Imagine, if you will - in the words of the late, great Rod Serling of "Twilight Zone" fame - a futuristic sports car that can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds - that runs entirely on saltwater. While sports cars are not known for being environmentally-friendly, the Quant e-Sportlimousine has been designed to reach 217.5 miles per hour using nothing but the most plentiful item on Earth.
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Weighing in at 5,070 pounds, the Quant e-Sportlimousine made its debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show last March. Its saltwater technology has now been certified for use on European roads.
The 920 horsepower vehicle uses something known as an electrolyte flow cell power system to power four electric motors within the car.
Working in a way similar to a hydrogen fuel cell, the liquid used for storing energy is saltwater.
The liquid passes through a membrane in between the two tanks, creating an electric charge. This electricity is then stored and distributed by super capacitors.
The car carries the water in two 200-liter tanks, which in one sitting will allow drivers to travel up to 373 miles.
A four-seater, the car's 22-inch wheels sit just beneath impressive double gull-wing doors, in the manner of the classic DeLorean, that feature "Chrystal Lake Blue" paint.
Inside is a full-length interactive dash, with wood-theme features and an Android-based entertainment system.
No price or sale date has yet been revealed, but some experts suggest it will cost well over a million dollars.
NanoFlowcell AG, a Lichtenstein-based company behind the drive, is now planning to test the car on public roads in Germany and elsewhere in Europe as the company prepares for series production.
The technology, its makers claim, offers five times the energy capacity of lithium-ion batteries of the same weight.
"We've got major plans, and not just within the automobile industry," NanoFlowcell AG Chairman of the Board Professor Jens-Peter Ellermann says.
"The potential of the NanoFlowcell is much greater, especially in terms of domestic energy supplies as well as in maritime, rail and aviation technology."
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