The 2011 Paris Motor Show was a powerful illustration of auto industry efforts to capture the attention of those interested in low emission vehicles. A number of electric and hybrid concepts were presented including the hybrid Lotus City Car Concept.
The concept is powered by Lotus’ electric motor and a 1.2 litre, 3 cylinder Lotus Range Extender engine. The system’s total output is 162 kW (220 hp). In electric mode, the 240 Nm of torque are available and, at a weight of 1400 kg, the City Car accelerates from 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in 4.5 seconds, from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 170 km/h (105 mph). A charge sustaining top speed of 120 km/h, produces only 60 g/km of CO2 emissions.
The car’s driving range is 60 kilometers (37 miles), when in EV mode, but when in hybrid mode, the range goes up to 500 kilmeters (311 miles). The gasoline engine is only used to power the electric motor and charge the batteries, and it plays no role in propulsion. The engine is also designed for flex-fuel operation, and is able to run on regular gasoline, ethanol and methanol.
© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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