When we think of electric cars, we usually picture something cute, small, and let’s face it, underpowered. Smart Cars and other electric vehicles are really neat in terms of the technology that goes into them, and there’s no denying that they’re great for the planet. Yet, they won’t be likely to satisfy most exotic car fans in the near future.
That’s where Neil Young and the Progressive Automotive X Prize come in. Young and partner Jonathan Goodwin, a mechanic from Wichita, Kansas, are working to convert a 1959 Lincoln Continental to electric power.
So far, Young has invested about $120,000 in converting the car, and he expects the project to cost about $250,000 total. The team tested the vehicle last spring.
“She was awesome,” Young told the Associated Press. “Her acceleration was incredible, she moved with hardly a sound; it was so quiet we could hear the wind through the tags of other cars.”
The Progressive Automotive X Prize, which Young and Goodwin plan to enter, is a race to develop a production-ready automobile capable of getting at least 100 miles per gallon. More than 60 teams will participate in the cross-country race, which will take place this year and in 2010.
Neil Young photo by Robert Scoble and licensed under Creative Commons attribution only.
Goodwin and Young call the car the “Linc Volt.” At two and a half tons, it’s not a lightweight vehicle, but it is fully electric. Goodwin hopes to use the same technology to convert the type of vehicles Americans love to drive.
LincVolt photo by Thomas Kriese and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Only license.
“If you take that same technology,” he told The Wichita Eagle, “and you stream it down into something that’s more modern, or a large SUV, the capabilities are a guarantee there.”
There’s no denying that we love to drive cars that are powerful. There are few people who wouldn’t jump at the chance to drive a Lamborghini or get behind the wheel of a Bentley. If Neil Young and the X Prize have anything to do with it, we won’t have to sacrifice power to achieve good fuel economy.
Audi photo by Josh Davis of Josh Davis Photography in Fort Worth, TX. All rights reserved.
In the meantime, a lot of people are switching to exotic car sharing clubs, rather than shelling out the money to buy an exotic vehicle. Exotic car clubs give members access to an entire garage of exotic vehicles, and they can still drive a fuel-efficient car for their daily commute. Until automakers produce an electric car that’s fun to drive, car clubs are a good option.
Young told the Associated Press that creating an electric car and participating in the X Prize is part of his personal mission.
“You know, I thought long ago you could change the world by writing songs,” he said. “But you can’t change the world by writing songs. Oh, you can inspire a few people, get some of them to change their thinking about something. But you can’t change the world by writing songs. But we could change it with this car.”
Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance web content writer living in the Twin Cities. Visit her website or email her for information about her freelance writing services.
