Jet turbine generator

UK car companies Ariel and Morgan have both announced that they will release an all electric drive sports car by 2020. These will be the first electric cars to employ a jet turbine sustainer (electric generator) which will charge the batteries when in ‘highway cruising’ mode.

A 35kW example is shown below.

What is groundbreaking is the efficiency they have managed to get - they are claiming 30% - which would put them on par with the best internal combustion engines currently made.

Traditionally turbine engines have been notoriously inefficient at sea level. But by using a heat exchanger and recirculation of the heated air they have managed to gain energy back and get unprecedented levels of efficiency.

These turbines run on Jet A-1 and will have a very long TBO. The developers are also claiming a very low unit cost once put into volume production.

Two of these type of turbines could be used to generate electric power in the Bluebird giving ‘ETOPS airline’ levels of redundancy and reliability.