Vanderhall Brawley GTS brings quad-motor set-up and 404bhp to the party
The Vanderhall Brawley GTS has broken cover as an all-electric off-roader designed to deliver gravel-based grins.
The brainchild of Ohio-based bespoke vehicle maker, Vanderhall Motor Works, the Brawley GTS adopts a quad-motor setup to prove that EVs can match internal combustion-engined vehicles for off-the-beaten-track silliness.
The four in-wheel motors push a total of 404bhp and 484lb ft of torque to the radical off-roader’s corners: a setup providing better response and superior handling to a single or dual-motor setup on loose surfaces.
With a footprint roughly the same size as a Baja buggy, the Vanderhall Brawley GTS isn’t visually dissimilar to a downsized Jeep Wrangler.
Despite its big power and being restricted to the off-road only, the Brawley comes with creature comforts including seating for four, plus heated seats and air conditioning.
Fans of physical buttons can also rejoice, as the car’s main controls are managed by a series of dashboard-mounted toggle switches. The car’s absence of what has become standard EV tech is also reflected in analogue dials, and a long travel suspension.
Priced from $49,950 (around £37,000 at current exchange rates), the Vanderhall Brawley GTS comes with a 40kWh battery returning a range of up to 140 miles on a single charge. Vanderhall has yet to confirm whether the Brawley GTS will be sold outside the US.
Vanderhall isn’t the only manufacturer to adopt a quad in-wheel setup layout for better vehicle dynamics. Rimac adopted a similar layout for its all-electric hypercar, the Nevera, and Volkswagen is rumoured to be exploring a similar system on its rumoured ID Polo R.
Back in 2013, the quad-motor Tajima Rimac E-Runner Concept_One proved the strength of EVs on mixed surfaces after breaking the sub-10-minute barrier at Pikes Peak. More recently, the FIA World Rallycross Championship ran EVs as it sought to demonstrate the benefits of electrification in off-road motorsports.
