A strange name for a supercar, you may be thinking. The Vanda Dendrobium is named after an orchid which is found in Singapore. The design of the car has been nature inspired, the honeycomb pattern being repeated in many aspects of the design. The roof which is rear hinged and the doors remind, in a rather dramatic manner, the petals of the orchid unfolding. The ‘Vanda Dendrobium’ is an electric supercar which can go up 200mph. The Singaporean company Vanda Electrics are the manufacturers of this hypercar. Read on to find out some more cool details about the Dendrobium:
Who is Vanda Electrics
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Vanda is a company specialising in electric mobility and battery technology, based in Singapore. Vanda has introduced the Dendrobium as a project to generate awareness and interest in the brand. The MotoChimp scooter and Ant Truck, both EV, are its other projects.
The Dendrobium can go into production
After a look at the car, you hope that this car would go into production. Company officials are still debating the fact. It all depends on the response the car receives at the Geneva Auto Show. If it gets a good response, the Dendrobium will be on road, and only a handful of these cars would be manufactured, with the collaboration of Williams Advanced Engineering. And the price would be in the seven figure range. The car would be on the road two years after the company decides to put it into production.
According to company officials, the car’s concept was in existence since the 90s but the manufacturers were waiting for the battery tech to be advanced enough for the concept to be realised.
How fast is it?
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The Dendrobium’s projected performance is impressive – 0-62 mph – 2.6 sec, and 200mph top speed. The engineers were aiming for a weight of 1750 kg. The range, powertrain configuration and power have not been finalised so far. Right now, the car has been designed to use multiple gears at the rear and single gear at the front. On-board electric motors will power the wheels. The total output is expected to be in excess of 1000bhp.
Compelling design
The Dendrobium was designed in-house at Vanda. The automatic doors and roof open in a synchronized way, which resembles the Dendrobium flower. This automatic, synchronized opening improves cockpit access. The unique tear drop form extending from the cockpit to the tail was incorporated into the design from the earliest sketches of the car. Behind a panel on top of the charging light, is the plug-in port vehicle. The car boats of an aerodynamic floor, front splitter and a double diffuser at the rear. The light bar at the rear hovers elegantly above the car’s tail. The car’s design is distinctive due to its open fenders and multi-surfaces.
Passenger and battery protection is an important part of the design.
The sleek interior
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The Dendrobium has a monocoque chassis, carbon and ceramic brakes, lightweight callipers inside 21 and 20 inch rear and front wheels, Michelin tyres. The interior is mostly black but the driver seat is bright red. The passenger and driver seat designs are inspired by muscle fiber definition. The leather for the seats was sourced from a company which supplies leather product with the least carbon footprint. This was done to decrease the Dendrobium’s carbon footprint even lower.
The digital dashboard has hexagon shaped buttons which is a repetition of the nature inspired honeycomb design, which can be seen in the front grille, air vents and headlights. The rear view display is connected to cameras which allow the driver a better view of the rear. The car is expected to feature an electric powertrain with a battery made of lithium ion.
Work needs to be done on the driving position as it is not yet ideal. There is ample shoulder room though.
The Vanda Dendrobium is considerably ‘finished’, more than most concept cars, but much more has to be finalised before it can go into production. It’s not a conventional supercar, but it’s aimed more towards technology fans, especially those interested in green cars.
The Dendrobium is a zero emission supercar from Vanda Electrics, a project from the company to revolutionise eco-friendly cars using the latest technology.
