Dendrobium Automotive has confirmed plans to bring its electric D-1 hypercar to production in the United Kingdom.
The D-1 is planned to be an all-electric hypercar, with construction almost entirely of carbon composites, and a powertrain that pulls juice from state-of-the-art solid-state batteries that will use glass and conductive plastics as its electrolyte. Power goals are 1,800 horsepower and 1,475 foot-pounds of torque, and the target weight is 1,750 kilograms (3,858 pounds).
Originally penned by Singaporean designer Ban Yinh Jheow in the 1990s, the D-1’s design was finalized in 2016 when Dendrobium commissioned a concept vehicle, whose construction would be handled by Formula 1-derived engineering firm Williams Advanced Engineering. After the D-1 concept was favorably received at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2017, and later at other automotive events, Dendrobium registered itself as a U.K.-based company, and began to lay groundwork for the car’s manufacturing.
Key to Dendrobium’s efforts to establish a new premium carmaker from the ground up in a market flooded with boutique luxury automakers is its experienced and knowledgable management. Dendrobium’s CEO Nigel Gordon-Stewart has been in the supercar biz for almost three decades, directing sales and marketing for the McLaren F1 and establishing Lamborghini’s Super Veloce brand.
“Dendrobium Automotive is one of the most exciting businesses I’ve ever been involved with,” explained Gordon-Stewart in a company release.
“Using the very latest technology, we are developing what will be the most impressive all-electric hypercar. We are designing our own in-house all-electric powertrain and we plan to use our own power storage cells moving to solid state as and when the technology is reliable and financially viable. We are developing unique cabling and connector systems as well as our own complete vehicle integration and ADAS hardware and software. From a technical perspective, the D-1 will be a British engineering tour-de-force.”
Dendrobium’s D-1 remains no more than a show car at present, but the company promises finalized specifications for the car will arrive in the coming months.
The Drive reached out to clarify whether Dendrobium based the D-1’s “Protocell” carbon tub on Williams Advanced Engineering’s FW-EVX electric vehicle platform, and we will update when we receive a response.