British sports car firm Zenos has confirmed that it is developing a hybrid powertrain which could power a future model.
Zenos told Autocar that it has received a 250,000 pounds government grant to create a hybrid prototype of the E10 R over the coming nine months, as part of the government’s aim to help low-volume vehicle manufacturers.
Throughout the project, Zenos will collaborate with Cosworth, transmission company Vocis Driveline Control and Hyperdrive Innovation to develop ways for the E10 R’s Ford-sourced four-cylinder engine to work with a hybrid system.
According to company managing director Mark Edwards, Zenos has been prompted to kick start hybrid powertrain development due to ever-tighter emissions standards which could eventually force the firm to put a hybrid vehicle into production.
“It’s something that we would be foolish to ignore. This is an R&D project, so it’s our first step in evaluating what options might be suitable for future vehicles.
“A lot of people have looked at pure EV, but we like it [hybrid] because it still has the smell, feel and noise of a traditional gasoline solution but does offer the efficiency benefits. Emissions targets are only going to one way,” he confirmed.
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