Q. How much will I have to pay to own a Lightning?
Q. What is the range on a fully charged Lightning?
Q. How long does it take to charge the Lightning?
Q. When will the Lightning be available for test drives / purchase?
Q. Will I be able to purchase a Lightning outside of the UK?
Q. What is the Lightning's top speed?
Q. Will you be producing left hand drive and soft top versions?
Q. Can I reserve my Lightning now?
Q. How does the Lightning charge its battery system?
Q. Why are the motors in the wheels?
Q. How does the regenerative braking work?
Q. Where can I get the Lightning serviced?
Q. Is the Electric Lightning safe?
Q. Do the batteries require any cooling or heating and will the car operate in low winter temperatures?
Q. Are the batteries like the "laptop variety" of small cells, thousands of which are used for the battery pack?
Q. Do the batteries take up the entire boot and bonnet space?
Q. How will the Lightning be charged away from home?

Q. How much will I have to pay to own a Lightning?

A. We are aiming for a price of £120,000 (inc. VAT) excluding options. Circa €155,000 (as at 20/10/08). (Back)

Q. What is the range on a fully charged Lightning?

A. We are seeking to exceed a range of 188miles/300km on a full charge. (Back)

Q. How long does it take to charge the Lightning?

A. There are likely to be three options: Overnight using a domestic power supply, a couple of hours using a 3 phase power supply and just 10 minutes using a fast charge unit. (Back)

Q. When will the Lightning be available for test drives / purchase?

A. The Lightning team are now embarking on a programme of development and testing which is essential for industry compliance and to establish Lightning's capability against our performance intent. We currently hope to be able to start production of our first models late 2009. Consequently, we are not yet in a position to issue full specification or offer test drives. (Back)

Q. Will I be able to purchase a Lightning outside of the UK?

A. We are planning to build cars for the rest of Europe, North America and other key markets however, timing for specific countries is yet to be determined. (Back)

Q. What is the Lightning's top speed?

A. We are limiting the top speed to 130mph/209kmph. (Back)

Q. Will you be producing left hand drive and soft top versions?

A. It is our intention at this stage to produce both a right and left hand drive vehicles from the outset and a convertible version will likely follow within 3 years. (Back)

Q. Can I reserve my Lightning now?

A. Due to the extreme popularity of Lightning we are accepting reservations for a returnable fee of £3,500. Should you be interested in securing a reservation number please email nicolas@lightningcarcompany.co.uk and we will send you the relevant paperwork. (Back)

Q. How does the Lightning charge its battery system?

A. The Lightning has a built in battery charging and control system. Simply plug the car's charging lead into your home's electric power point and you'll soon be charged and ready for the next journey. The lead is 12 feet long (optional 20 foot extension cable available). The electronics take care of various power sources that it can receive power from. It's as simple as that! There are a number of different sources that can be utilised with this cable and charging times can vary depending on the state of the batteries and also the power source chosen. (Back)

Q. Why are the motors in the wheels?

A. We've chosen the very best drive system technology available anywhere in the world. This advanced motor technology now has phenomenal torque and power capability which is integrated within a wheel assembly. There are no gearboxes, differential, axle, drive shafts or propshafts to contend with. All of the power is generated at the wheel, the point at which it's required, which eliminates mechanical complexity and power losses experienced in standard sports cars. These lightweight and ultra powerful motors don't add significant extra unsprung weight and are therefore ideal in that position. (Back)

Q. How does the regenerative braking work?

A. When you brake, the car's kinetic energy is converted to heat through friction - throwing away the energy that was previously used to accelerate the car. In city driving, about 30 percent of a typical car's engine output is lost to braking. This proportion drops to almost zero in highway driving, where braking is much less frequent.

An electric vehicle uses an electric motor to create torque to drive its wheels. When an electric vehicle is approaching a stop light, it doesn't create friction and useless heat in order to slow down. Instead it reverses its electric motor turning it into an electric generator, creating electricity which is fed back into the battery and stored for future use. In fact any time an electric vehicle decelerates it causes the system to use the vehicle’s momentum to generate electricity. (Back)

Q. Where can I get the Lightning serviced?

A. Facilities will be available at the manufacturer and authorised service centres in major UK cities. (Back)

Q. Is the Electric Lightning safe?

A. The electric Lightning can demonstrate that occupant safety is a priority.

Through development work with Amber Composites and Technical Resin Bonders the bodywork will incorporate aluminium honeycomb crushable impact cells, the same technology that is used in Formula 1 motor racing to protect the driver. This material will be used in the front, rear and sides of the car as well as around the battery area.

The Lightning has no large fuel tank. Instead it incorporates a state of the art NanoSafe™ battery system. NanoSafe™ batteries use nano titanate materials instead of graphite which makes them far more thermally stable – there are no toxics or heavy metals used in NanoSafe™ batteries. (Back)

Q. Do the batteries require any cooling or heating and will the car operate in low winter temperatures?

A. The NanoSafe™ batteries are designed to be used in vehicles and hostile environments and will work in temperatures between 75°C and minus 30°C. Unlike standard Lithium-Ion batteries in electric vehicles these don't need to be kept cool when charged/used or heated to get them to perform in sub zero temperatures. (Back)

Q. Are the batteries like the "laptop variety" of small cells, thousands of which are used for the battery pack?

A. No, each NanoSafe™ battery unit is about the size of a large car battery and only thirty such units make up a complete battery pack. These are situated in the car to give the desired ultra low “centre of gravity” and optimum weight distribution both front and rear. (Back)

Q. Do the batteries take up the entire boot and bonnet space?

A. As there's no fuel tank, the Lightning GT offers plenty of boot space with golf clubs no problem! The batteries are only 9” high ensuring additional bonnet space is also available. Locating the batteries in the optimum position allows the Lightning to have ‘designed-in’ weight distribution and low roll centres. This, combined with the high technology chassis, will achieve excellent road holding performance dynamics. (Back)

Q. How will the Lightning be charged away from home?

A. Standard single phase home type power source can be used to charge overnight and is available just about anywhere by using the onboard charger. For a fast charge a 3 phase power supply is required and with the interest in electric powered vehicles increasing significantly, more high power charging stations will be installed. Most garage forecourt and industrial areas already have this level of high power source available and therefore can be fitted with a universal charging station. (Back)