But it’s not. This wired.com story by Chuck Squatriglia showcases an 800-horsepower hybrid — the Gumpert Apollo Supercar — which will compete at 24 Hours of Nurburgring. It is clear that innovation and change doesn’t require a government mandate. If racing owners and sanctioning bodies wants to “go green,” fine with me, as long as it’s a private decision made voluntarily and implemented with private funds.
Here’s a description of how the Supercar car will work:
Gumpert worked with Lithium Technology Corp. to develop the hybrid drivetrain, which mates a 3.3-liter V8 twin-turbo engine to a 100-kilowatt electric motor to produce the equivalent of 800 horsepower. The motor uses a 9-kilowatt hour lithium ion battery comprised of 90 high-power 27 amphere hour cells connected in series. It weighs about 420 pounds and provides a full-electric range of 31 miles. The battery will be fully charged before the race and the car will use regenerative braking to keep it charged. Company CEO Klaus Brandt says motorsports is the perfect place to test its technology.
