Velozzi's plug-in hybrid sports car and sedan, pictued above, will use diesel-powered microturbines to recharge their batteries
Secretive boutique electric car designer Velozzi said Thursday it plans a high-end plug-in electric hybrid with a driving range of up to 1,000 miles.
The Los Angeles company that intends to begin shipping cars late this year says the extended driving range will come from a diesel-powered microturbine designed to switch on when the lithium ion batteries need charging.
The news was released in a press statement announcing the company’s decision to use microturbines from Capstone Turbine. The deal is Capstone’s first with a carmaker.
The projected driving range is unusually long for an electric car and could prove a selling point for Velozzi. Many plug-in hybrids anticipate ranges of several hundred miles, and many all-electrics expect less than 100.
Velozzi plans two vehicles, a high-performance sports car and a lower-priced mass-market model. Both will be constructed with carbon-fiber nano tubes to reduce weight.
The sports car will come with a 770 horsepower electric motor, reach 60 mph in 3 seconds and be outfitted with a 65-kolowatt microturbine. Batteries will take the car 200 miles before the turbine kicks in. The car is to reach the market this year.
The Solo, which the company describes as a crossover vehicle, will have a 30-kilowatt turbine. That suggests a reduced driving range. It is to ship in 2011.
No prices for the cars have been released. However, estimates suggest a $100,000 sticker for the sports car, comparable to Tesla’s Roadster. The Solo is expected to be closer to $35,000.
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