Ferrari hybrids to the rescue
Does it make any sense?A Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano hybrid concept is said to be ready for a Geneva Auto Show appearance.
Offering an impressive 35 percent improvement in fuel economy, the Fiorano hybrid almost seems to make sense. Still, overall fuel economy would be less than 14 miles per gallon, and far worse in pure city driving.
Lipstick just can't change a pig. A Ferrari is what it is and no amount of hybrid technology can change that.
Labels: ferrari fiorano hybrid, fuel economy, Hybrid Vehicles
posted by Dahcredyns at
1:24 PM
9 Comments:
this should make clear how the auto industry views the word "hybrid".
Every car maker and their dog is trotting out their dog & pony version ...
it's clearly a marketing concept to most in the auto industry.
this is not necessarily a "bad" thing.. it really just goes to show what _they_ think is "hot" these days and hybrid is "hot".
The fact that you have a crap car that gets 14mpg but still is called a hybrid is proof positive.
you've got guys with greasy hair in thousand dollar suits sitting around board room tables _thinking_ .. guys...
and they wouldn't really know what a hybrid is really about if they ran into it in a dark alley.
the herd has formed.. let the stampede begin.
well, the other angle is CO2 emissions. its possible that companies, such as Ferrari, are simply preparing for more stringent emission's requirements.
obviously there is a certain buzz factor built around hybrids, but how much buzz can a ferrari attract from such a vehicle?
I think the issue is partly about performance.
Electric motors can become the 21st century turbocharger, with the 100% torque available even at 0 RPM's.
In reality, electric motors are better than turbochargers as they consume no gas, and produce no additional emmissions.
I think we are looking at a whole new generation of hybrids that are designed to provide the performance of a turbocharger, while also being compliant with gov't emissions/fuel economy standards...
Good points, Smurf.
It'll be interesting to see if Ferrari aficionados can relate to such a hybrid.
The hybrid in the Ferrari is going to be a lot more about improving 0-60 times and acceleration in general. Improved fuel economy is just a side effect.
This approach was also taken with the Honda Accord Hybrid. See wikipedia for details. But very few people were willing to pay for a faster Accord, while a LOT of people are willing to pay for a faster Ferrari.
joel-
probably. yet, i've followed some of the performance orientated auto mags for some time and there has been a lot of disinterest in adding hybrid technology to such vehicles for many purists.
of course, if the technology is seamless, i think those objections can be overcome.
judging by some of the latest Mercedes and BMW hybrid offerings, i think such seamless integration is possible.
without, however, i think most ferrari purists will avoid such vehicles unless mandated via emission's requirements.
This post has been removed by the author.
I'm not arguing that hybrid technology won't improve the performance of such vehicles, just that speed isn't the only motivation for many ferrari purists.
Why did Formula 1 add KERS to their cars? It certainly wasn't to save fuel.....
In the 2nd half of the F1 season, the 2 teams still using KERS (McClaren & Ferrari) dominated. The additional boost from the KERS proved its worth during the start and when passing....
If it worked for Ferrari in Formula 1, it might work for them in show rooms as well....
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