Ioniq 5

Make
Hyundai
Segment
SUV

The SEMA show is often thought of as a place where aftermarket companies show off styling and performance upgrades, and with all the modified vehicles on display there each year, it's not an unfair reputation. But the show is also about showcasing other new products that can improve efficiency and make transportation better.

Many of these products are presented to the public for the first time at SEMA, and one such invention will be displayed by Gig Performance. The company has developed a suspension accessory called the Roadkil 5000, which converts vibrations from the road into power, increasing efficiency for electric vehicles.

"Gig Performance is going to revolutionize how we capture lost energy in vehicles across America," said CEO Brandon Barkdull. "Our product is helping EVs charge on the go so you can stay on the road longer. Range is the biggest obstacle to EV adoption - we're excited to help solve this issue with our technology."

The patent-pending technology is promised to be easy to install and monitor and can act as a dynamic suspension system for both on- and off-road applications. "It is an intricate system and process," says the company's CTO, Craig Cod. "This has been one of the greatest solutions of my career."

Since this product will be presented for the first time at SEMA, and since patents are still pending, Gig Performance has not revealed much detail about how the system works. But Physics 101, specifically the law of conservation, tells us that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only converted from one form to another. Basically, it seems that the vibrations and bumps from the road (kinetic energy) are harnessed and routed back to the battery (where it will be stored as electrical energy), which means that this add-on would not need its own battery and should impose a minimal, if not negligible, weight penalty. The images here show it on an 18-wheeler, where it's likely to make the biggest impact, but we suspect that this product could very soon make its way to regular EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Tesla Model 3.

The product will be displayed in show booth #10219 from November 1-4.