RG Nathalie
The RG Nathalie is a sports car running on methanol, produced from 2021. It is the first car produced by the new car manufacturer RG founded by Roland Gumpert,[1] following the bankruptcy of his company Gumpert which produced the Apollo. It is produced in 500 copies.[2]
RG Nathalie | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Gumpert Aiways Automobile (RG) |
Production | 2021–present |
Assembly | Ingolstadt, Germany Shangrao, China |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Sports car (S) |
Body style | 2-door coupé |
Layout | Four-wheel-drive |
Powertrain | |
Electric motor | Four electric motors of 150 kW (200 hp) |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 2,520 mm (99.2 in) |
Length | 4,310 mm (169.7 in) |
Height | 1,310 mm (51.6 in) |
Curb weight | 1,800 kg (3,968 lb) |
History
Preamble
Roland Gumpert is a former president of Audi Sport. In 2001, he had founded the automobile manufacturer Gumpert,[3] to produce a supercar named Gumpert Apollo. In 2014, the company went bankrupt, and was taken over by Hong Kong businessman Norman Choi[4] and consortium Consolidated Ideal TeamVenture, the owner of De Tomaso, which renames it Apollo Automobil Gmbh and produces the Apollo Intensa Emozione.
Presentation
In 2017, Roland Gumpert joined forces with Aiways, a Chinese company based in Shanghai and specialist in alternative energies, and founded his new company called “RG”, initials of Roland Gumpert, based in Ingolstadt in Germany.
At Beijing Motor Show 2018, RG presents the prototype of its first model: the "Nathalie", named after the daughter of the founder. The RG Nathalie is to be produced at 500 copies from the end of 2019[5] in Germany, then in Shangrao in China and sold at a price of 420000 Euros.[6]
At the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, Gumpert presents the RG Nathalie in its series version, produced from 2021, with its electric motor powered by a fuel cell.[7]
Features
The Nathalie is a two-seater coupe, its line is close to the Nissan GT-R. It receives headlights with LEDs at the front, removable shutters and a light strip joining the rear lights. It is designed on a very light carbon shell which gives it high performance with a maximum speed of 300 km/h (190 mph) and a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.5 seconds.
The Nathalie receives four electric motors of 150 kW (200 hp), each placed in the wheels. They develop a combined power of 400 kW (540 hp) transmitted on all four wheels.[8]
The Nathalie is equipped with a 15 kW (20 hp) fuel cell which operates on methanol and supplies a 70 kWh (250 MJ) battery. The complex system developed by RG consists of a methanol reformer which, by electrolytic reaction, divides methanol into carbon dioxide and hydrogen, the latter feeding the fuel cell which produces electricity.[9] It also increases its autonomy thanks to the recovery of energy produced during braking. It benefits from a 60-liter tank of methanol and thus a range of 600 km (370 mi) to 1,200 km (750 mi) in "eco" mode.[10]
References
- Lucas Raheriarivony (30 April 2018). "RG Nathalie : La supercar électrique qui boit de l'alcool". Autonews.fr.
- Hugo Quintal (4 March 2020). "Gumpert Nathalie : la première supercar à pile à combustible".
- Patrick Garcia (30 August 2013). "La marque Gumpert ne se relèvera pas". Caradisiac.
- "Apollo IE, seulement 10 exemplaires de cette hypercar". Turbo. 28 October 2017.
- Jean-François Christiaens (30 April 2018). "RG Nathalie : une supercar propulsée par une pile à combustible au méthanol". Automobile-propre.com.
- Audric Doche (30 April 2018). "Gumpert RG Nathalie : elle fonctionne au méthanol". Caradisiac.
- Léo Mingo (6 March 2019t). "Gumpert Nathalie : retour en électrique".
- Maxime K (10 January 2019). "La RG Nathalie (2019) va changer de look". news.sportauto.fr. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
- Yann Lethuillier (28 April 2018). "Gumpert RG Nathalie – La supercar à hydrogène". Motor1.com.
- "1.200 km pour cette sportive électrique ?". Gocar.be (in French). Retrieved 2020-03-25.