Actually, the best source of energy is the fuel. We are performance guys so we really don't worry about economy quite as much as we should.

With that said, give me a gas turbine engine powering a big azzed generator. Add a few batteries for storage, but not too much. Then use one electric motor per wheel with very short axles and humongous power cables to keep down resistance.

The turbine produces all the electric power you need, burns clean as hell, can be run on alcohol and still burn clean, is light weight since it isn't fancy and is optimized to run at one specific rpm and the load is varied by fuel modulation.

This gives you these benefits:
- drivetrain mass distributed throughout the car
-low overall mass
-AWD capability
-ABS, Traction/stability controls just by varying motor speeds
-Regenerative breaking
- short axles keep the motors on the frame with unsprung mass low for better road handling.
- extremely flat torque curve from electric motors and with high current capacity allows higher performance.

This eliminates:
-Most drive axle weights since there is a motor at every wheel
- almost no transmission components gears and stuff to transfer torque.
- fluid weights

There's probably more advantages but that is what I can think of now.


Former owner of '99 CSVT - Silver #222/2760 356/334 wHP/TQ at 10psi on pump gas! See My Mods '05 Volvo S40 Turbo 5 AWD with 6spd, Passion Red '06 Mazda5 Touring, 5spd,MTX, Black