THERE ARE TONS OF CAR DESIGNERS OUT THERE THAT ARE USING IT AS THEIR
PRIMARY DRIVE SYSTEM. NO GAS, NO OIL, NO TOXIC EMISSIONS, JUST CLEAN
ELECTRICITY.

ONE OF THESE DESIGNERS IS MY BUDDY IAN WRIGHT. IAN HAS DESIGNED AN
INCREDIBLE ELECTRIC CAR CALLED THE WRIGHTSPEED X1. AND THIS CAR IS NO
JOKE.

SO HERE IT IS, THE WRIGHTSPEED X1. TO ME, THIS CAR IS BY FAR THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CAR IN THE WORLD. TO SEE IT IN PERSON
IS AWE-INSPIRING. THE LINES ARE BEAUTIFUL, AND IT LOOKS LIKE A
FULL-FLEDGED RACECAR, BUT IT\'S COMPLETELY STREET-LEGAL. THIS CAR IS
AMAZING. IT\'S THREE TO FOUR TIMES MORE EFFICIENT THAN A HYBRID CAR, SO
IT GETS THE EQUIVALENT OF ABOUT 170 MILES PER GALLON, AND IT\'S FAST
TOO.

IN FACT, IT\'S FASTER THAN ANY OTHER CAR ON THE MARKET WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF ONE: THE \$1.4 MILLION BUGATTI VEYRON. THE X1 CAN GO FROM
ZERO TO 60 IN ABOUT THREE SECONDS AND FROM ZERO TO 100 IN UNDER SEVEN
SECONDS, SO YOU GET A BEAUTIFUL AND FAST STREET-LEGAL CAR THAT\'S ALSO
SAVING THE EARTH. NOT A BAD DEAL.

I CAUGHT UP WITH IAN AT THE ALTAMONT RACETRACK NEAR SAN FRANCISCO TO
FIND OUT HOW THIS CAR WORKS.

SO CAN YOU TELL ME, LIKE, SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN, LIKE,
TRADITIONAL CARS AND THIS CAR?

SURE, SO THIS CAR IS A PURE ELECTRIC CAR. IT GETS ITS ENERGY FROM THE
WALL PLUG. IT DOESN\'T BURN ANY FUEL IN THE CAR. THE REASON PEOPLE BUILD
ELECTRIC CARS IS THAT THEY\'RE REALLY EFFICIENT. AND WITH THIS CAR,
ABOUT 85% OF THE ENERGY YOU TAKE FROM THE WALL PLUG ENDS UP AT THE

WHEELS. WHEREAS IN THE GAS ENGINE CAR WITH THIS SORT OF PERFORMANCE,
ABOUT 85% OF THE ENERGY YOU POUR INTO THE GAS TANK GETS THROWN AWAY AS
HEAT. SO

IT\'S A LOT MORE EFFICIENT.

(Alonso)

THE BEAUTY OF THIS CAR IS THAT THIS BATTERY, IT\'S ACTUALLY CAPTURING
ENERGY, AND IT\'S STORING IT, RIGHT? YEAH, IT\'S AN ENERGY STORAGE
SYSTEM. THE PRIMARY

SOURCE OF THE ENERGY\'S FROM THE GRID, BUT WHEN YOU\'RE BRAKING, OF
COURSE, IT\'S RECAPTURING ENERGY THAT YOU SPENT TO ACCELERATE. BUT, YES,
THEN IT WILL

STORE IT, AND IT WILL STORE ENOUGH ENERGY FOR ABOUT 100 MILES. IT\'S
ABOUT 25 KILOWATT HOURS.

SO WHY IS THIS POSSIBLE TODAY? I MEAN, WHAT HAS CHANGED?

YES, YOU KNOW, WE HAD ELECTRIC CARS 100 YEARS AGO, BUT THEY WEREN\'T
VERY GOOD. AND UP UNTIL ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, THE BATTERIES WEREN\'T
JUST GOOD ENOUGH TO BE USED FOR ELECTRIC CAR, AND NOW THEY ARE, AND
THEY\'RE GETTING

BETTER ALL THE TIME. AND IT\'S REALLY CONSUMER ELECTRONICS THAT DROVE
THE IMPROVEMENT IN BATTERY TECHNOLOGY. YOU\'VE GOT A CELL PHONE THAT\'LL
RUN FOR A WEEK AND DOESN\'T WEIGH ANYTHING, YOUR LAPTOP THAT WILL RUN
FOR FIVE OR SIX

HOURS AND WEIGHS ONLY A COUPLE POUNDS.

LITHIUM ION BATTERIES DEVELOPED FOR

THOSE APPLICATIONS WAS REALLY WHERE IT STARTED AND WHERE IT SORT OF GOT
TO BE GOOD ENOUGH THAT YOU COULD STORE ENOUGH ENERGY TO DRIVE A USEFUL
DISTANCE.

HOW MANY BATTERIES DO YOU HAVE HERE THEN? OH, THERE\'S 104 CELLS. IT\'S
A 436-VOLT SYSTEM THAT WEIGHS 538 POUNDS. THIS PARTICULAR CAR, YOU CAN
PLUG INTO ANY WALL SOCKET YOU CAN FIND. THERE\'S ONLY ONE GEAR, AND
THERE\'S

NO CLUTCH, SO IT\'S PERMANENTLY ENGAGED IN THIS ONE GEAR, AND YOU NEVER
SHIFT, NOT EVEN FOR REVERSE. THE ELECTRONICS JUST DRIVES THE MOTOR
BACKWARDS. SO TO DRIVE, IT\'S VERY NICE, BECAUSE THERE\'S NEVER ANY
MESSING ABOUT WITH THE CLUTCH. YOU\'RE NEVER IN THE WRONG PART OF THE
POWER CURVE.

THE TORQUE\'S ALWAYS THERE ANYTIME YOU WANT IT. YOU CAN BE JUST CRUISING
ALONG AT 40 MILES AN HOUR, JUST PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN AND GO. THE TORQUE
CURVE OF THE MOTOR\'S SO FLAT AND SO WIDE THAT THE WAY IT\'S GEARED
RIGHT NOW, IT\'S ZERO TO 105 MILES AN HOUR IN FIRST GEAR. WOW, THAT\'S
AMAZING. HAVE WE

COVERED EVERYTHING HERE? I THINK, UH\... LET\'S GO FOR A SPIN.

OKAY. I\'M READY; LET\'S GO. NICE. \[laughing\] OH, MY GOD, ARE YOU
KIDDING ME? WOW, THIS IS BANGIN\'. \[tires squealing\] YO! \[laughs\]

(Wright)

SO RIGHT UP TO THE WALL. DUDE, YOU ARE INSANE. NASA 360! I NEED ONE OF
THESE THINGS. OH, YEAH. \[laughing\] I THINK I WAS CRYING LIKE A LITTLE
GIRL. MAN,

YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD ME. UNBELIEVABLE. \[laughing\] HE\'S GOT, LIKE,
THIS GREAT COMMENTARY. I\'M LIKE, \"FAAAAAA!\" \[laughter\]