In today's market, the idea of a hybrid supercar is nothing unique. There's plenty of them out there, with even the traditionally conservative Ferrari conceding and adding an electric powertrain to their latest flagship model, the SF90 Stradale. Turn the clock back a decade or two, however, and things were a little different. The idea of hybrids were still inextricably linked to images of the Toyota Prius, stereotypically being seen as boring cars made for people who didn't really like driving.
In 2004, Toyota tried to change those preconceptions with the Alessandro Volta Concept. Named after the inventor of the electric battery, the car borrowed the hybrid powertrain from the production Lexus RX400h SUV. That meant a 3.3L petrol V6 engine combined with four electric motors, one for each axle. It gave the Volta a total output of over 400 hp and a reported 0-60 time of 4 seconds flat. For comparison, that's only 0.3 seconds slower than a Lamborghini Murcielago from the same year. The car was electronically limited to a top speed of 155 mph.
Not only was its performance noteworthy, it also included a number of innovative design features that made it stand out among its peers. The Volta had three seats laid out in one row, and the steering wheel and pedals could slide right across the car so any passenger could seamlessly become the driver. The V6 engine was mid-mounted for better weight distribution, and a set of butterfly doors added some extra visual flare.
There's no doubt that the car was a head-turner too, certainly one of the more attractive 'futuristic' concepts from the era. That's thanks to input from the legendary Italdesign Giugiaro, who helped style both the exterior and interior of the car. Quad exhaust pipes jut out from the side of the Volta, a subtle reminder that this is a serious performance machine as well as a good-looking concept.
Unfortunately, after debuting at the '04 Geneva Motor Show, Toyota went quiet on the project and of course the Alessandro Volta never reached production. It was likely due to the high cost of development and the negative connotations of a hybrid car at the time, but it's still a shame. In an ideal world, Toyota would have released a production version, everyone would have loved it, and hybrids would have become desirable fifteen years sooner than they did. In reality though, the concept was quickly forgotten about and today it's been consigned to the Toyota archives.
Keyword: Alessandro Volta Concept: Remembering Toyota's Forgotten Hybrid S