No doubt about it – the world of high-performance automobiles is in a state of flux. At the center of the evolution is the car’s beating heart – its engine. You hear the question all the time: what will power our fun four-wheeled machines when internal combustion falls by the wayside? Everyone is placing their bets, including all the major automakers, which are currently exploring a variety of answers in the hopes of getting the jump on the future. However, Techrules, an automotive research and development firm based in China, says it has the solution – turbine-recharging electric vehicles, or TREV’s for short.
According to a recent report from Car Buzz, Techrules says its unique turbine system is “lighter, more compact and easier to package than a conventional internal combustion engine.” Not only that, but the system can apparently find application “in any kind of vehicle,” including motorcycles.
The system works by using gas-powered turbines to generate electricity. The juice is then routed to a battery pack, which in turn motivates the electric motors that move the wheels. The whole system sounds vaguely similar to a series hybrid vehicle, but with a turbine engine replacing the reciprocating pistons of a traditional ICE.
That means you get lots of the benefits you’d normally associate with hybrid vehicles, including highly efficient gas usage and no recharge times at an outlet. You can still plug-in if you want to make sure your battery is topped off, but as long as you have fuel, you’ve got go.
Make that a lot of go. Techrules claims this set-up allows for blistering acceleration and speed, as evidenced by the AT96 TREV Concept in attendance at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Apparently, the turbine-equipped hybrid produces 1,030 horsepower and 6,300 pound-feet of torque, blessing it with a 0-to-62 mph time of 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph. That’s on top of 31 miles of all-electric range and 50 mpg, by the way.
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