Hydraulic Biodiesel Hybrid To Debut At Denver Auto Show

Lightning Hybrids will display the LH4, a hydraulic biodiesel hybrid vehicle at the Denver Auto Show that the company says it plans to market next year. The company was formed in 2008 and has entered two vehicles based on the prototype's design into the 2010 Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize competition. According to the company, the four-seat vehicle can average 100 mpg on a gallon of biodiesel and can go from zero to 60 in about six seconds.

The three-door vehicle is powered by a 240-hp biodiesel hydraulic drive train and also features cameras in place of side view mirrors to increase efficiency and decrease drag. The LH4 has no conventional transmission, which makes the car lighter and more fuel-efficient. The company also says that the vehicle recaptures 100 percent of the energy lost when braking.

Lightning Hybrids is working on the development of a three-wheeled vehicle that uses the same drive train, and will create a retrofit kit that makes the drivetrain available to other vehicles. Once in production, the vehicle will sell for between $39,000 and $59,000. The cars and retrofit kits are expected to be available in mid-2010.

Photo Credit: Lightning Hybrids