Alternative powertrain technologies continue to be important for the upcoming auto show in New York. Hybrid Technologies, Inc., will be rolling out its battery-powered sportscar, the LiX-75, next week.
And what a car. According to the company's head of business Richard Griffiths, the vehicle, which has solar panels on its trunk lid to boost its lithium ion batteries, can go from zero to 60 in three seconds with a top speed of 200 mph. Hopefully the range is greater than a quarter-mile.
The rest of the car was developed by a joint venture between Hybrid Technologies and Mullen Motor Company. (Pictured is the regular Mullen GT super car.)
[Source: Business Week]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
apt @ Apr 9th 2006 2:16PM
With the torque that one gets from electric motors, I'm not surprised.
If only we had something a bit more viable (or just cleanly-generated power to begin with).
Adam Singer @ Apr 9th 2006 2:41PM
Let's hope it looks nothing like a Mullen. Those are, without a doubt, the ugliest cars in the the world.
Speed42 @ Apr 9th 2006 2:59PM
Is that a fully-functional toilet seat on the hood?
sdn @ Apr 9th 2006 3:10PM
i think electric should be looked at more seriously as a potential automobile energy source. check out Automobile magazine's interview with Burt Rutan in the May edition. one of the main points is all the unused electrical capacity we have at night. the article makes a lot of sense to me.
Vinny @ Apr 9th 2006 3:39PM
I need to learn more about electric cars. I didn't realize high performance electric motors needed such large air intakes.
Vinny @ Apr 9th 2006 3:43PM
Is it all electric or hybrid? What's with the exhaust tips?
jeff @ Apr 9th 2006 3:55PM
i've got enough experience with electric vehicles to know that you've gotta have pretty decent cooling to make sure you don't melt stuff. Considering how much power this thing's gotta be capable of putting out for those kinds of numbers, I'm sure it generates tons of heat, explaining the need for air intakes... But as for those exhaust tips..... maybe this isn't even a picture of the right car? I guess if air's going in, its gotta come out somewhere, maybe exhaust tips are just a cool look for vents, make it seem more like a regular car? i have no clue.
stan @ Apr 9th 2006 4:00PM
It specificaly states that the pictue is of a regular Mullen GT super car, therefore explaining the exhaust tips, and possible the vents for that matter.
x23 @ Apr 9th 2006 4:02PM
provided the batteries are recharged by absorbing looks of disgust... you should get *excellent* range! you should be able to drive weeks without plugging in!
Conor @ Apr 9th 2006 4:25PM
Vinny-
its electric. look at the headline. duh. also, it said the regular mullen gt super car is shown. not the electric version. duh.
evguy @ Apr 9th 2006 7:31PM
hmmm and electric car with exhaust pipes? What's wrong with this picture. For me, I think an electric car should have a plug like the xebra from ZAP at www.zapworld.com. I also like the price better too, at $8995.
Vinny @ Apr 9th 2006 9:12PM
Stan:
Thanks for catching my oversite. I read over it too fast.
Mitsufan @ Apr 9th 2006 10:22PM
The electric car race is indeed an interesting one. In Japan it's mainly a shootout between Subaru and Mitsubishi. Subaru has released a small car calles the R1e, but Mitsubishi still has the dominant position with several versions of its MIEV (Mitsubishi In-wheel Electric Vehicle). Subaru may beat Mitsu to the punch (Scooby says 2008 to Mitsu's 2010), but Mitsu is rumored to be accelerating R&D to match. Mitsu's in-wheel motors mean that there's no drivetrain or diff, so you can basically lay out the car however you want.
I imagine that electric cars will be the next step after hybrids, charged by either cheaper nighttime electricity or home-based fuel-cells. Fuel-cell vehicles, while a great idea, still have to contend with problems like weight, extreme pressure, and technology that has not yet been put through crash-testing. EVs are less sci-fi, but may be the best practical step for commuters, ambulances, taxis, buses, and other fixed-route / short-range vehicles.
jim @ Apr 10th 2006 1:06AM
"Solar panels on the trunk lid" . What will they power the cigarette lighter? This company "Hybrid Technologies, has had Jay Lenno and Volkswagen already demand that they remove misreprsentative press releases from their website. Don't be surprised if the range of this car is less than a mile, yet alone if they ever sell one !!!!
Joad @ Apr 10th 2006 1:07AM
Lighten up - maybe those exaust pipes are really where the oil sqirts out to make the driver behind you wreck, and hopefully loose the race. ( I mean it is a bad ass race car and all).
Embrace the future with the acceptance and support for electric vehicles- gas is sadder than a horse drawn buggy, but we all seem to...................yea, toilet seats man, that's what it is.
(The first porsche was an electric motor- went 35 mph)
amp @ Apr 10th 2006 8:06AM
Any idea on how much this car will weigh? Sure it's fast in a straight line, but how will those batteries affect it in the turns? I'm still kind of partial to the Venturi Fetish, if for no other reason than aesthetics alone. The price tag is a bit more than steep though.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2004/10/venturi_fetish.php
Gary @ Apr 10th 2006 9:01AM
Umm, what are the exhaust pipes for? Is that like the toy trains that you put water into and they steam??
Howard Kerr @ Apr 10th 2006 9:24AM
This car had to have been designed by someone with a "fondness" for Altezza-type lighting. The headlight surrounds are HUGE, while the lights themselves are small projector units. The back half looks like a '70s Japanese or '80s Korean economy sedan that has had it's roof removed. If this is the car "they ended up with" you have to wonder what it looked like before the finishing touches were applied.
Somewhere there's a 12 year old screaming "they stole my design".
Kit Cars @ Apr 10th 2006 9:55AM
Hybrid cars that run on fuel and electric is very good but to get a high performance sports car in hybrid mode, oh my god i think im in heaven.
Justin Bell @ Apr 13th 2006 9:17AM
When are they going to hire some designers to go along with their team of engineers?