Meet the shock star of the 2010 Paris motor show. This is the Jaguar C-X75 – a turbine-powered electric supercar concept with scarcely believable levels of technology and power.  ‘Designed as a range-extended electric two-seater supercar, it explores the outer limits of both performance and sustainability’, says Jaguar. The performance aspect is taken care of quite nicely by a 968bhp maximum power output, while the ability to go zero emissions in electric mode (for 68 miles) and recharge the batteries with efficient micro gas turbines caters for the sustainability aspect. Average CO2 emissions of 28g/km are also particularly startling.  That power figure is twinned with 1180lb ft of torque, and helps hustle the 1350kg C-X75 to 62mph in 3.4sec and to 100mph in a staggering 5.5sec, while the quarter-mile sprint is rattled off in 10.3sec. Top speed is 205mph. Ok, but what about the FE/MPGs? :noidea: More.
Very interesting.. though my understanding is that much of the increased efficiency of a microturbine comes from capturing the heat. But they're still lighter than an engine, so I suppose you get a lot of benefits there for a vehicle.
I thought that I was being clever with the Volt - Jolt similarity. Little did I know at the time: "The internal combustion engine is dying. Its death throes may take 20 years, but make no mistake: the end is coming. And that’s an excellent thing, since as you’ll read in JOLT!, EVs represent a better, faster, and cheaper mode of transportation. Ending our nation’s reliance on foreign oil and helping the planet along is great. But the real reason EVs will come to dominate the personal transportation market—cars, SUVs, vans, and pick-up trucks—over the next couple of decades is that they make financial sense to the consumer. Bottom line: they are cheaper to operate and maintain than gas-powered vehicles. (And as you’ll learn, they’re an absolute blast to drive.) Just as consumers ultimately powered the computer and Internet revolutions, consumers will propel the EV revolution as well. Americans will adopt EVs in overwhelming numbers—in the process driving yet another paradigm shift of massive proportions." More. And its release date is tomorrow, Oct 1. What a coincidence! And an alternate view where the future of the electric car and Western economies that produce it isn't so clear.
