Aussie entrepreneur behind Rodin FZero hypercar reveals move from biturbo V10 to EV propulsion
Aussie tech billionaire David Dicker is switching to electric as he looks to build a world-beating automotive speed machine.
Dicker, whose $2.5 billion Dicker Data computer sales business has given him the spending power to turn his automotive fantasies into reality, intends to create a world-first electric road rocket.
It comes after his first move into car-making, at a purpose-built factory and racetrack in New Zealand, with a single-seater fun car that comes close to the performance of a Formula 1 car.
Dicker’s brand is Rodin, and his program is a cost-no-object dream machine.
“We’re building an electric road car. We haven’t announced the detail yet. I’ve got the car basically designed, so we can do a scale model and start from there,” Dicker revealed to carsales.
“Most people will think it’s so far out they won’t deal with it. But high-end cars have become a bit boring, so we want to shake it up.
“We were going to build a petrol hybrid road car, and still might, but petrol engines are dead for politicians. So we decided to go to a full-electric car and then we wouldn’t have to make any excuses.
“It is based on the same design concept as the petrol hybrid car, but with a bit more ground clearance and windscreen wipers and things.”
The original Rodin FZed was near as possible to a grand prix car, complete with a naturally-aspirated V10 engine, and the Rodin FZero that followed was intended to be a closed-wheel road car with a cabin canopy like a jet fighter.
Now Dicker is switching the Rodin FZero concept to battery-electric motivation with the aim of creating a Down Under dream machine.
“The full-electric car is a road car, and the other car is a track car. The problem with the petrol car is that emissions certification is an enormous issue. It’s a hell of a lot of mucking around.
“We’re actually trying to build a sports car here. It will be a single-seater. People think it’s a bad idea, but I wanted to do it. We will build a two-seater as well.”
All the Rodin Cars talk seems like dramatic dreams, except that Dicker has already built his track and his manufacturing facility, and the first five of his open-wheeler track cars.
“We’ve got five of those in build. We’ve got two finished, two nearly finished and one that’s not as close,” he said.
Despite building an ‘experience centre’ in Britain, Dicker admits he over-estimated demand for such an extreme track car.
“We’ve sold one of them. To be honest, the market for single-seat, maximum-performance track cars wasn’t as strong as I thought it would be. But we’re not giving up,” he said.
Dicker’s drive comes from the IT distribution company he established in 1978, selling hardware and software to dealers, and it also provides the cash.
He is now mostly based in Dubai, but maintains strong ties to Australia and new Zealand.
Although he is shifting focus to electric, Dicker says the first petrol-powered Rodin FZero is nearly ready to run.
“The aim with this car is to build a car quicker than a current Formula 1. And I’m still confident that we can do that,” he said.
“We’ll have a prototype of that going in two or three months. We’re making pretty good progress. It’s a petrol engine, a 4.0-litre twin-turbo 10-cylinder.
“This engine is a brand-new design, a clean-sheet from ground zero. We haven’t weighed the finished engine yet but the target was 125kg.
“It’s a maximum-performance thing. The gearbox is an eight-speed dog box from Ricardo, with a titanium case. And electric motor fits on the front of the crankshaft.”
Even before the first car is finished, Dicker is talking enthusiastically about demand, with both petrol and electric power.
“We’re going to make 27 cars for the public. So probably build about 30 cars in total,” he said.
“We’ll probably build a prototype of the road car in New Zealand. But they are not making it easy these days.”
Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at [email protected]
Keyword: New Zealand hypercar switches to electric