Last month Ferrari Boss Luca di Montezemelo reiterated that his firm would never bring an all-electric car to market, declaring that he just didn’t believe in them.
Instead, he said, the Italian automaker would bring out a gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain in a few years time.
However, Signore Montezemelo may want to revise that plan after a Ferrari 360 Spyder showed itself up in a race with a Volvo hybrid racing big-rig.
The race, which took place at a recent Truck festival in Mantorp, Sweden, saw the $150,000+ sports car lose the 1/4 mile drag race by a hair’s breadth.
Admittedly, the Volvo VN truck -- nicknamed Mean Green -- isn’t anywhere near stock. Built by a team of enthusiasts at Volvo Trucks in Sweden, Mean Green has a tweaked 16 liter diesel engine married to a pair of twin turbos to give a mind-blowing 1900 horsepower.
The truck has also gone on a diet, losing everything from chunks of chassis through to its first gear in an attempt to help it retain its title as the world’s fastest hybrid truck.
But Green Mean wouldn’t be a hybrid without its electric motor. Capable of producing 150 kilowatts of power and 811 pound-feet of torque, it is responsible for launching the truck off the line, negating the engine-lag common with most diesel engines.
While we’re unlikely to see Mean Green ever tow a semi, hybrid truck technology will undoubtedly help reduce fuel consumption and improve gas mileage as truck-makers strive to reach the newly set fuel efficiency standards for medium and heavy-duty trucks.
As for Ferrari? We hope it learns from its Swedish experience -- and brings forward its plans to launch a super-fast, sexy hybrid.
After all, Ferrari’s passionate prancing horse can’t be beaten by those safety-conscious eco-Swedes. Can it?
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