Drako GTE: a Four-Motor Electric Grand Tourer from Silicon Valley
The Drako GTE is a four-seat electric sports saloon built by Drako Motors in San Jose, California. The company showed it to invited guests in August 2019 and planned only 25 examples. Underneath is a Karma Revero GT, re-engineered with a separate electric motor at each wheel and 895 kW (1,217 PS) in total. Its main idea is software: instead of mechanical differentials, a control system decides a thousand times per second how much torque each wheel receives.
Key takeaways
- Public debut in August 2019 at the Quail Motorsports Gathering in California; limited series of 25 cars.
- Four permanent-magnet motors of 225 kW each: 895 kW (1,217 PS) and about 8,800 Nm at the wheels.
- 90 kWh lithium-ion battery at 450 V, range of 402 km (Wikipedia); DC fast charging at up to 150 kW.
- Top speed 332 km/h; kerb weight 2,404 kg; four seats.
Drako GTE at a glance
| Specification | Drako GTE |
|---|---|
| Production | from 2019 (model year 2020), San Jose, California (USA) |
| Cars built | limited series of 25 |
| Body | four-door, four-seat sports saloon |
| Base | Karma Revero GT (derived from the Fisker Karma) |
| Drive | four motors, one per wheel, all-wheel drive |
| Power | 4 × 225 kW; total 895 kW (1,217 PS) |
| Torque | 8,800 Nm at the wheels (Drako, Wikipedia) |
| Battery | 90 kWh lithium-ion, 450 V |
| Range | 402 km (Wikipedia) |
| Kerb weight | 2,404 kg |
| Top speed | 332 km/h |
The brand's page in our catalogue is the Drako catalogue, and the full list of makes is in the car catalogue. For a fast electric car from an established sports-car maker, see our Lotus Evija article.
The company behind the car
Drako Motors was founded in Silicon Valley by the American entrepreneurs Dean Drako and Shiv Sikand. Both come from the technology industry: Dean Drako founded Barracuda Networks, Eagle Eye Networks and IC Manage, and Shiv Sikand is a co-founder of IC Manage with a background in microprocessor design and real-time operating systems.
The team brought in experienced car people. Drako names Lowie Vermeersch, a former design director at Pininfarina and head of the Italian design house GranStudio, as chief designer of the GTE. Its vice-president for vehicle engineering, Eric Dahl, had earlier helped to launch the Fisker Karma as an engineering director. According to the company, the GTE was the result of almost a decade of development behind closed doors.
From Karma Revero to GTE
Wikipedia describes the GTE as based on the Karma Revero GT, a derivative of the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid. Drako replaced the drivetrain completely with its own electric system. The body is a four-seat grand tourer with a cut-off "Coda Tronca" tail, a front splitter, a rear diffuser and three large air intakes in the lower nose.
Under the skin Drako lists an aluminium spaceframe, with body panels of carbon fibre composite and aluminium stampings. Inside, the seats are trimmed in hand-stitched leather and Alcantara, and buyers can choose from a wide range of colours and materials.
Four motors and a software differential
Each wheel has its own permanent-magnet synchronous motor rated at 225 kW, and each motor has its own inverter that can deliver from +225 kW to −225 kW. According to Drako, every motor drives its wheel through a direct-drive gearbox with a reduction ratio of 5.56:1. Wikipedia instead mentions a two-speed transmission.
| Figure | Drako GTE |
|---|---|
| Motors | 4 × 225 kW permanent-magnet synchronous |
| Total power | 895 kW (1,217 PS) |
| Wheel torque | 8,800 Nm (Drako's spec table: 8,880 Nm) |
| Differential torque | up to 4,400 Nm between the wheels |
| Battery | 90 kWh, 450 V, 900 kW continuous |
| Top speed | 332 km/h |
The key element is DriveOS, Drako's own software platform. It replaces the mechanical differentials of a conventional all-wheel-drive car and computes a new torque command for each wheel every millisecond. Torque can be applied positively or negatively to each wheel. Drako quotes up to 4,400 Nm of differential torque, with 2,200 Nm of drive on the outside wheels and 2,200 Nm of braking on the inside wheels. The company says that this reduces understeer and oversteer.
The driver adjusts the system with four "Quattro Manettino" switches for torque vectoring and slip, front-to-rear power split and regenerative braking. Six modes are offered: RACE, TRACK, DRY, RAIN, SNOW and ICE.
Battery and charging
The 90 kWh lithium-ion battery works at 450 V and delivers a constant 900 kW to the motors. Drako gives a continuous current of up to 1,800 A and peaks of 2,200 A. For cooling, the battery uses carbon fibre technology supplied by KULR Technology Group, and the company says it draws on technology developed for the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover.
The onboard charger accepts 15 kW of alternating current, and DC fast charging is possible at up to 150 kW. The car is compatible with the J1772, CCS and CHAdeMO standards. Wikipedia gives a range of 402 km on one charge.
Chassis, brakes and wheels
The suspension uses forged aluminium A-arms of unequal length and Öhlins dampers adjustable in four ways. Stopping power comes from Brembo carbon ceramic discs, gripped by six pistons per caliper in front and four behind.
Two packages are offered. The road package has 21-inch forged monoblock wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. The track package uses 20-inch three-piece forged wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, a track battery and track-tuned suspension. The kerb weight is 2,404 kg, according to Wikipedia.
Testing and track debut
Drako tested the GTE on ice and snow, including a drive over the Continental Divide at temperatures below 0 °C. The car's track debut took place at the Thermal Club Raceway. It was driven there by Valentino Balboni, the former chief test driver of Lamborghini. The company also published a comparison with a Tesla Model S P100D.
From GTE to Dragon
After the GTE, Drako announced a second model, the Dragon. It is an all-electric SUV engineered in Silicon Valley and designed and built in Italy, with a quoted 1,491 kW (2,000 hp) and a top speed of over 200 mph. It uses the same quad-motor concept and the DriveOS control system.
Photo gallery
FAQ
How powerful is the Drako GTE?
Its four electric motors produce 225 kW each, for a total of 895 kW (1,217 PS) and about 8,800 Nm of torque at the wheels.
How many Drako GTEs were built?
The GTE was launched as a limited series of 25 cars, built in San Jose, California, from 2019.
What car is the Drako GTE based on?
The Karma Revero GT, a derivative of the Fisker Karma. Drako replaced the drivetrain with its own four-motor electric system.
How fast is the Drako GTE?
The top speed is 332 km/h. The sources give no official 0–100 km/h time.
