Ferrari And Lamborghini Go Green
In 2014, a new, and much more stringent, emissions standard for vehicles will go into effect in Europe. Two of the continent’s premier supercar manufacturers, Ferrari and Lamborghini, aren’t taking this news lying down. About a month ago, Ferrari filed a patent application for an all-wheel drive hybrid drivetrain system, and Lamborghini is making quite a few big steps to trim their emissions, both on their factory, and on their vehicles.
The Lamborghini factory, pictured below, has just received 17,000 square meters of solar panels. Once the array is completed and online in the next few months, it will generate 1,582 MWh of electricity each year. The company is also planning to cut their energy costs by revamping the insulation, climate control, and lighting inside the factory so that they use less electricity overall. This is part of the company’s plan to reduce their factory-based emissions by 30% by the end of 2010, and it looks like they’ll do it.
Lamborghini cars will also become cleaner, as the company has recently invested $50 million into the development of cleaner, more efficient cars. The most immediate example of this is the Gallardo LP 560-4, which is pictured at the top of the page. One normally wouldn’t expect to see efficiency on a V10-powered supercar, but the new Gallardo manages to increase the engine’s horsepower to 552 (over the previous 512), make it from 0-to-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, and have full-time AWD, all while cutting emissions and fuel consumption by 18% over the previous model. Granted, it still guzzles gas when compared to standard road cars, but this advance, coupled with rumors that the company is working on hybrid model, could combine to create a Lambo that can actually be called “green.”
Ferrari, not wanting to be left behind, has a hubrid concept model in the works using the above mentioned powertrain, which will likely debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in December of this year. Also, the company is continuing to experiment with biofuels, notably E-85 bio-ethanol, like the above pictured Ferrari F430 E-85 Biofuel Concept, which could end up powering a Ferrari car in the future.
Fancy supercars are pretty much the antithesis of the green car movement, but they are not likely to disappear anytime soon. So, whatever advances they make towards efficiency and lower emissions is far better than nothing.
