High-performance hybrid supercars are all the rage among the wealthy right now, despite the failure of companies like Fisker Automotive. One particular car design that caught my eye is the BXR Motors Bailey Blade EVR, a performance plug-in hybrid with some serious potential. Is this the Fisker 2.0?
Yes, and no. While the drivetrain in the Bailey Blade EVR (currently still a one-off custom car) utilizes a similar turbocharged gas engine and an electric motor, there are some key differences between Fisker and Blade. For one, the Blade has an estimated curb weight of just 2,800 pounds, about half what the Fisker Karma weighed.
Then again, the Blade EVR also claims to have a battery pack with 200 kWh of capacity. I am going to assume that is a misprint, and is actually more like 20 kWh. The pure-electric Tesla Model S has a 85 kWh battery pack; a 200 kWh battery pack would be as big as the Blade EVR itself.
The combined output of the turbocharged 2.5 liter gas engine and single electric motor is said to be 500 horsepower and around 850 ft-lbs of torque, enough for a 0-60 mph time of just 4.5 seconds. Top speed is estimated to be in the 175 mph range, way faster than the Fisker could ever hope for.
But what might really give the Bailey Blade EVR a chance to succeed is the fact that there will be a concentional, gas-powered model as well. Using either a supercharged or turbocharged Ford 5.0 V8, having both a conventional and hybrid model gives BXR Motors more flexibility than Fisker had. As Bob Lutz has shown, some Fisker owners are more than ready to give up their hybrid drivetrain for a simpler and more-powerful V8 engine.
The gas-powered Blade XTR will come first, with a debut tentatively slated for the November SEMA Show in Las Vegas. If the reception is warm enough, there could be a new plug-in hybrid performance car to fill the hole left by the Fisker Karma…and I for one wouldn’t mind. Can BXR build a better Fisker?
Source: BXR Motors
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