The Russian company Kalashnikov is famous throughout the world for its legendary machine guns. These guns are immortalized in the legend “AK-47”, which like it’s less impressive American counterpart the M-16.
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Now, Kalashnikov has introduced a new instrument of mayhem, directed perhaps against the adoptive American supercar developer Elon Musk. It is the CV-1 electric supercar.
This baby has it all: LED headlamps, racing wheels, a very Soviet 1970’s retro look (after the Izh-Kombi), and more importantly, long range per charge. AFP News reports that this car has a range of some 350km (217 miles) on a single charge.
That places this in a parallel capability with the Tesla Model 3’s 220 mile range. The Tesla retails for US $35,000.
Sputnik News reports that the CV-1 will hold a nominal power output of 220 kilowatts, with a maximum output of 500 kilowatts. This can be compared with the 50 kilowatt output of the UV-4 electric vehicle, which is able to maintain a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour (50 mph).
The CV-1 is advertised to make 0-100 km/h in under six seconds. While that is far slower than Teslas offer, it is still a very impressive figure. And with projections of at least four times the output of the UV-4, this vehicle promises true supercar status.
The CV-1 is to the UV-4 then, what Tesla’s cars are to the “traditional” electric car.
Kalashnikov has been expanding its product line over the last several years, branching out from machine guns and tanks to clothing lines, umbrellas and mobile phone covers.
The retro design generated amusement among Russian viewers of the prototype.
The CV-1’s light blue color, large grill, retro door handles and boxy frame has received mixed reviews from Russians.
On social media, some described the car as “cyberpunk” while others referred to it as the “Izh-Zombie.”
“Your tanks are great, but it would be better if you stayed away from cars,” one user wrote on the company’s official Facebook page.
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