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India’s first all-electric hypercar
Written by Theo Koenig – August 16, 2021
Reviewed by Kfir Kedem
Automotive startup company Mean Metal Motors (MMM for short) has become the first Indian-based company to unveil an electric hypercar. Originally shown as a concept car over 5-years ago, the vehicle, going by the name Azani, is now ready for pre-orders.
Like all electric vehicles, the Azani benefits from the instant torque provided directly at the wheel to give it one of the fastest acceleration times out there. The range of over 500 km is equally impressive.
The Azani is more than just a fast car, however. MMM plans on following an alternative model of production that focuses on micro- rather than giga-factories. According to MMM, the Azani has been improved over the years to include 100 times fewer components, making it 4 times cheaper to build.
One way this is achieved is through use of specialized materials adapted for micro-factories. An emphasis was put on creating new materials, many developed from organic composites, in order to reduce the number of tools required during assembly.
Moreover, many of the vehicle components, from battery packs to the motors powering the vehicle, follows a modular design. Standardization in the manufacturing of these parts has led to a 25% reduction in supplier costs. The company has even gone as far as to incorporate modular brake-by-wire and steer-by-wire units into the vehicle (rather than using rods and mechanical hydraulics, by-wire systems use only wire and electronic components).
Beyond this, the vehicle platform is also modular (designed to be flexible for use across multiple vehicle levels). An on-board diagnostics system aimed at delivering highly responsive and reliable feedback regarding vehicle maintenance is incorporated directly into the vehicle operating system. Finally, MMM micro-factories are set to include an artificial intelligence component to help automate manufacturing tasks and drive down costs.
The supercar is set to feature plenty of other exciting features. As a concept car, the Azani made headlines due to its exaggerated curved exterior features. 5 years later and MMM has not only stayed true to the designs but has since explained that the car yields remarkable aerodynamic results (the Azani has a drag coefficient of 0.26). The Azani is also set to incorporate torque vectoring, which allows changes in torque at the wheel or axle, resulting in a better grip of the wheels while turning. Stability on the road is improved with a double wishbone suspension system with active dampening. Finally, for the repeated and harsh braking at high speeds, the Azani is equipped with ventilated carbon braking.
Auto Trendy’s take:
MMM has created a very impressive vehicle in a market that is currently still dominated by combustion engines. Considering that the Azani specs outperform that of its gas-powered competitors, this leaves MMM poised in a very promising position for the future. With the EV market currently attracting exorbitant levels of investment, and almost no electric supercar rivals, now is the perfect time for their launch. Yet, there remains plenty of uncertainty around the company. For starters, MMM has never produced a vehicle in its history. Moreover, MMM hopes on manufacturing the Azani in cost-saving micro-factories – a system that will have to be develop entirely inhouse, with little or no guidance from its rivals. As of now, no production site has been announced and no price tag has been revealed. MMM has completed the first steps marvelously. But now that manufacturing has come into the equation, the real test for survival will begin.
