Skip to main content

When the sun is shining, the experimental EVX Immortus has an infinite driving range

EVX Immortus
Motoring
An Australian startup named EVX is looking to end range anxiety once and for all by developing a science fiction-esque electric coupe called Immortus that’s fitted with 75 square-feet’s worth of solar panels on the roof, the trunk lid, and the hood.

The solar panels generate enough electricity to continuously keep the battery pack topped-up if the driver holds a steady speed of approximately 40 mph. Of course, infinite range only works if the sun is out, meaning Seattle residents, Scottish nationals, and those who live in an area where the word “monsoon” is often heard during the weather report will still need to plug the coupe in. Similarly, overnight road trips are out of the question.

Recommended Videos

When range isn’t an issue, the two in-wheel electric motors create enough juice to send the Immortus from zero to 62 mph in less than seven seconds and on to a top speed of over 93 mph. The solar panels can charge the battery pack while the coupe is parked in the sun, and it can drive for nearly 350 miles between fill-ups at speeds above 40 mph.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Highly aerodynamic, the Immortus tips the scale at just over 1,200 pounds thanks in part to a state-of-the-art chassis made out of high-strength carbon fiber tubes. Some of the components used to build it can be 3D-printed, a manufacturing technique that promises to keep assembly costs in check.

Of course, all of the aforementioned specs are purely hypothetical because a fully functional prototype hasn’t been built yet. A scale model of the Immortus will be shown in November at the SEMA show that will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, and a functional, life-sized and street-legal prototype is tentatively scheduled to hit the Australian tarmac by the end of next year.  Thanks to its low weight, its instant torque, and its low center of gravity, the Immortus is expected to drive like a rear-wheel drive sports car.

If everything goes according to plan, the Immortus won’t remain a simple design study for long. EVX isn’t interested in taking on the next Tesla Roadster — at least not yet — but it plans on building less than 100 examples of the coupe and selling each one for the lofty sum of roughly $365,000.

Before it can reach its ambitious goal, the startup needs to raise nearly $1.5 million in order to fine-tune the technology.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Tesla’s ‘Model Q’ to arrive in 2025 at a price under $30K, Deutsche Bank says
teslas model q to arrive in 2025 at a price under 30k deutsche bank says y range desktop lhd v2

Only a short month and half ago, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told investors that outside of the just-released driverless robotaxi, a regular Tesla model priced at $25,000 would be “pointless” and “silly”.

"It would be completely at odds with what we believe,” Musk said.

Read more
It looks like the end of the road for Cruise robotaxis
A Cruise autonomous car.

Autonomous-driving operations at Cruise look certain to end after its main backer, General Motors (GM), said it will stop funding the initiative.

GM, which has owned about 90% of Cruise since 2016, announced the decision in a statement shared on Tuesday. It follows a challenging period for Cruise after one of its autonomous cars ran over a woman after she was knocked into its path by a human-driven car in San Francisco in October 2023. The incident led to California regulators suspending Cruise's license to test its driverless cars on the state's streets, a decision that prompted Cruise to pause operations in other locations where it operated. It restarted low-level testing in Arizona in May 2024.

Read more
Hyundai Ioniq 9 vs. Kia EV9: Electric SUV sisters battle it out
Hyundai Ioniq 9 driving

The long-awaited Hyundai Ioniq 9 is finally on its way. Hyundai has taken the wraps off a production-ready version of the electric SUV, showing a modern vehicle that could well be the electric SUV to beat when it finally rolls out to the public. But it will have to contend with Hyundai’s sister company in order to truly gain the title of best electric SUV in its price range. The Kia EV9 has been a go-to option for a few years now.

But is one of these SUVs actually better, or are they just different? We put the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and the Kia EV9 head to head to find out.
Design
There are some similarities in the designs of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and the Kia EV9, but they also look a little different. First, the similarities. Both vehicles are clearly SUVs, with larger blocky shapes. But, while the Kia EV9 has straight lines and sharper angles, the Ioniq 9 is a little curvier, with a rounded roofline and sculpted curves in the side panels.

Read more