Electric super cars are no longer the stuff of fantasy, and now more details have been revealed about the latest design – the Velozzi Supercar.
Velozzi is a Los Angeles based car designer and manufacturer and it will launch its supercar later this year, along with a SOLO crossover vehicle that will be available from 2011.
The cars will benefit from Capstone Turbine’s C65 and C30 microturbines respectively with Capstone stating that these would be the first production automotive applications of its microturbines that have previously been used in buses, trolleys and shuttles. Capstone originally introduced a prototype range-extended electric supercar using one of its 30kW C30 microturbines as the generator unit in November 2009. Known as the CMT-380, it remains in the design and test phase and is being developed in partnership with Electronic Arts Chief Creative Director Richard Hilleman.
The microturbines can run on compressed natural gas, bio-diesel, diesel, ethanol, methanol, propane and even jet fuel. They produce ultra low emissions and require less maintenance than the traditional combustion engines found in today’s hybrid cars.
As for the Velozzi Supercar itself, it will be powered by a 770hp AC-induction electric motor that is charged by an on-board Capstone C65 microturbine. It can accelerate from 0-60mph in three seconds and reach a top speed in excess of 200mph. The cars will operate on 100 per cent battery power and have a range of up to 200 miles. When they reach a pre-determined stage of discharge, the microturbine recharges the batteries on the fly to extend the range to up to 1,000 miles.
