2021–all-electric Avanti hits the market

[jtheteacher]

Hmm, anyone else a little skeptical?

https://avantimotors.com/tomorrow/

Edited January 10, 2020 by jtheteacher

[mfg]

It's pretty hard not to be a bit skeptical, however, years ago folks were also skeptical of Nate Altman's idea!..........I say "more power" to this fellow!

[studegary]

If I see a viable product, I will probably be a customer.   I purchased the fourth Kelly 1987 Avanti for public sale.  

[Stacey]

I own a 2019 Tesla Model X and I have just as much fun as driving the Avanti, only the Tesla is so much quicker!! Both put huge smiles on my face😀

[mfg]

11 hours ago, Stacey said:

I own a 2019 Tesla Model X and I have just as much fun as driving the Avanti, only the Tesla is so much quicker!! Both put huge smiles on my face😀

Very interesting!.....Electric vehicles are becoming more and more common now.

I have a hypothetical question about your Tesla....Every summer we, (three people with luggage), drive from Massachusetts to a location in Maine. (approx 250 miles, one way)

Would an electric vehicle like your Tesla X have the 'range' to get us there without having to stop for a recharge along the way?

In my opinion, 'range' means everything!

PS..... does your Tesla have a 'backup' gas engine? (Is it a hybrid?)

[studegary]

13 hours ago, Stacey said:

I own a 2019 Tesla Model X and I have just as much fun as driving the Avanti, only the Tesla is so much quicker!! Both put huge smiles on my face😀

All electric cars have their full torque starting off.  Your Avanti has a 305, which in my opinion is inadequate for the car and I owned an Avanti with a 305 new.

[studegary]

8 hours ago, mfg said:

Very interesting!.....Electric vehicles are becoming more and more common now.

I have a hypothetical question about your Tesla....Every summer we, (three people with luggage), drive from Massachusetts to a location in Maine. (approx 250 miles, one way)

Would an electric vehicle like your Tesla X have the 'range' to get us there without having to stop for a recharge along the way?

In my opinion, 'range' means everything!

PS..... does your Tesla have a 'backup' gas engine? (Is it a hybrid?)

[Not Stacey.]  No Teslas are hybrid.  All Teslas are full electric.  250 miles is about the current limit for range of electric cars today.  Most people that own electric cars have other vehicles.  They use the electric car for normal commuting and errands.  I figure, that at worst case, I would rent a different vehicle for a once per year trip.  People do go cross country with their Teslas by charging them as needed.   

EDIT:  Tesla S range is 370 miles.  Tesla X, like Stacey's, has a range of 238 miles.  Chevrolet, Jaguar and Nissan have electric cars with ranges around 240 miles.

Edited January 12, 2020 by studegary

[Gunslinger]

There was just an article in the Washington Post regarding Teslas and some other electric cars and how they prioritize their designs.  It seems Tesla designers push the envelope on battery technology and prioritize performance over durability and longevity....their batteries don't have a long life and performance degrades faster than other designs which don't have the range of a Tesla but battery life and recharge performance is better.  Owners have reported their Teslas start losing runtime and range fairly quickly and require battery replacement more often than expected.  Teslas have also reportedly run the risks of fires far more often than other makes.

The article does highlight how there's no free lunch...to get something (range and performance) you have to give up something (durability and battery life).  

Link to the story...Tesla article

[Stacey]

I purchased my used Model X in Raligh, NC and drove it to Prescott, Az, about 2300 miles. I think I stopped either 12 or 13 times to charge and spent 3 nights in motels. The farthest I went, I have 325 range, but that is from 100% full to zero charge and nobody should or would run that way, was 210 miles. The system would show me where to stop and for how long to get to the next charger system. Most stops were for 15 to 20 minutes, some 35-45 minutes and two for sure were 50 minutes. All depending on the range I needed, based on my speed or always running the speed limit and a touch over. In some areas the mountains played a big part in using more energy for a shorter drive range. What I have found interesting is in almost every stop, folks would get out and talk about the or their cars to other folks charging up. When was the last time you got gas and walked over to talk to the folks getting gas in a pump near you?  Uness they are in a clooector car or hot rod, you just pump your gas and leave. I LOVE  driving the Avanti with the top down around town, but for excitment, the X wins hands down.

Look on the route you would drive from home to Maine and see if the super chargers Tesla has are on that route. Looks like about 6 chargers I see on the map but your route may not??

[Bob E.]

It would be nice to see a working prototype. Call me skeptical, I think it will take more than a year for Anthony  Bennett to go from announcement to production. Will the Avanti III electric will have the original styling.  I work next door to Nostalgic Motors in Wixom MI. Nostalgic repairs and restores the Avanti and was a dealer for many years.  I do not know Dan Booth has the molds and tooling to produce the body shell. 

I always loved the original Avanti and first generation Avanti II with Corvette motors. Automobile Quarterly Volume 1, number 2  has a  article on the Avanti.  And many years later another story was done on the Avanti. I can't remember which issue it was but when I show a friend, who owned an Avanti II,  the AQs and grabbed one buy random it was the issue. He thought I planed it out. 

[Ed M]

Avanti history seems to be a moving target.  He says the Avanti II was first produced in 1982, but my 1981 has a II on the front.

[Skip Lackie]

I think a lot of us would disagree with that statement -- there are several very good histories of Avanti that account for nearly every car.  The fact that someone didn't read them or misquoted known info doesn't mean that the history is not known.  The Altman Avantis all had the II on them unless the buyer specified its deletion.  Steve Blake deleted it when he bought the company.

[GlennW]

Maybe Fonzie will use it to jump a tank of sharks?

[ddyszel]

Isn't the Avanti trademarked name owned currently by an Indian company? That being said. a 1963 or 64 electric Avanti would be my dream car.

[StudeNorm]

I believe I have seem GM advertising an electric crate motor for dropping into small block equipped cars. Seems like a no-brainer for anyone wanting an electric Avanti, or any other Stude since we know the small block easily fit into the Lark chassis.