The development of a prototype electric car, named Eliica (Electric Lithium-Ion Battery Car), in Japan is described. The Eliica Project was a collaborative project involving 35 companies. The concept consists of an in-wheel motor, a hollow frame structure under the floor to house the batteries, and tandem wheel suspension. Two types of Eliica were developed: a high-speed model adopting a smaller gear ratio on the built-in motor and a second model with a larger gear ratio with emphasis on acceleration. The vehicle has characteristics of both a sports car and a passenger sedan. The basic technology of Eliica is described with respect to the battery, inverter, electric motor, in-wheel motor, component built-in frame, and tandem wheel suspension. The vehicle was tested in Italy and Japan. Eliica achieved a maximum speed of 370 km/h and reached speeds of 100 and 160 km/h in 4.1 and 7.0 seconds, respectively.
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