Publications
Partners
He might be the most powerful man on the planet, yet President Barrack Obama’s request for a hybrid limo was turned down by the US Secret Service.
The environmentally savvy US President has already added 5 000 hybrid cars and bakkies to his government’s federal fleet.
So, why can’t the leader of the free world get what he wants in terms of contemporary hybrid drive power for his personal mobility?
A big, ugly thing
Well, Obama’s official Cadillac Presidential limousine is a massive thing. Secret Service logistics officers steadfastly believe a hybrid drivetrain (even the 3.5t tow-rated Cadillac Escalade’s) will be unable to service their needs, especially if required to make a quick getaway.
The official Presidential Limousine is clouded in secrecy with regards to specification, yet it’s rather truck-like in design – boasting a ladder frame chassis and diesel power. The reason? It weighs an awful lot more than 3.5t thanks to the generous levels of armour plating and other personal survival features on-board to protect the President’s life.
Industry analysts have listed the possibility of electronic warfare equipment disabling the electric drive portion of a hybrid drivetrian as a possible (yet highly improbable) concern.
Whatever the security rationale is - for now at least - whenever President Obama goes out to rent a DVD or meet foreign leaders, he’ll leave one rather substantial carbon footprint…
The environmentally savvy US President has already added 5 000 hybrid cars and bakkies to his government’s federal fleet.
So, why can’t the leader of the free world get what he wants in terms of contemporary hybrid drive power for his personal mobility?
A big, ugly thing
Well, Obama’s official Cadillac Presidential limousine is a massive thing. Secret Service logistics officers steadfastly believe a hybrid drivetrain (even the 3.5t tow-rated Cadillac Escalade’s) will be unable to service their needs, especially if required to make a quick getaway.
The official Presidential Limousine is clouded in secrecy with regards to specification, yet it’s rather truck-like in design – boasting a ladder frame chassis and diesel power. The reason? It weighs an awful lot more than 3.5t thanks to the generous levels of armour plating and other personal survival features on-board to protect the President’s life.
Industry analysts have listed the possibility of electronic warfare equipment disabling the electric drive portion of a hybrid drivetrian as a possible (yet highly improbable) concern.
Whatever the security rationale is - for now at least - whenever President Obama goes out to rent a DVD or meet foreign leaders, he’ll leave one rather substantial carbon footprint…
