How do you make a limo more eco-friendly? In one word – electricity. It’s the latest trend taking the limousine industry by storm, possibly because eco-conscious celebrities were tired of cramming their entourages into tiny Priuses for red carpet events.
Some may call it a marketing ploy or fad, but it appears the green movement has inspired engineers to roll up their sleeves and start reinventing the limousine. In honor of Earth Day, we’re taking a look at what these mechanical geniuses have been up to. Hopefully Austin will jump on the band-wagon with eco-friendly luxury transportation!
Stretched Nissan Leaf – The Electric Limo That Started It All
Last year, Imperial Coach Builders set the luxury vehicle world afire with talk of their latest creation – the first all-electric limousine. The build was fairly straightforward – they took a Nissan Leaf electric vehicle, chopped it in half, added an expanded center section that allowed for 6 passengers and then pieced it all back together.
The process wasn’t much different from how other limousines are made, with the exception of the foundation being an electric vehicle. They even kept the original 24-kwh battery in place, which dropped the fuel efficiency to 58 miles per gallon. Still, that’s a pretty impressive MPG for a regular car let alone a limo.
The headline-making Nissan Leaf limo was promptly snapped up by the Embassy Suites hotel in Nashville, TN.
KAZ Takes Electric Limos Up a Notch
The Nissan Leaf may have been the first all-electric limousine, but the creators of the KAZ – Keio Advanced Zero-Emissions – have been hard at work on their own eco-friendly prototype for five years. They aren’t building off of anything, oh no. This joint Japanese-Italian venture is working from the ground up to build a green limousine unlike anything else on the road.
In many regards the KAZ overshadows the Nissan Leaf electric limo.
- It carries up to 8 passengers
- It produces zero emissions (thus the name)
- Uses 6 lithium-ion batteries capable of making 74 horsepower a piece
- Rides on 8 wheels for highly improved handling
- Goes from 0 to 60 in a mere 7 seconds
It’s a limousine that handles like a sports car and is more efficient than just about every other vehicle on the road. It took $4 million to create the prototype, but innovation usually comes at a hefty price.
For many, eco-consciousness is a way of life that won’t be compromised. Luckily there are now luxury chauffeur services that fit the lifestyle. With big names like Fiat and Rolls Royce also getting skin in the game, it’s only a matter of time before all-electric limos become mainstream.
Original Source: https://www.royalaustin.com/luxury-rider-insider/celebrate-earth-day-in-style-with-a-ride-in-an-electric-limo