Mercedes and Audi may have drawn first blood in the electric-powered supercar wars with their SLS AMG E-Cell and e-tron prototypes respectively, but Toyota is reportedly set to take the fight to the Germans with an all-electric super sports car program of its own -- possibly with help from its new partner, Tesla.
An insider close to Toyota tells us that plans have been put in motion to develop a supercar that would rival the E-Cell and e-tron, and even the Citroen Survolt concept first seen at this year's Geneva show. The car is expected to produce more than 500 horsepower and would sprint from 0 to 60 mph in around 4 seconds. Like the E-Cell, the Toyota is expected to route power through four electric motors, one at each wheel. It will also incorporate a switch that allows drivers to select between driving programs such as comfort, sport and super sport, thus permitting drivers to regulate battery use.
It's expected to debut around 2015, and we are first to reveal how one artist in Japan sees the as-yet-unnamed vehicle as it might look attacking the Nurburgring in Germany. The large grille and air intakes beside the headlights are viewed as critical to provide sufficient cooling for the electric motors. The vehicle would reportedly borrow undisclosed know-how from Tesla and utilize aerodynamic expertise gained from the Lexus LFA project.
The fact that company CEO Akio Toyoda just signed a deal to invest some $50 million in electric sports car maker Tesla adds significant weight to the story. Toyoda is said to have dined recently with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and he reportedly took the Tesla Roadster for a spin during the evening. We were told he left suitably impressed, so much so that he's said to have given the green light to the feasibility study into the production of the all-electric sports car. In addition, Tesla has announced that it will deliver two as yet unidentified EV prototypes to Toyota by the end of July, which are believed to be EV versions of the RAV4 and Lexus RX.
Toyota, which has become the hybrid trendsetter largely thanks to the success of the Prius, now boasts the world's largest range of hybrid vehicles and is fully aware of the stricter emissions regulations coming into play worldwide. Not surprisingly, it sees EVs as one way of improving its carbon footprint while helping to repair the company's damaged public image in the wake of the unintended acceleration fiasco.
As Toyota continues to channel a huge portion of its R&D budget into hybrids, improving battery technology and electric motor output has naturally led the company to focus on EVs as well. Its Prius PHEV, which features a lithium-ion battery pack and some 15-mile range on electric power alone follows the company’s initial trials in EV mobility with the FT-HV concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and the FT-HV II’s debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.
Our insider also tells us Toyota engineers, who raced two works Lexus LFAs recently in the Nurburgring 24-hour race, were more than impressed by the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid's ability to lead the race for more than 22 hours using a fresh new take on hybrid technology. The GT3 RH is fitted with a hybrid system that stores energy generated by the brakes in a large flywheel, and then redeploys the power to the front wheels. One Toyota engineer we spoke to hinted that such a regenerative system could become the norm in future race cars and open doors for road cars as well.
