Porsche Panamera Plugin Hybrid
Most people have a picture in their minds when they hear the
Porsche name, and it's not a Green picture. It's an image of
a fast sports car, with little regard for emissions. But that
is all changing with the introduction of the Panamera Plugin
Hybrid. It's actually thought to be more attractive than Porsche's
standard Panamera model, and many people are very much in favor
of offering a hybrid car, especially today.
The Panamera Plugin has 416 as its peak horsepower, and you
can drive up to 80 miles an hour in electric only mode. You
can use electric power alone for only about 18 miles, which
certainly isn't the top of the line distance before a recharge.
After 18 miles, the conventional gasoline engine takes over.
The fuel economy has been measured at 67 miles per gallon, which
is exceptional, and the engine helps to keep the CO2 emissions
in check, as well.
The Panamera Plugin has a drive system already used in two
other Porsche models - the Cayenne S Hybrid and the Panamera
S Hybrid. But in the Panamera Plugin Hybrid, you get 95 horsepower
from the electric motor, and that's almost twice the horsepower
in their other hybrid cars. The three liter V-6 engine is supercharged,
getting you from zero to 62 in just under six seconds.
The Panamera Plugin uses a lithium-ion, liquid-cooled battery
pack, and you can recharge it in a 240v outlet. The design of
the car and the technology it features show that it will be
a promising vehicle for the German car manufacturer.
Visitors to the Paris Motor Show were very impressed with the
Plugin hybrid from Porsche. They didn't expect it yet, and many
felt that it was a gorgeous vehicle. They were also impressed
with its under the hood technology.
The Panamera Plugin is somewhat like the Toyota Prius or Chevy
Volt plug-ins, but they're much less boring than those vehicles
may tend to be. They are not cheap, either, but no one expected
a Porsche to be cheap, whether it's a hybrid or not.
The wheels of the Panamera are able to be driven by the car's
electric motors, or the gas engine, or they can use both, simultaneously.
The vehicle's engine defaults to electric power mode, which
is how their fuel efficiency is so high. The engine can charge
the battery or drive the wheels, or do both. They also offer
a quick charger, one that can charge the battery to full charge
in two and a half hours.
Porsche, along with many other car companies, believes that
hybrids are a necessary part of the future of automobiles. Porsche
does not develop concept cars without good reason, and they
have an excellent record of turning concept cars into reality.
The 918 Spyder, Carrerra GT and Boxster all made it from the
drawing board and into production with few changes made. Fans
of the car maker feel that the Panamera Plugin Hybrid may be
a great design for a Porsche with four doors - and a plug.
|
