If you made it to Anaheim CA this weekend to the International Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition (EVS 23), which showcased an array of battery-operated vehicles, you were undoubtedly as pleasantly surprised as I was to see a shiny silver Shelby Cobra kit car take center stage.
Boasting more than just unmatched good looks, this Shelby Cobra kit car may have looked like a freshly polished knife on the outside, but is was "green" under the hood, powered by K2 Energy Solutions batteries from SSI Racing.
This stunning Cobra replica, made by HST Automotive, looks good and does good, mirroring the best looking Cobras ever made, while benefiting the environment.
Now that's a win-win.
Still, I have to admit that it's shocking to take a peak inside a car and see, well, not much, especially when looking at the guts of a Shelby Cobra. IT just doesn't seem right. OK. OK. It's not exactly "nothing," but compared to "non-green" Cobras, this car is virtually naked under the hood.
Flanked by all-electric vehicles, battery-powered scooters and high-powered electric sports cars at EVS 23, the Cobra stood out like it always does, but still, one couldn't help but take a look around and think more about what these vehicles (yes, including the scooters) share, then how they differ.
For me, that's a first.
As any kit car owner knows, replica cars are built to spec, allowing you to customize just about everything about the car - both above and below the hood. Kit car owners also know that comparing cars is just what we do, and we are constantly rating what we see on a scale that, based on every aspect of our own kit car, can be as unforgiving as a short racetrack turn.
This Cobra, like everything else at the Symposium and Exposition, is judged on this individual scale (at least by me), but given extra points for not participating in oil consumption. Believe it or not, it doesn't need these extra points because this reproduction looks as good, and if not better than any vintage or kit car Cobra I have seen.
It's like taking the fat, calories, and cholesterol of the most decadent chocolate cake. You don't expect good taste when something is actually good for you, making this battery-operated Cobra a welcome surprise.
For more information, visit; http://www.electricdrive.org/evs23/
