merger with SIMCO America (OTC: SCMA). In December 2008, the company said it would gain a foothold in the EV market as a niche supplier and develop a catalog of products and technology while the market for EV develops. The company is also focused on developing a sales network in Australia, Japan, China, Southeast Asia and Europe.