A new hybrid conversion kit has become available recently that helps turn the classic limousine model, the Lincoln Town Car, into a green machine. A small startup called XL Hybrids designed a small electric motor that runs off of a battery and takes less than six hours to install. The installation process is relatively simple and non-intrusive, and does not alter the appearance of the limo.
When the Town Car is used for city driving as a limo, it can only manage a fuel efficiency around 14 miles per gallon. This small device has been proven to increase the overall horsepower by 20, and drops the fuel usage by up to 30 percent. This is a drastic increase for such a small change. The company states that for commercial fleets, the purchase of a unit would pay back the owners in fuel savings within 2 years. Rising fuel prices could make that period even shorter.
Livery operators and limousine fleets are struggling to maintain a profit margin as fuel costs soar and local governments push them to cut emissions. The Town Car is not the most fuel efficient car, but it is synonymous with the limo image. The XL Hybrids requested real data from some of the country’s largest fleets when designing the device. As few other users put so many monthly miles on this specific model.
Many other benefits come along with the fuel usage reduction, but savings are the main selling point the company is focusing on. By enticing limo fleets to adopt the equipment and improve their bottom line, XL (stands for “extra large” vehicles) Hybrids would also help the environment and economy by reducing fuel consumption. The simple installation process encourages fleets to purchase the equipment. A lithium-ion battery is added that leaves three quarters of the trunk open for luggage, and an electric motor is attached to the differential. A software upgrade helps the engine’s computer manage the new motor. “You don’t need high-tech tools to install it, or much training,” Tod Hynes the president of Massachusetts-based XL Hybrids Inc., “The retrofit can be done in a standard garage.”
XL Hybrids didn’t design completely new parts, they simply used existing equipment in a new way. This makes it easy to source and create the product without a long manufacturing delay. On top of all of this, the addition doesn’t void the warranty and it only requires a new $20 belt at a 50,000 interval for top performance.
This small change is a serious improvement for fleet operators feeling the pressure to green their cars. While the XL kit won’t make a Lincoln Town Car into a fully electrical vehicle, it allows drivers to upgrade the vehicles their customers want instead of investing in unpopular models. A Smart Car may use no gas, but it lacks the luxury of a limo. Customers can continue to travel in the stylish interior of a Town Car while the company spends less on fuel.
At this point, the company is hoping to reach annual numbers of 10,000 conversions per year. They are still negotiating the terms of their first 500 van conversion job for a private fleet. Putting the units in highly used vehicles will give the company a better idea of how to improve future models.
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