2017-06-15Staff Report 2 Staff Reporter The former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond was airlifted to hospital last week in Switzerland after being involved in a car crash while in Switzerland filming his new Amazon show. The 47-year-old had to be pulled from the wreckage of a Rimac supercar worth N$25 million, which burst into flames seconds after he was out of the car. So what car nearly burnt Hammond to death? Well, it is called the ‘Concept_One’. Actually it is a Rimac Concept_One. Hammond was testing this new production vehicle which the motor heads have all been waiting for. The car is an electric sports car, meaning it does not use the combustion engine. Yet it can sprint from nothing to 100 km/h in 2,5 seconds, has a power output of 900 kilowatts, and top speed of 355km/h. According to Rimac Automobili, the manufacturer of the car that was founded nine years ago, the electric motor in the car offer numerous advantages compared to combustion engines. “Rimac Automobili’s unique powertrain is divided into four sub-systems. Each system consists of a separate electric powertrain with an independent inverter, motor and gearbox for each wheel of the car. This engineering masterpiece enables us to control each wheel independently, hundreds of times each second, in both directions, delivering an unforgettable driving experience,” said Rimac in a statement. Nevertheless, Rimac said it is investigating the cause of the crash and why the car burnt. It also wished Hammond a speedy recovery. “Richard was conscious and talking, and climbed out of the car himself before the vehicle burst into flames. He was flown by Air Ambulance to hospital in St Gallen to be checked over, revealing a fracture to his knee.” “Nobody else was in the car or involved in the accident, and we’d like to thank the paramedics on site for their swift response. The cause of the crash is unknown and is being investigated.” 2017-06-15Staff Report 2
