One of the big themes of March’s Geneva show was the notion that green vehicles are moving from prototypes and pipedreams to actual production – regardless of whether the auto-buying public is ready for this. It is a bold move for automakers, particularly since there is no consensus on which technology will prevail. At a time when they are emerging from a crippling industry downturn, car companies will have to invest billions without knowing fully if the market is even there in the end.
“The time is past when companies only displayed studies,” said Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Duisburg, Germany. “Now the industry is moving toward hard facts.”
The possibilities? Pure battery power, some combination of batteries and internal combustion engines and more exotic solutions like hydrogen fuel cells.
A few all-electric cars are already on the market or nearly so in limited numbers. And some industry experts believe that such vehicles present an opportunity for carmakers to create a new market among well-heeled, environmentally conscious buyers.
The exciting news is that even sports car makers, bastions of internal combustion, are moving tentatively toward electric power. And with electric supercars, it is common knowledge that the Tesla has broken new ground not only in the emergence of electric vehicles, but in the perception of electric vehicles as having the capability of being high-end machines in their own right. The latest machine from the masters is the 2010 version of the Tesla Roadster Sport. The first thing to note about the updated model is the enhanced acceleration – 0-60 in the original Tesla Roadster takes an official 3.9 seconds, while the brand new model get there in 3.7.
It certainly does feel like a punchy improvement. The sport’s electric motor produces 280 lb-ft of torque and has also received a healthy horsepower bump to 288 over the standard model's 248.
LOTUS EVORA 414E HYBRID
While the Tesla was modeled on a Lotus Elise, Lotus itself has been hard at work developing technology of its own. Now, it and its Lotus Engineering arm have come together to build a concept car.
The Lotus Evora 414E is named for the total of 414 horsepower provided by a pair of electric motors that drive each rear wheel independently. The traction control system can vector torque to each rear wheel as needed to maximize stability.
Each motor puts out 295 foot-pounds of torque, resulting in 0-to-60-mph acceleration times that Lotus expects will be below 4 seconds – right in Tesla Roadster range. Drivers can also play with a "pseudo sports mode" system simulating a seven-speed paddle shifter.
The pair of motors are powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that is recharged by the 1.2-liter, three-cylinder range designed by Lotus Engineering and revealed at last fall's Frankfurt Motor Show.
Lotus says the all-electric range is a commute-friendly 35 miles, plus another 300 miles using the range extender.
PORSCHE 918 SPYDER CONCEPT
The stunning 918 Spyder from Porsche was a welcome surprise at the Show. Green car fans liked its efficiency, while car buffs all over the world drooled over its looks – and the tantalizing possibility that Porsche might get back into the supercar game.
A 500-horsepower 6.2 liter V8 engine doesn’t sound very green, but Porsche says the 918 Spyder can achieve 78 miles per gallon on the European cycle. And it’s definitely a supercar: 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, top speed 198 mph, and faster lap times around the Nurburgring than the Carrera GT.
The V8 drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed direct shift gearbox, with an electric motor contributing torque as well. A second motor powers the front wheels, with the pair of motors adding another 218 hp to the mix.
“The time is past when companies only displayed studies,” said Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Duisburg, Germany. “Now the industry is moving toward hard facts.”
The possibilities? Pure battery power, some combination of batteries and internal combustion engines and more exotic solutions like hydrogen fuel cells.
A few all-electric cars are already on the market or nearly so in limited numbers. And some industry experts believe that such vehicles present an opportunity for carmakers to create a new market among well-heeled, environmentally conscious buyers.
The exciting news is that even sports car makers, bastions of internal combustion, are moving tentatively toward electric power. And with electric supercars, it is common knowledge that the Tesla has broken new ground not only in the emergence of electric vehicles, but in the perception of electric vehicles as having the capability of being high-end machines in their own right. The latest machine from the masters is the 2010 version of the Tesla Roadster Sport. The first thing to note about the updated model is the enhanced acceleration – 0-60 in the original Tesla Roadster takes an official 3.9 seconds, while the brand new model get there in 3.7.
It certainly does feel like a punchy improvement. The sport’s electric motor produces 280 lb-ft of torque and has also received a healthy horsepower bump to 288 over the standard model's 248.
LOTUS EVORA 414E HYBRID
While the Tesla was modeled on a Lotus Elise, Lotus itself has been hard at work developing technology of its own. Now, it and its Lotus Engineering arm have come together to build a concept car.
The Lotus Evora 414E is named for the total of 414 horsepower provided by a pair of electric motors that drive each rear wheel independently. The traction control system can vector torque to each rear wheel as needed to maximize stability.
Each motor puts out 295 foot-pounds of torque, resulting in 0-to-60-mph acceleration times that Lotus expects will be below 4 seconds – right in Tesla Roadster range. Drivers can also play with a "pseudo sports mode" system simulating a seven-speed paddle shifter.
The pair of motors are powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that is recharged by the 1.2-liter, three-cylinder range designed by Lotus Engineering and revealed at last fall's Frankfurt Motor Show.
Lotus says the all-electric range is a commute-friendly 35 miles, plus another 300 miles using the range extender.
PORSCHE 918 SPYDER CONCEPT
The stunning 918 Spyder from Porsche was a welcome surprise at the Show. Green car fans liked its efficiency, while car buffs all over the world drooled over its looks – and the tantalizing possibility that Porsche might get back into the supercar game.
A 500-horsepower 6.2 liter V8 engine doesn’t sound very green, but Porsche says the 918 Spyder can achieve 78 miles per gallon on the European cycle. And it’s definitely a supercar: 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, top speed 198 mph, and faster lap times around the Nurburgring than the Carrera GT.
The V8 drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed direct shift gearbox, with an electric motor contributing torque as well. A second motor powers the front wheels, with the pair of motors adding another 218 hp to the mix.