Hybrid 'Hot Rods' of the (Near) Future

Already this year, we've seen one example of hybrid hot-rodding, when the son of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Al Gore III, was clocked doing over 100 mph in a Toyota Prius on I-5 in Orange County, Calif. Apple-co founder Steve Wozniak was also caught doing the same speed in a Prius, too. Clearly, the Prius is no wallflower in the power department.

Something else that should be zipping down the freeways of the Golden State soon is the Tesla Roadster, a $98,000 electric-powered sports car, whose chassis is based on the Lotus Elise. The car has generated so much interest among the monied eco set that Tesla has taken orders for 600 of the zippy vehicles, including deposits from the likes of California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and actor George Clooney.

Forget everything you've ever thought about electric cars being slow -- this one will make you forget that notion the first time you press the pedal to the metal. Tesla says the 0-60 mph time is around 4 seconds, with a top speed of 120 mph. Of course, zooming around like that will mean you'll have to charge the battery pack sooner, but they're claiming up to 200 miles between charges, which is a lot better than GM's EV-1 vehicle of the 1990s, which sometimes got less than 100 miles between charges.

David Vespremi, the public affairs manager of Tesla Motors, said that the Roadster, and a future sedan model, were meant to challenge the notion that ecologically-friendly "green" cars were some sort of punishment..."the automotive equivalent of broccoli."

Other manufacturers are not shy about innovating in the propulsion arena, either. Industry giant General Motors has several irons in the fire, including a sequential plug-in hybrid called the Chevrolet Volt, which was shown at last January's Detroit Auto Show. There are even rumors of a possible hybrid Chevy Camaro.

But you may not need a Camaro to get sizzling performance: Toyota tested a Prius at the famed Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, coaxing nearly 125 mph out of the hybrid hatchback. Not to be outdone, Ford tested a "green" car of its own -- a Ford Fusion with a hydrogen fuel-cell powerplant, which reached 200 mph on its test run on August 16. (Pictured. They may have wanted to go fast, but Ford said the test was conceived to test how aerodynamic improvements can result in the use of a smaller fuel cell.)

For the most serious performers in the eco-friendly need-for-speed category, look no further than the hybrid race cars that are already appearing. Toyota entered its Supra HR-V, with a highly modified hybrid powertrain, in Japan's 24-hour endurance race at the Tokachi racetrack -- and won by 19 laps.

Via : The Globe and Mail