HybridTechnologies
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Pedestrian Safety Act of 2009 to investigate the dangers of silent automobile engines
As automobiles become more eco-friendly, they're also becoming increasingly quieter... which is a good thing, if, like us, you want to live in a completely silent world (the blaring of Mastodon notwithstanding). The obvious problem with quieter vehicles is, of course that they can pose a real danger to unsuspecting pedestrians. To combat this terrifying prospect, Senators John Kerry (D, MA) and Arlen Spector (R, er... D, PA) have introduced The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009. This bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a study on what effects of hybrid, electric and other silent engine vehicles are having on pedestrian injuries and deaths in the US. The bill specifically focuses on the perils of quiet engines to blind pedestrians, but notes that the dangers are likely wider spread than that. While there are no possible solutions mentioned, may we suggest writing into law that you have to have a bullhorn strapped to your car and yell "vroom vroom" the entire time you drive?
Hybrid Technologies becomes EVII, adds two electric beasts to its conceptual stable
Remember Hybrid Technologies, the company that offers to rip the motor out of a Mini and then charge you close to $60,000 for the privilege? They've gone and changed their name to EV Innovations Inc., or EVII (which looks like EVIL if you squint), and along the way came up with a pair of new electric options. First is the Wave (pictured above), with a 170 mile range, 80 mph top speed, $34,900 price tag, and a body that looks something like a 996 Porsche Carrera left out in the sun too long. The other is the Inizio, the sports car (after the break) with beefy pushrod suspension, racy sport seats, adequate 170 mph top speed, generous 200 mile range, and aggressive $139,000 price tag. The company hopes to start building both next year, but since it can't decide between three or four wheels on the Wave and doesn't yet have a body to show for the Inizio, that could prove to be a bit optimistic.
Hybrid Tech building an electric Mini Cooper, will charge a bundle
Those crafty kids at Hybrid Technologies aren't just busy stuffing ridiculous amounts of power into teeny-tiny Mullen GT bodies, they've also set their sights on a more consumer friendly car: the Mini Cooper. Unfortunately, while electric Mini doesn't reach the six figures range like its L1X-75 counterpart, it'll still cost you $59,000 -- a full $40k more than a base Mini costs in its native gas version. The car is rated at about 120-160 miles in range from its lithium polymer batteries, and takes five hours to charge. The desire to build electric cars "that don't look like electric cars" is quite commendable, we just look forward to the day when it doesn't cost so dang much.[Via Autoblog]
Hybrid Technologies' all electric L1X-75 impresses off the line
No doubt we've seen our fair share of electric speedsters that can actually oust the more exotic (albeit fuel-powered) counterparts in off the line speed, but Hybrid Technologies' L1X-75 can rocket you from zero to sixty in a mere 3.1 oh-so-silent seconds. The 600-horsepower machine is crafted from a carbon-fiber frame, sports no luxurious amenities such as sheep skin floor mats, umbrellas in the boot, or even an AM radio, and can purportedly hit a top speed of around 175 miles-per-hour. Additionally, the eye-catching ride sports a 10,000 rpm redline, and the Li-ion-powered induction motors get all the juice it needs from your AC outlet. Unfortunately, there was no mention of when we'd see these sneaking into dealerships, but if you'll hit the read link below, you'll encounter a test drive video that shows off its fuel-shunning pizazz.[Via Slashdot]
