FVT eVaro Front Quarter
A lot has changed since a group of forward thinking Canadians set up shop at SEMA in 2006 to raise money for the electric super car of the future. First off, their company's former moniker, Fuel Vapor Technologies, has been appropriately revised to Future Vehicle Technologies. Secondly, the modified Honda Accord engine that powered their three-wheeled, two-seater concept has been replaced with a plug-in series hybrid powertrain, similar to that of the upcoming Chevy Volt.
The new car, dubbed the "eVaro" (Electric Vehicle with Advanced Regeneration Onboard), is powered by a 75 kW electric motor. Lithium-manganese battery cells store the power and when the juice runs out, a gas generator extends the vehicle's range. Stomp the throttle, and both the batteries and the generator kick in, propelling the car to 60 mph in less than five seconds and a top speed of 135 mph.
A car this fast has no business getting up to 275 mpg, but that's exactly what the eVaro does between 15 and 40 mph. Between 45 and 75 mph, fuel economy plunges to a gaudy 165 mpg. FVT says the eVaro will roll 90 miles on a single charge using only electric power. After that, the generator starts, contributing an additional 325 miles on two gallons of gas.
While FVT continues to experiment with higher output motors, their first priority is winning the $10 million X Prize competition, which could bring them much closer to the ultimate goal: a production version of the eVaro.
FVT eVaro Door
Source: Automobile
