Hybrid vehicles have been around for awhile now, but they tend to only be driven by people who aren't concerned with performance, leaving all the sports car market stuck with the big gas burners. Finally, fuel efficiency and performance will meet face to face in the following innovative upcoming eco friendly vehicles, becoming the standard for new and eventually used cars. Buying one of these cars isn't only trendy, it will also make you one of the few people in North America with an 'Exotic' eco friendly car. The only problem left is trying to find any companies willing to offer auto insurance quotes on these rare gems. I'm guessing replacing a bumper on one of these cars will cost you more than half a dozen regular car bumpers!
Ecotricity's Electric Lotus Exige
Ecotricity has been planning to launch an electric Lotus Exige for over a year now. The developers are planning on launching the car with a zero to 60 in less than 4 seconds. The goal is to be as fast as a V12 Exotic sports car with the ability to go 150 miles on a single 'electric tank'. This car has yet to come to fruition; hopefully we see it on the streets one day.
Audi R Zero
The Audi R Zero is definitely one of the sexiest prototypes out there. This exotic beauty features four electric in wheel motors totaling an enormous 1091 horse power. That is right, over a 1000 HP in this bad boy excelling it from 0-60 in less than 3 seconds.
Venturi Fetish
The Venturi Fetish is one of the more exotic looking electric cars out there. Although very exotic looking, the Venturi Fetish is one of the slower electric cars available topping out around 100MPH. The sexy Fetish goes from 0-60 in just shy of five seconds making it fast enough for the average person. The Fetish is capable of driving around 150 miles without charging. Luckily the batteries are capable of charging in roughly an hour on a 30kW three phase charger or in three hours on your standard power plug.
Citroen C-Metisse Concept
The Citroen C-Metisse was first unveiled in 2006 at the Paris AutoShow. The concept is an interesting mix of performance and technology. The power plant is a 2.7L 208HP V6 diesel engine coupled with a 20hp electric engine. What makes this vehicle interesting is that it is capable of running independently on either engine, or in mixed mode depending on your performance needs.
Going from 0-60 in the C-Metisse will take just more than 6 seconds, however the slightly slower speeds are made up with the amazing fuel economy; 36MPG!
Saab Aero-X
Ever wanted to know how a car would perform that ran on a pure ethanol engine? Wonder no more, Saab came out with the Aero-X concept car at the 2006 Salon International de L'auto. This gorgeous dream car is hosts a 2.8L Twin Turbo V6 engine producing 400hp and tearing through 0-60 in 4.9 seconds. To make the Aero-X really stand out, it doesn't even have doors! The entire cockpit opens up in a similar fashion to a jet.
Toyota FT-HS
Toyota should not be counted out when considering your next green sports car. The FT-HS stands for 'Future Toyota Hybrid Sport' and looks to make a major dent in the eco friendly sports car market. The FT-HS's power train is scheduled to produce over 400HP and hit 0-60 in under 4 seconds. The Toyota HT-HS will combine a 3.5L V6 motor with an electric motor to accelerate the car to ridiculous speeds. Expect to see this car available at a starting point of roughly $30,000 USD making it not only breathtakingly beautiful, but also affordable, something most of these cars lack.
Tesla Roadster
The Tesla Roadster is probably the most famous eco friendly sports car getting attention from all around the globe. The Tesla Roadster is the first car being produced by Tesla Motors. The car borrows the basic chassis from the Lotus Elise but aside from the chassis is a unique vehicle. The Tesla Roadster can accelerate from 0-60 in less than four seconds and is capable of 244 miles on a single charge. The estimated fuel consumption when compared in terms of energy usage is the gas equivalent of 120mpg making the Tesla Roadster probably the most efficient electric sports car available.
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