Can This Taiwanese Electric Car Company Defeat Tesla?

Competition drives innovation, but when it comes to innovating driving, it’s all-out war. While Elon Musk made waves with his Steve Jobs-esque “One More Thing” reveal of the next-generation Tesla Roadster last month, the speedy sports car is far from the only high-end electric supercar coming to a highway near you. Taiwanese startup XING Mobility is looking to dethrone Tesla as the reigning king of eco-friendly electric vehicles with a high-end supercar of their own. Dubbed the “Miss R,” XING’s prototype vehicle is designed to blur the lines between rally car and sports car, boasting some seriously impressive states.

[brightcove video_id=”5676635751001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=“rJs2ZD8x”]The vehicle can reportedly go from 0-100 KPH in 2.0 seconds and reach 200 KPH in 5.1 seconds, which will give the Tesla Roadster a serious run for its money. Its modular, LEGO-style battery pack houses 42 lithium-ion cells, which are immersed in 3m™ novec™ 7200 engineered fluid, which I assume is kind of like a Bacta tank for batteries. While the Miss R’s 155 miles per charge is still a far cry from the Tesla Roadster’s reported 620 miles per charge, it is a an auspicious debut from the Taipei automaker.

Unlike the Tesla Roadster, though, XING is designing the car with the intention of high-speed performance both on a racing track and off-road, so you can cruise the countryside in style no matter where you go. Although the Miss R is currently just a prototype, the company promises to have the vehicle production ready by next year. Of course, as we all know, the only way to really beat Tesla at their own game is to launch the Miss R in to space as soon as humanly possible.

But wait, there’s more! That’s not the only story on today’s episode of Muskwatch. Hosts Kyle Hill and Dan Casey will also be breaking down the mysterious, cigar-shaped asteroid that recently appeared in our solar system, as well as Elon Musk’s reaction to Boston Dynamics’ backflipping robot, Bill Gates’ plans to make a smart city in Arizona, and much more.

Muskwatch airs on Nerdist.com and  YouTube every Tuesdaybut you can hack the planet and watch it two full days earlier on Sunday if you’re an  Alpha subscriber. Find out how you can get 30 days free (and be 48 hours smarter than your dumb friends)  right here.

What do you think of this week’s top stories? What else would you like to see us discuss on Muskwatch? Let us know in the comments below!

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