Hennessey is considering a fully electric Venom with 1,000 hp

Thinking about electrification at a manufacturer of sports cars, muscle cars and jaw-dropping pick-ups sounds somewhat contradictory. John Hennessey is the creator of the Venom GT, a sports car based on the Lotus Elise that fits a powerful 7.0-liter V8 engine producing no less than 1,450 hp. Once a few more units are built, this vehicle’s top speed record could surpass that of the very Bugatti Veyron.

Now, the next step the American company is considering is a fully electric Hennessey Venom with 1,000 hp. In an interview with the British publication Top Gear during the SEMA Show 2015, the man behind one of the most powerful cars on Earth stated: “We are thinking about doing something with electricity. We have studied it and have friends in this field, but I am waiting for batteries to be lighter and have greater capacity, although I don’t think this is far off.”

Apparently, batteries and weight remain the main reasons why manufacturers are reluctant to take the step into electrification. However, Hennessey seems determined to continue the saga one way or another, except for a possible hybrid variant: “Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren have done a great job of proving that hybrid technology works, but I’m not interested in it. I would only make a Venom with a combustion engine or a pure electric one.”

For the moment, we remain waiting to see whether Hennessey brings to life a fully electric creature. Meanwhile, the British magazine states that Hennessey has not yet specified the launch of the successor to the Venom GT, the F5, as it awaits to see what Bugatti brings with the Chiron.

As a clarifying note, the Venom F5 will have the same powertrain as the GT, but will feature a bespoke chassis, a carbon fiber monocoque, a sequential gearbox, a single-clutch transmission, and its weight will be slightly above the 1,244 kilograms of its predecessor.

Via | Top Gear