Tropicana Magazine Mar-Apr 2017 #112: Riding on a Life Line

THE DRIVE | LEAN, MEAN, GREEN MACHINES
the most powerful hypercars in the world
come equipped with a hybrid powertrain.
A hybrid need not be slow to be frugal
with fuel; both Mercedes-Benz and BMW
have proved that both the C350e and 330e
respectively are considered as top-ofthe
range.
Their appeal comes in the form of
a relatively stable petrol powertrain,
supplemented with a relatively strong
electric battery and motor combination.
Where old hybrids would be out of breath
the moment the batteries deplete, these
cars can keep on going at a somewhat
ridiculous pace. For the times when you
feel like saving the environment, you don’t
even need to be gentle: both the C350e
and 330e are capable of going above 120
km/h on electric power alone, or for up to
30 kilometres if you’re more conservative
with the throttle.
And, of course, there are plenty
of reasons to want a luxury car, from
the overall refinement to the prestige
associated with the brand. The point is that
these high-end brands have taken to hybrid
cars like ducks to water, and this alone will
be enough to accelerate the development of
more efficient motors and more compact
batteries that will eventually trickle down
into more mass-market cars.
It’s no longer uncool to have a hybrid
or electric car — quite the opposite. They
can stand up to even the toughest criticism
and deliver on both the performance
and efficiency fronts — and all of this is
done while being significantly cleaner
than traditional options. With fossil fuels
in depletion at an alarming rate, we can
only benefit from this kind of foresight
— from the push for higher volumes and
lower costs.
TM | MARCH/APRIL <strong>2017</strong>
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