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Connaught Type-D H Hybrid Sports Car

Connaughttypedh2

The Connaught Type-D H Hybrid Sports Car. We are amazed that hardly any of the major car manufacturers can come up with decent hybrid cars, whilst smaller producers don’t seem to have that problem. Weird huh? You’d expect it to be the other way round. Anyhoo, this one does 140mph, 0–60 in 4.5 seconds and 42 mpg.

 When the Type-D is stationary, the petrol engine does not run. The air-conditioning can still operate if needed, though, thanks to that 48-volt electrical system. To move off, you press the clutch pedal down, select a gear, press the accelerator and the engine fires up as you engage the clutch and move away. There’s none of the usual chatter and jerk of a conventional starter, because the electric motor performs the job of starting the engine.

2 Comments

  • “Weird huh? “.. don’t you guys think that this is because all major carmakers are integrators (I heard the average car is made of 20,000-something parts), assembling parts around a central element which is the internal combustion engine. Once -like it is the case with small carmakers or even Chinese startups working on all-electric cars- you challenge the fact that the internal combustion engine is the core, thinks get drsatically simple : no gearbox needed, more simple engine electronics… fewer parts, Exxon and Shell on the dole… in other words, the big guys are slower on the hybrid mini revolution because it is incompatible with the industrial culture. Will we see a boom in new car makers, like in the early 20th century? They would buy expensive stuff like chassis from the big guys, just like DELL does, and focus on creative designs…

  • Yes Luc, I think you’re right. It’s another example of the old colliding with the new and the old guard simply not knowing what to do. I’m sure that there are a lot of other factors playing their part too – like retailer and maintenance pressure (they also lose out big time on repair bills if you don’t need to do things like change oil filters etc), but all in all it just feels wrong! :-)

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