Two luxury automakers, Lamborghini and Ferrari, are doing a lot more these days than creating impossibly drool-worthy rides that recession-weary consumers can only dream about. They’re both actually working on ways to reduce the carbon footprint of their factories and the final products that they offer to their buyers.
Green car enthusiasts who pine away for style may soon have a lot more to look forward to than the…ahem…somewhat pedestrian silhouettes currently available in the marketplace. Lamborghini’s Estoque Concept created a new category of super sports sedans -- with its powerful front mid-engine, permanent all-wheel drive and a sophisticated, precision-tuned chassis – and it is rumored to be available in a hybrid version in the near future. In fact, they are focusing their efforts on revamping many of their models with hybrid drive trains, enhanced fuel economy, reduced tailpipe emissions and in some cases, they are even attempting to create biofuel-compatible engines. To enhance their newly green patina even further, they’ve recently fitted their factory with roof-mounted solar panels, by 2010 they intend to reduce their factory emissions by 30% and by 2015, they intend to reduce their vehicles’ CO2 emissions by 35%.
Ferrari hopes to score some of the hybrid market by the end of this year but they’re also aiming to achieve a 40% increase in the overall fuel efficiency of their cars along with a 25% reduction in their emissions. In addition to perfecting compact turbo-charged engines, powertrain setups and biofuel options, Autocar Reports says that they are offering a “hybrid all-wheel-drive system that uses an electric motor to drive one set of wheels and a gasoline engine to drive the other (which) can be adapted to both front- and mid-engine vehicles. Ferrari says the system is lighter and less complex than a conventional AWD system and it creates less friction. It also allows the driver to choose rear-wheel or all-wheel drive as conditions require.”
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