- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr Ar He
Drako. California miracle
Drako or Drako Motors is an automotive company located in Silicon Valley (California, USA), famous for the concentration of new ideas and pioneering developments. But even there, in this ‘place of power’, no one expected an unknown young startup to achieve its goals. The ambitious company managed to create its own unique product and also sell it for 1.25 million dollars, that’s how much Drako Motors' first Drako GTE electric car cost. A true Californian miracle! Drako focused on a single mission “to build stunning, driver-optimized supercars that deliver dizzying performance with maximum control and safety on the road”. And it succeeded.
Silicon Valley is a territory southwest of San Francisco in the state of California (USA) with a large number of high-tech companies related to the development and production of computers and their components, microprocessors, software, mobile communication devices, biotechnology, etc.
Know how
Drako was founded by entrepreneurial engineers Dean Drako and Shiv Sikand. In fact, the company is named after one of the founders. They assembled a team of engineers who have been working on a 4-door electric sports car for about a decade. When development was finished, Drako decided to make a splash by arriving at Monterey Car Week. Producing incredibly dynamic supercars is no easy task. Problems with handling can lead to loss of control on the track, especially in adverse weather conditions, and it didn’t sit well with the young engineers. Drako and Sikand wanted to eliminate these dangerous conditions while “creating a superior driving experience using a unique all-wheel-drive solution”. They described their goal as follows: “We must be able to transmit positive and negative torque to each of the four wheels”.
‘The advent of an electric vehicle and software technology progressive development have created a new world of engineering possibilities for exhilarating performance, precise control and greater safety’
Therefore, Drako Motors installs four motors on its models, which, thanks to complex software algorithms, allow precise traction control on each wheel. This provides a level of control that cannot be compared to the traditional solutions with only one motor and mechanical differential. The Drako DriveOS operating system calculates a new torque command for each wheel 1,000 times per second, providing unparalleled agility and incredible safety on any surface.
Model range
Drako GTE
Initially, the creators wanted to build a maneuverable supercar, which would bring their product to a new level. The development was carried out for almost 10 years, and finally, in 2019, the manufacturer showed the long-awaited result at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (USA). Each car was valued at 1.25 million dollars. Externally, the car resembled its donor, the Karma Revero GT, former Fisker Karma, from which the car borrowed its bodywork and chassis. However, the body panels of the Drako GTE are original, partly in fiber of carbon. The car turned out to be beautiful, Lowie Vermeersch, who designed models of Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, was responsible for its appearance. The supercar was driven by four synchronous electric motors, which together produced 1,200 hp. Each motor is for its own wheel. The total torque reached 8,880 Nm. All this has made it possible to implement thrust vector control not only by reducing thrust, but also by activating the each wheel recuperation mode.
Drako Dragon
The second model is an electric coupe-like SUV, which, thanks to crazy power and thrust, as well as a changeable ground clearance of up to 31 cm, can be considered an SUV. Ground clearance is 163mm in standard Tarmac mode, 213mm in Cruise and a maximum of 315mm in Overland mode. The vehicle is distinguished by spectacular rising doors reminiscent of dragon wings, one on each side. The SUV has 5 seats, while the length of the body is more than 5 meters. The vehicle took the degree of craziness to new heights. The Drako Dragon received an even more powerful Quad Motor engine, also consisting of four electric motors, but already producing 2,028 hp, thanks to which it became the fastest and most powerful production SUV in the world. The 2,254 kg vehicle accelerates to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 1.9 seconds and develops a top speed of over 320 km/h, and also tows a trailer weighing 1.6 tons! On a single charge, the coupe-like SUV can travel up to 676 km on the US EPA cycle. The Dragon costs 290,000 dollars and its production will begin in 2026.
