Green Jobs

Velozzi plugin hybrid sports car to be made in South Africa - 4 February 2008

How does this sound to you: a sportscar with 0-100km/h acceleration in just over 3 seconds, a top speed of around 320km/h and fuel consumption of less than 2l/100km? Sounds amazing, right? Now what if I told you that these cars were going to be made in South Africa? Too good to be true . . .

Maybe not. While firm details of the car itself are few and far between, there is concrete news that South Africa’s Industrial Development Corporation will be partnering with Velozzi to produce their vehicles in South Africa.

Below is the official press release:

DETROIT, MI, January 14, 2008 - At the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), Velozzi and the IDC (Industrial Development Corporation) of announced a partnership to create an alternative energy vehicle manufacturing facility in . The Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Ltd (IDC) is a self-financing, national Development Finance Institution (DFI). It was established in 1940 to promote economic growth and industrial development in .

“At the IDC we recognize the importance of a dynamic private sector in securing and stimulating rapid and sustainable economic growth, creating employment and reducing poverty. Our mandate includes the rest of the African continent and we are active throughout the entire region. We operate in a broad spectrum of industries and with our specialized knowledge and experience, are able to offer valid and appropriate financial assistance to a wide variety of individuals and companies. I want us to start a brand new genuine South African auto manufacturer dedicated to build only green vehicles,” said Wendy Luhabe. IDC Chairperson. is aiming to be a global leader in “green” vehicle manufacturing.

Climate change and the energy crisis are two of the most worrisome problems our world faces today. These are global issues, which require global solutions. The involvement of the IDC-South Africa to help with our cause is welcome and necessary. Part of Velozzi’s objective is to mass-produce the vehicles to alleviate the aforementioned problems. “With the commitment of a global leader such as IDC, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and mass manufacturing becoming a commercial reality,” said Roberto Velozzi, Velozzi’s CEO.

The Velozzi team coninutes to recruit the best scientific, technical and engineering talent to achieve their goal of a 200+ mph  , 100 mpg practical automobile to win the Automotive X PRIZE in 2009. The Velozzi design will incorporate technologies as of yet unknown to traditional automobile manufacturers. These breakthroughs will revolutionize the way we think of transportation vehicles while slashing both carbon emissions and reducing dependence on foreign oil.

So there’s the good news. Let’s quickly review what we know about Velozzi so far:

• They have two models designed already - one will be a 2 seater sports car, the other is a 4 seater that will still offer great performance.
• The vehicle will be a plugin hybrid, capable of running in electric only mode. It will also be able to run on a variety of fuels, including petrol, ethanol and diesel.
• Batteries will be Li-Ion, and the motor looks to be an AC Propulsion unit similar to that found in the Tesla Roadster.
• There is currently no working prototype, so performance claims are not yet confirmed.

I, for one, am very much looking forward to this venture. For more information, check out Velozzi’s Web site as well as this interview from AutoBlog Green.

Source: www.greencars.za.net