Is There a Future for Electric Sports Cars?
Everyone is getting on the electric car bandwagon – From Tesla to BMW, Chevy and even Toyota. Before, the main focus was on sheer eco-friendliness, but now Sports and Luxury are becoming just as important for auto makers, as their research and development people construct the hybrid/electric vehicles we may all one day drive. But there are many obstacles up against those who take money away from Big Oil and Governments. Yet, it doesn’t stop foreign auto companies from putting together some fancy hybrid rides. Check out our favs below.
BMW Concept ActiveE: 1-Series Goes Electric
BMW’s ActiveHybrid series is one of the most ambitious luxury alternative fuel concepts ever imagined. The German auto maker claims its vehicle has a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 and a 40-kW electric motor. How much power that combination creates is a mystery thus far- although we know the 7 Series ActiveHybrid needs to be gas-electric, while the 5 Series can run on electric-only power. Now that’s impressive.
Mercedes CLS – F800 Style Edition
One of the more spectacular options that goes along with owning a Mercedes F800 is its lithium-ion battery pack can be recharged from household currents or local charging station. Convenient! Mercedes says its F-Cell technology also could be adapted to the F800, bundling a 136-hp, rear-drive electric motor that generates 214 pound-feet of torque with a fuel cell stack. Range is said to be nearly 375 miles. The concept’s hybrid powertrain provides 0-60 acceleration in 4.7 seconds and a top speed limited to 155 mph, says Mercedes.
Tesla Roadster – Death Becomes It
One of the most infamous electric sports cars out there is Tesla’s Roadster. It’s been killed off several times already, and when the all-electric sports car seems like it’ll hit more dealerships outside of California, three Tesla execs die in a small plane crash. Conspiracy theory much? And just this week, Tesla Motors announced they will cease production of the Roadster in 2011. They already have a planned replacement, Model S, for 2013 – but the company needs to start paying off a $465 million loan with the Department of Energy. And you thought college loans were bad. We still have high hopes for Telsa – they’ve been through hell, which could make them stronger in the end.
5 by Peugeot – French Environmentalist Auto
Even the French are into going green. With their “5 by Peugeot” the auto maker has combined a luxury hybrid with the speediness of German cars. It uses a front-mounted 163 bhp 2.0-liter diesel engine, which works with a 27 kW electric motor at the back. The two combine for 147 kW / 200 PS when both systems are in use, providing power to all four wheels. At low speeds, the 5 goes all-electric, and has upwards of 61.9 MPG US. Too bad we’ll never see a Peugeot in ‘Merica outside of their bicycles.
Electric Zamboni For 2010′s Vancouver Olympics
As more auto makers are turning to luxury hybrids, sports electric and plug-ins for the future of production models we are optimistic The Electric Car will survive – no matter what Government Black Ops have to say about them.
Now on a somewhat related, and embarrassing note – The electric Zamboni was part of Canada’s attempt at a green Vancouver Olympics, and was a failure not once, not twice, but thrice! According to Jalopnik, “The Canadian-built electric ice resurfacers (note: Zamboni is a brand of ice resurfacers, these are built by Olympia) used at the Richmond Olympic Oval are supposed to help the environment but it cost the second half of the 500M speedskating pairs after one ice-resurfacing machine couldn’t properly clean the ice. Then a second machine failed. Then they brought in a third and it, too, screwed up the course.” Good try, Canada – but leave the trendy green car stuff to Americans…and Europeans…and Japanese.
Sources: Jalopnik | Inside Line | Worldcarfans
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