Four years ago, Canadian electronics engineering technologist Nap Pepin decided to buy a kit for a BugE electric vehicle. Not content with its out-of-the-box performance, he swapped in a lithium battery pack, and his own custom battery management system. This boosted its top speed from 80 km/h (50 mph) to 130 km/h (80 mph), and its range from around 48 km (30 miles) to 200 km (125 miles). For his next project, however, he wanted to build an EV from scratch. The result is his 197 km/h (122 mph) three-wheeled Lithium Hawk, which has just taken to the roads. We paid a visit to Nap for a closer look at his impressive machine.

The aluminum-framed Hawk incorporates 1,976 lithium cells, which power a 50 hp AC induction brushless motor. Although Pepin doesn't yet have range figures, he estimates that once the vehicle gets its aerodynamic bodywork, it should go around 240 km (150 miles) on one charge. Having test-driven it ourselves, we can attest to the fact that it also offers exhilaratingly fast acceleration!

Much more in the way of technical details can be found on the Lithium Hawk website, but before going there, check out our video below.