Porsche debuts a hot new hybrid: the Spyder prototype

Who says green cars have to be teardrop-shaped with around 50 mpg and boldly state tree hugger? Porsche certainly doesn’t, and it’s bringing a new concept car to light that delivers features different from what we typically expect in a hybrid. The newly announced Spyder prototype claims 78 mpg and accelerates 0 to 60 mph in about 3.2 seconds.

Compare that to a 2010 Toyota Prius which can do 0 to 60 in about 9.8 seconds and the Spyder’s road warrior status shines. How does Porsche do it? An electric drive system provides power to the wheels and with enough battery charge can kick into high gear while partnering up with the V-8 gasoline engine.

The Spyder hybrid allows its driver to choose from three car modes, one all-electric, one hybrid, and one performance. Porsche says:

Power is transmitted to the wheels by a seven-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission that feeds the power of the electric drive system to the rear axle. The front-wheel electric drive powers the wheels through a fixed transmission ratio. According to TG Daily.

Just like the 2010 Chevy Volt, the Spyder hybrid uses a lithium-ion battery though it’s rarified with a liquid cooling system. Like other more mainstream hybrid and electric cars it also converts part of the kinetic energy lost while breaking into a charge for the battery. That’s been part of the Toyota Prius for a while and will be on the 2010 Chevy Volt too.

There are other bells and whistles on the Sypder prototype but for many people the pricing will likely put it out of reach. The silver lining? Features that start on luxury vehicles usually trickle down to less expensive models as companies continue to compete and build cars with the most value. That could translate into better cars for the rest of us.