Lightning Hybrid. Click image to enlarge

Loveland, Colorado – U.S. car company Lightning Hybrids has announced it will unveil a prototype hybrid vehicle at the Denver Auto Show in April. The company plans to design and manufacture hybrid vehicles at its Colorado facility.

The four-seat sports sedan will average 100 m.p.g. (2.35 L/100 km) on biodiesel, and will be able to accelerate from zero to 96 km/h in under six seconds. Its unique clamshell door opens upward for improved aerodynamics.

In addition to the innovative hydraulic biodiesel hybrid drivetrain, Lightning Hybrid said that it has other futuristic innovations, such as cameras and screens used in place of rearview external mirrors to reduce drag and increase safety.

The car will also be available in a three-door, four-seat design, while the drivetrain will be available as a retrofit kit, suitable for fleets.

Founded in 2008, the company has designed two 100 m.p.g. biodiesel-hydraulic hybrid cars, which it said it expects to sell for US$39,000 to $59,000. The two cars will compete in the 2010 Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize race, with $10 million in prizes available for teams that win a stage race for clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed the equivalent of 100 m.p.g.