Luxury Motoring Without the Gas Guzzlage

by Erin Mays (RSS feed)
Apr 27th 2007 at 11:02AM

Gas is getting more expensive, both politically and economically, yet we cringe to see the likes of Cameron Diaz and George Clooney in such un-glamorous vehicles as the Toyota Prius hybrid or Tango electric car.What's a politically and environmentally-conscious luxury car lover to do?

Hybrid Technologies has the answer. Check this out:

Ferrari F430: 660 hp, 0-60 in 3.3 seconds, mileage of 8 city/12 highway.

Hummer H1: 300 hp, maximum towing capacity of 9,303 lbs., mileage data not available because its curb weight exempts it from EPA testing, but estimates put the H1 at about 10 mpg... on diesel.

Hybrid Technologies' 2007 L1X-75: 600 hp, 0-60 in 3.1 seconds, runs on lithium batteries charged by a simple household 110-volt outlet.

In addition to sweet Italian-inspired roadster styling, lithium battery action means no gas guzzling. Plus, the only emissions coming from this vehicle are in the form of smoke rising from squealing tires.

With Hybrid Tech wooing potential distributors at the New York International Auto Show press preview this past week, you may be able to pick one of these babies up at a dealership near you in the not-too-distant future.

Tags: alternative fuels, AlternativeFuels, ferrari, fuel cell, FuelCell, hybrid, italian sports car, ItalianSportsCar, lamborghini, lithium, race car, RaceCar, sports car, SportsCar

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Henry Apr 27th 2007 1:09PM

Actually an F430 has 483 hp and as an EPA rating of 11/16.

The Ferrari Enzo Ferrari had 660hp and had an EPA rating of 8/12.

Notwithstanding you ignore that while it doesn't produce emissions, it does shift the emissions to where the electricity is produced. Further, how long do the batteries last and how harmful are they to dispose of? Suddenly green cars aren't looking so green...

Kane Apr 27th 2007 5:17PM

Henry,

While the emissions are shifted to the electricity production location those locations:
1. are MUCH more efficient than an ICE in a car. So the amount of emissions for the energy needed is reduced significantly.
2. Can be replaced with greener energy production mechanisms. You cant replace the engine with a greener engine but you can replace a generator with solar or wind or whatever.

If you are interested in this I suggest you read the Tesla Motors blog (http://www.teslamotors.com/) as they do a good job of discussing some of these issues.

Racetrack-Owner Apr 28th 2007 12:38PM

This thing falls seriously short in many areas.

It looks like a cartoon interpretation of a real exotic sports car. You might as well arrive in a Prius as this rather wanna-be looking machine.

The range is quoted at 100 miles. With a charge time of 8 to 10 hours, that's not especially exciting, and I'd be willing to bet that 100 mile range drops dramatically under non-ideal conditions.

Is this supposed to be "luxe" simply because it's expensive? (Presumably, anyway. I haven't been able to find non-speculative pricing anywhere.)