The Kepler Motion Hybrid 2.5-Second Supercar Hits the Road
In 2009, Kepler Motors announced a hybrid electric supercar that would offer a combined 800 HP. At the time, it was to be powered by Ford’s new 3.5-litre EcoBoost engine and a pair of electric motors. The car is called the Kepler Motion hybrid.
Now, 3 years later, Kepler just released video footage of the vehicle.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUNtwqyhu_A]
The Kepler Motion hybrid is supposed to accelerate from zero to sixty mph in 2.5 seconds, and attain speeds of over 200 mph. This can be partly attributed to the monocoque carbon fiber chassis.
The 550 HP 3.5-litre Ford engine turns the rear wheels, and two electric motors turn the front wheels totaling 250 HP, augmenting the mechanical power up to 800 HP.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQdcW6cx7LY]
One characteristic that sets this apart from other hybrids is the use of electric motors in the front, which are separate from the gasoline engine in the back. Other hybrids, such as the Prius family, operate by using an electric motor and gas engine in parallel to jointly turn the front wheels. These are “parallel hybrids.”
The Kepler is more like a “series hybrid.” A series hybrid electric vehicle operates by using a gas engine to charge batteries while one or more electric motors propel the vehicle by themselves.
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There is another type of vehicle that closely resembles series hybrids and can be confused with them. It is the Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (EREV). An example of an EREV is the Chevy Volt. It operates on electricity all the time. It does not use a gas engine to turn the wheels, and it also does not use a combustion engine–powered generator to charge batteries.
EREVs utilize a combustion engine–powered generator to power the electric motor(s) in the event that the battery is discharged. These backup generators are not meant to be used heavily, especially not in the case of the Chevy Volt because it is not efficient. These vehicles are charged by plugging them in just like you would a fully electric vehicle.
EREV vehicles are for people who want the unparalleled efficiency of an electric car plus the ability to drive hundreds of additional miles for those occasional visits to grandma, for example.
Source: Gas 2.0
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