Mitsubishi ESR
The Mitsubishi ESR is a hybrid electric vehicle concept exhibited by Mitsubishi Motors at the 30th Tokyo Motor Show in 1993. It was designed to demonstrate the company's technological developments in alternative energy, and used a 70 kW AC induction motor to drive the front wheels. 28 alkaline batteries housed under the passenger compartment, and a rear-mounted 1.5-litre gasoline engine powered an onboard electrical generator system. It also recycled its own kinetic energy, and absorbed solar power through roof-mounted cells.
The car was estimated to have a range of on hybrid power at a constant, or using only the batteries. A Global Positioning System receiver could automatically switch the vehicle from hybrid to battery-only operation when entering an urban area. Mitsubishi claimed a maximum speed of, thanks in part to a drag coefficient of 0.25.
