When we wrote about the Fresco Reverie and its ironic name – which means fantasy in French – we could not help but think about the many people and brands that attempted to become EV producers. One of them came immediately to our minds: Toroidion. And its fantastic hypercar, the 1MW, presented back in 2015. What has happened to them?
We tried to contact Toroidion a few days ago, but we got no reply. At least we did not receive the typical answer of deactivated email addresses, which leads us to think the company may be just dormant.
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In our articles here at InsideEVs, the main aspect that was highlighted was the amazing power the 1MW had. If the name is not enough to give you an idea, it had precisely 1 MW of power – or 1,341 hp. Way before we ever heard of the Pininfarina Battista or the Lotus Evija.
The only car that came close to the Toroidion 1MW was the Rimac Concept_One, with its 1,287 hp (960 kW). The difference is that the Rimac made it to production in 2016.
In the same year, I made my last contact with Toroidion and managed to obtain most of the car's technical specifications.
We already knew it used permanent magnet motors – four of them – and direct drive. The company claimed to use a 48V system that was able to operate at a relatively low current: 210A phase at maximum.
What I was able to report exclusively was that the 1MW was 170.1 in (4.32 m) long, 78.7 in (2 m) wide, and 46.5 in (1.18 m) tall. And that Its batteries allowed for a range of 320 mi (515 km). Their total capacity was not informed, but the reasonable range was possible due to its mass: only 1,896 lb (860 kg), with 49 percent of that over the front axle and 51 percent over the rear axle.
To reach 1 MW of power, it had two 268 hp (200 kW) motors at the front and two 402 hp (300 kW) motors at the rear. In my article back in 2016, Toroidion informed me that each front motor delivered 3,319 lb-ft (4,500 Nm) and each rear motor offered 5,532 lb-ft (7,500 Nm). But the company must have revised its numbers.
The Toroidion website informs that its 268 hp motor is able to generate 752 lb-ft (1,020 Nm). Much less than 3,319 lb-ft. And that the 300 kW motor delivers 1,129 lb-ft (1,530 Nm). A total torque of 3,762 lb-ft. Still a very respectable number, but not even close to the 17,702 lb-ft (24,000 Nm) the company told me the car had more than three years ago.
Another intriguing aspect of the car was that it did not have a fast-charging capacity. It preferred to have swappable battery packs. They would allow for an always ready-to-go vehicle and for slower charging, which would give the battery pack a longer lifespan.
Almost incredible numbers. Striking looks. And a proper presentation at the Top Marques Monaco. What has happened to Toroidion?
If you know Pasi Pennanen, founder of the company and developer of the car, ask him to contact us. If you are from Finland and can find out more about the company, let us know in the comments.
Toroidion promised to release the production version of the 1MW in 2018. But it is more than welcome to do this in 2019. Or 2020. We would just not like to hear that one more EV enterprise has left the building.
Gallery: Toroidion 1MW Concept Unveiled At Top Marques Monaco (w/video)
