Nice Body!

Car body that is...

The body molds for the LH4 are coming together nicely. It is actually starting to look like a car. Take a look for yourself:

What you see is are the foam molds that will be used to make the plugs that will in turn be used to make the actual carbon fiber body of the car.

We're taking suggestions for color - how do you think we should paint it?

Only 32 days until our unveiling of the LH4 at the Denver Auto Show!

The Engines and the Front End Body Mold

It was another busy week in the shop with everyone working long hours. We're happy to report that progress was made on the prototype engines and on the front end molds.

Prototype engine 1 - as it was when we got it from a junk yard in Germany:

The same engine after cleaning, sandblasting and painting:

Ed getting the engine work done:

The front end mold and preparation for creating the plug for the carbon fiber body:

Have a question about Lightning Hybrids or our cars and technology? Leave us a comment and we will answer it in an upcoming post.

Another Article

We were mentioned today in the Loveland Connection - check it out here.

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Pictures of progress coming soon.


In the meantime, here is one of the new renderings of the LH4. Notice how it has no outside mirrors?

In order to achieve 100 MPGe + on the highway drag must be minimized, and mirrors are a major source of both drag and wind noise. Oh, don't worry - you will still be able to see who is following you through the use of a camera and view screen system located in the interior where you normally peer outside the window to look in the mirror. Not only does this reduce drag and noise, it also provides some intriguing options for zoom, capture, and accident avoidance systems.

9News Story

We were just featured on 9News (NBC - Denver)! Check out the story here.

Test Drive

Dan Johnson, Lightning Hybrid's CEO, took the LH4 for a test drive.

Only 46 more days to the Auto Show...

Here's the link to the Northern Colorado Business Report article that ran today.

Busy Week

It's been a busy week here. Between getting body molds underway and hosting an anchor from one of the biggest news markets in the region, there has been someone in the shop 24 hours a day for the past week

The chassis is complete and the engine is mounted. Here's a picture. It is no longer supported by the chain you see. The wood that you see shows the profile of the hood.
Also we have a mold! Below is a picture of the mold for the undercarriage body mold. One of the ways we are increasing aerodynamics is to have a smooth underside. This mold will be used to make the plugs which will then be used to create the actual carbon fiber car panels.

We also painted the lobby and some of the office spaces - it looks much more welcoming. Just in time to host Shawn Patrick, weekend anchor and reporter at 9News (Denver's NBC affiliate). They were here for over an hour and took lots of footage. As soon as we know when the spot will air we will post the info here.

And, if you are wondering... Yes, we are aware that the Denver Auto Show is only 47 days away. And yes, we will have a car ready by then!

In the News

Lightning Hybrids will be featured soon by two different media sources. Check the "Lightning Hybrids In the News link to the right for updates.

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Last week Kristen Tatti from the Northern Colorado Business Report was here to interview CEO Dan Johnson. The article will run in the February 13th edition and we will post a link here when it is published.



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This week Shawn Patrick a reporter and weekend anchor at 9News (Denver's NBC affiliate) will be visiting Lightning Hybrids to interview our engineers and take footage of the car (we have a rolling chassis now) and shop (we will be showing off our new router). Check back this weekend to see the story.

It's Official

Lightning Hybrids is an official contender in the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE!

In March of this year, the X PRIZE Foundation and Progressive Insurance jointly announced the $10 million dollar Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. This competition invites teams from around the world to focus on a single goal: design viable, clean and super-efficient cars that people want to buy.

And Lightning Hybrids is going to be one of those teams.

We are excited to participate in this competition with our revolutionary automotive technologies. If you are reading our blog you already know that we have developed a unique and patent-pending biodiesel-hydraulic hybrid vehicle which emphasizes thermodynamic and hydraulic system efficiencies, lightweight mechanical and composite structures, and sports car styling. We know these vehicles can win this competition and look good doing it.

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The X PRIZE race will take place in the late summer of 2010 - a little over a year from now and we have an aggressive plan to win. This is a great opportunity for us to be part of an international event, with significant public exposure and promotion to potential partners, sponsors, investors, manufacturers, distributors and customers.

The competition has tough entrance requirements, stringent judging criteria, and race courses that test and reward manufacturability, marketability, safety, durability and performance. Our vehicles are designed to excel in every one of those areas.

Check back often to learn of our progress towards winning the Progressive Automotive X Prize.

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