British Millionaire Uses Taxpayer Money to Build Himself Electric Supercar

Dale Vince, the founder of Gloucestershire-based wind farm company Ecotricity, has paid a team of engineers £1 million (US$1.6 million) to transform a second-hand Lotus Exige into Britain's first road legal electric supercar, the Nemesis. The kicker is that £400,000 (US$646,000) of that £1 million was sourced from the British Government's Technology Strategy Board, with no plans as yet to put the vehicle into production.

The 48yo multi-millionaire is using the 330 bhp (242 kW) Nemesis as his daily driver, something that has upset taxpayer groups:

"It looks totally inappropriate for a millionaire to be cruising around in a sports car funded, at least in part, by the rest of us." said campaign manager Fiona McEvoy of TaxPayer's Alliance.

Vince's engineers lengthened the chassis by 90 mm (3.54 inches) and traded in the Exige's 1.8 L engine and fuel tank for two brushless motors and 96 lithium-ion polymer cells. A new transmission was also fitted.

The Nemesis has a range of 100 to 150 miles (161 to 241 km) and can be recharged in just 2 hours using a fast charger or 8 to 9 hours from a standard wall socket. By utilising Ecotricity's network of 51 wind turbines, Mr. Vince's new toy is truly a zero emissions vehicle.

And that's not all. The Nemesis is allegedly good for a 0 to 100 mph (161 km/h) time of just 8.5 seconds, which is suspiciously faster than a Bugatti Veyron. It will also do 135 mph (217 km/h), though the company is hoping that it will soon beat the 139 mph (224 km/h) record for a British electric car.

So what of the unhappy taxpayers? Well, Mr. Vince has assured the British public that the technology will reach the market all in good time, in the form of a 250 mph (402 km/h) plus electric supercar and an electric tractor. To which I say, I'll believe it when I see it.

My verdict? Elon Musk shouldn't start selling Tesla stock just yet.

By Tristan Hankins

Via: Guardian & Dailymail , Photos: Ecotricity

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LA Auto Show: Mitsubishi i gets westernized by fattening up, Priced from around $30,000

The North American i-MiEV is finally here to help rally the Mitsubishi troops in what has to be one of the company's final attempts to stay afloat here in the the States. The US i will be sold strictly as an electric vehicle and use Mitsubishi's innovative Electric Vehicle system (MiEV).

The company plans to roll out the "i" to West Coast dealers (specifically California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii) in November 2011, with the Northeast getting access by March 2012, followed by nationwide availability by the end of 2012. According to Mitsubishi, the U.S.-spec model's MSRP is expected to be around $30,000, not including Federal and available state financial incentives. For the record, the larger Nissan Leaf EV has an MSRP of $32,780, again, not including any tax cuts.

Unlike the Euro-spec and upcoming US Fiat 500s, which don't appear to be very different from each other, there are some major visual differences between the Japanese i and the American version.

Most noticeable are the wider fenders to provide a bit more interior space, as well as new front and rear bumpers to meet US safety regulations. Standard features include a traction control system, airbags, and tire pressure monitoring system as well.

In order to improve efficiency, there are also "Eco" and "Brake" modes. If set to "Eco", the car's system will limit "excessive power usage", while "Brake" mode increases resistance in the regenerative braking system for a better charge.

The 16 kWh powertrain, mounted behind and below the rear seats, is made up of an 88-cell lithium-ion battery pack and "permanent magnet" synchronous electric motor. Power is rated at 63 horsepower and 133 lb-ft of torque for the mid-engined 4-seater.

Lastly, charging can be done at home via 110V (16 hours), 220V (8 hours), or three-phase 220V quick-charge systems. The quick charge system can get from "low" to about 80% charge in approximately thirty minutes.

By Phil Alex

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LA Show: Jaguar's C-X75 Supercar Makes NA Debut

Without doubt, the star of Jaguar's stand at this year's 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show is the range-extended electric supercar concept, the C-X75, which is designed to celebrate 75 years of the marque, but also to provide a glimpse into the future of Jaguar.

The C-X75 is not only a beautifully sculptured supercar but also a technological show piece. It is motivated by four 195-horsepower electric motors, one in each wheel. A six hour domestic plug-in charge is good enough to offer a driving range of 68 miles. When the batteries are depleted, a center-mounted, 188-horsepower gas turbine engine kicks in to recharge the batteries and extend the supecar's range to a total of 560 miles.

Jaguar claims the four-wheel drive supercar is capable of reaching a top speed of 205 mph [330 km/h].

Recent media reports suggest the British company is looking into a limited-run production model based on the concept car. If true, we could see the first prototype models out in the open testing as early as 2013.

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